I struggle with books where I'm not engaged by, say, the first 100 pages. Even doing Eng Lit at uni, if I really hated a set book I wouldn't finish it if I could get away with not discussing it in a seminar or somesuch, or didn't especially need to include it in an essay. Well done for finishing! I might take a look at the free preview and see what I think. Although the Long Song is next on my list. So many books...
I'm currently in the middle of The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Very good and very readable.
It is bloody hard work reading something that you are not into. If I were you NSTN I would not bother with Carey's book.
'The Help' is one of the most reserved books in the library (the most reserved one at the moment is 'A journey' by T. Blair
) - I am looking forward to reading that one when I can get my hands of it.
I was going to read 'C' by Tom MacCarthy but I felt so weighed down by the massive tome of Carey's that I have opted to read 'In a Strange Room' by Galgut. Its all about travel, but very much inverted upon itself. Most travelogues and books are normally uplifting and generally approving about the type of travel involved, this is more about the hardships of travel, both as a group, with a singular travelling companion and having to baby-sit someone else. Not bad at all.