Books/Films You Know Are Good But Can't Get Through

[Hamish McBagpipe]

There are a few works that I know are good but just can't get through. Joyce's Ulysses is one of them. I have read Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, enjoyed it and thought it was very good. Ulysses I've tried and tried but find almost completely indecipherable, yet modern literature is widely acclaimed to have begun on that June day in 1904.

Another one is Faulkner's Sound and the Fury. I think you need a full semester course on this one before tackling.

On the film front I know that Citizen Kane is good, but every time I've tried to watch this one it bores me to tears and I never make it through it all in one sitting. I enjoy lots of films from this era, On The Waterfront for one is in my top 10 all time, but Citizen Kane ain't.

Any picks yourselves?

One thing is that I've noticed from the other posts is that few of you really think that there is any real objectivity in appreciating literature or film. That is, I don't think many of you think you can say one piece of art actually IS better than another. I do. I don't like Citizen Kane, but I KNOW that it is better, hands down, no argument, superior to Deuce Bigelow: European Gigolo.