Is this book difficult? I certainly think it is, but I want to know what real readers think...

Is this book difficult? I certainly think it is, but I want to know what real readers think. I feel like my reading level must be pretty low, because I can read at most like 15 pages of this thing a day; and I worked my way up from only reading a couple pages and putting it down for a while. I'm on a fast track to finishing it within the next week right now, because I'm getting faster. I don't really consider myself the same level of person as most of the people on this board, so whether or not I find it difficult doesn't really count.

no, not really t b h my lad. just keep reading it gets easier

I read it very soon after I started reading and it took me a long time to get through, especially for a novella. It's been a while since then I should reread it soon.

Are you reading this in english? It might be easier to read in norwegian if you're from Norway. (they only seem to sell the damned english version in Norway)

I am reading it in English.

This is very weird to me, as I read it in a day in Norwegian. I don't consider myself a good or a fast reader either.
Maybe a lot of the concepts/words are not that known in the english sphere? Is the translation shit?

I think that norwegian is just a simpler language lol.

This book is one of my wishes to read soon, I'll read it in portuguese.

i read it in portuguese, it was not all that hard but i read it between pauses -- read part 1 in a day, had 3 day to recover myself; read part 2 in a day, stopped for a week; read part 3 in a day, stopped for a month; read half of part 4, closed the book because i could not sustain so much relatable suffering, finished the book the next day). it was psychologically hard for me

Read it in spanish when I was 15, took me less than two weeks. I don't remember much about it but I did like it. You do have to take breaks from it sometimes

Hijacking your thread, OP. For us monolingual plebs, which translation is recommended for Growth of the Soil? I read Worster's a while ago and enjoyed it, but I'd like to hear Veeky Forums's opinion.

I've read that version too. I found it really clear and concise. I'd almost describe the sentences as sparse, which I liked.

I don't know why op finds it difficult

I didn't finish it mostly because it's a very unpleasant read and kind of one-dimensional compared to Notes from the Underground.

the writing is really dense and neurotic. I don't blame you. it's a great book though. the protag is an anti-hero of sorts. just keep trucking. even if you don't like the writing, conceptually it's a really interesting book.

It's not that hard, and it's not that good. I came to from Bukowski, years and years ago. And, Bukowski I think is shit writing now.

Wtf is going on itt

Pick up Drummond's translation.

I bought and started with enthusiasm but dropped it 60 or 70 pages in. I found it boring and the prose wasn't anything special. But I don't think the prose was difficult.

I'l have to revisit it eventually.

test

Huh. I thought it was funny in a spergy way.

bro this was the second book I read from lit recs and I finished it over a weekend

me too, although at different points it was hauntingly sad.