A comparable book that went pretty much completely over my head was Robert Musil's "A Man Without Qualities." I finished it, but got just about nothing from it.
If you're not completely put off Mann, "Buddenbrooks" is a much more approachable book - and very good.
There is also a nice podcast episode on the scandal here https://www.ft.com/content/eebabfef-8a34-4b25-bb72-55fce734e72c
Read Empireland recently. https://www.waterstones.com/book/empireland/sathnam-sanghera/9780241445310Excellent analysis of how the British empire affects what British people are like today, rather than a history of the empire (which is obviously a vast subject extensively covered in a number of historical tomes). In Empireland the author has a particular political slant, as would any British person writing on this subject, but he's open and honest about this, and writes with enough nuance to depict the empire as neither good nor bad. I especially liked the premise which runs through much of it that most people in the UK know almost nothing about the empire, despite its existence affecting what we're like as a country as much as the world wars which are done to death in secondary school history, whereas the empire is barely mentioned.
Read Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams. Fantastic coming of age story set in the American west at the end of the ‘wild west’ era. One of a number of more grounded and realistic western books/films etc that came out as a response to the over romanticised earlier westerns. Apparently paved the way for books like blood meridian by Cormack McCarthy which I can see but it’s much less brutal than that and much more poignant. Very easy reading and well written. Highly recommend.
Quote from: JamieG on August 25, 2022, 07:34:28 pmRead Butcher’s Crossing by John Williams. Fantastic coming of age story set in the American west at the end of the ‘wild west’ era. One of a number of more grounded and realistic western books/films etc that came out as a response to the over romanticised earlier westerns. Apparently paved the way for books like blood meridian by Cormack McCarthy which I can see but it’s much less brutal than that and much more poignant. Very easy reading and well written. Highly recommend.Completely different, but Stoner by Williams is also brilliant.
Since you mentioned sci-fi, I'm currently reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I'd been recommended it by two people so thought I'd try it, although I don't read much sci-fi. I have to say I don't think much of it at the moment but I'd be interested to hear if anyone else who has read it has a different opinion
Quote from: TobyD on August 25, 2022, 05:39:28 pmSince you mentioned sci-fi, I'm currently reading Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie. I'd been recommended it by two people so thought I'd try it, although I don't read much sci-fi. I have to say I don't think much of it at the moment but I'd be interested to hear if anyone else who has read it has a different opinionI read it and I thought it was Okay. It's very much doing a lot of by the numbers space opera stuff and I felt like it apes but was nowhere near as good as some other works.