Defeated by entertainment?

[masterofsparks]

I started thinking about this because I recently tried (and failed) to complete Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. I figured some of you might have some fun examples. What are some examples of albums/books/movies/something else that defeated you?

[samir]

'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts.

For once, I'll just wait for the movie.

[theyellowchair]

I started thinking about this because I recently tried (and failed) to complete Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. I figured some of you might have some fun examples. What are some examples of albums/books/movies/something else that defeated you?

I rue the day I purchase Finnegan's Wake...what was I thinking???!??!?!?#@?$!$

[moonshake]

2000: A Space Odyssey  - I have completely given up on this one and I don't think I'll ever try to watch it again.
Matrix 2 - I got dragged to the movies to watch this but I fell asleep in about 15 minutes.

House of Leaves - It was interesting but by the time I got half way through, I had lost track of what was going on. I'll have to re-attempt this soon- I bought the damn book.

[Gibby]

Odd, was talking about this in the pub last night. I think I've always made it through to the end of a book or a film (unless it was a stinky turd, then I'd switch it off - I'd consider that me defeating it, rather than the other way around) but I never got past track seven of Sumday by Grandaddy. I like it up to that point ('Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake') but then I develop a disinclination to listen anymore and find something more interesting to do.

[samir]

Odd, was talking about this in the pub last night. I think I've always made it through to the end of a book or a film (unless it was a stinky turd, then I'd switch it off - I'd consider that me defeating it, rather than the other way around) but I never got past track seven of Sumday by Grandaddy. I like it up to that point ('Stray Dog and the Chocolate Shake') but then I develop a disinclination to listen anymore and find something more interesting to do.

'The Warming Sun'!!! Listen to it! "Experience (boo-boom) the experience once again"

[Bryan]

I skipped about 200 pages of Gravity's Rainbow (towards the middle) and it didn't really affect my comprehension of the novel one way or the other. I've read a few of Pynchon's other books - in general, I like the shorter ones better. War and Peace has been sitting at my bedside table for about two years, with a bookmark at around page 160.

I've walked out of/stopped watching many, many films, but usually I feel like I've defeated them rather than vice versa.

I fell asleep during The Fog of War, to my shame.

[Sarah]

I gave up a quarter of the way through Remembrance of Things Past.

[jbissell]

Infinte Jest. I tried to read it in high school but it was too big of a mountain for me to climb. I'm probably slightly better equipped these days.

[Martin]

Lots of things. Tons of books, tons of TV shows. Especially TV shows. Not that many films though.

James Joyce. The Sopranos. Dostojevskij. Blade Runner.

Given my anal nature, I usually just skip things completely if I feel there's a risk I might bail on them.

[cutout]

I made it through most of the first Lord of the Rings, but fell asleep intermittently throughout the sequels. It's not that they were too challenging intellectually, it's just that I kept being reminded I was 33 years old and actually trying to make an effort to understand these complex relationships between elfs and goblins and whatever the hell. The depressingness of that triggered my sleep reflex.

[Stupornaut]

Let's see what my Netflix history has to say:

-The original Tarkovsky Solaris
-The Ninth Configuration
-Little Murders
-Downtown 81
-Crimewave
-Atlantic City
-Forbidden Zone

[Martin]

That's an awesome list of films!

[Stupornaut]

That's an awesome list of films!

I really like Blade Runner, so I figure we are not entirely going to see eye-to-eye on this.

[Bryan]

-The Ninth Configuration

Oh, yeah. Me too. I liked most of the rest of the films on your list, though.