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Taking Forever to Finish a Book

I've been reading The Silmarillion for months now. Really since early this year. 

I read fairly quickly, but I hate reading for deadlines. I spent too much time reading to finish books and not to really understand, so now I really try to take my time with books. With The Silmarillion, which I will heretofore refer to as T.S., this "trying to understand" bit presents a challenge. 

<side note: Don't you love the word "heretofore"? I do.>

I love Tolkien and his world. The Hobbit is awesome. I've been known to get into somewhat deep discussions about it on Reddit. Same with the trilogy. Shall we discuss the real villain in The Hobbit? I will!

But T.S. is a history with every sentence packed with INFORMATION. ALL the information. Like, you can read a paragraph and have an entire family history.

The version I have comes with 2 maps, at least 5 family trees, and 2 glossaries. For a ~300 page book. To remember names, I created a list of the Valar and Maiar so that I could keep them straight while I read. Oh Orome, right... the hunter....

I constantly refer to the map (Dortho-what?) and the genealogies (Galadriel was the daughter of Finarfin, not Fingolfin). And ohhhhh that darn Maeglin.

I've been at this book for months. Over half a year. I'm on page 157 as I wrote this: The ruin of Beleriand. Holy facts. Holy names. Holy battles! At least I have my kitty to help me find places on the map! (I read on my yoga mat after I do some sun salutations.)


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I've never taken so long to absorb a book in my life. But I figure if I'm going to read it and enjoy it, I need to understand it as much as possible.

157 pages. Fail.

What's your book fail? Tell me so I feel better.

Bonus Jane Eyre story for my friends, the Hrinkos. 
In eighth(ish) grade, my teacher decided to create an advanced reading program for those of us who were doing really well in English. Great! I loved reading. Bad... my classmates will think I am even more a dork. 
The first book I was assigned was Jane Eyre. My teacher thought I'd like it. She might even be reading this blog... she is my Facebook friend, after all. Though I bet she's very busy and doesn't read my blog. Not terribly surprising =) 

Well, I started it. Those of you who've read the Brontes know, these are not light reading. I didn't have a clue. I HATED  it. Loathed. Couldn't wait to finish it, which I did only out of stubbornness. I vowed never to read it again. (Since Jakie hasn't finished the book, I will refrain from discussing which parts I particularly felt strongly about in my blog. No spoilers please!)

Years passed and I was in a summer between college semesters when I got the urge to pick that book up again and see if there was any love for Jane in my heart. And you know what? There was!

My second time reading through I LOVED it. And then I went on to read Wuthering Heights and loved it! Those Brontes... not bad. Although I do still love to loathe a Byronic hero.

P.S. If you haven't seen it I made a LOTR wreath from a falling-apart book! I have more pages and am happy to talk LOTR wreaths with you =)

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