Martin Amis
A few years back I bought a book by Martin Amis - The Information. I enjoyed it. It was cleverly-written, humorous, a bit sick at times (I am a b3tard after all) and had a decent storyline.

Admittedly, it was a bit heavy going at times, as Amis tends to use 'big' words and very long sentences, which are a bit unnecessary and just confuse the reader. But that's his style.

So I bought another of his books - Yellow Dog.

Now I've read books on quantum physics, cosmology, relativity and so on (Hyperspace by Michio Kaku, for example), and while I can't claim to have understood every word, at least by the end of the book I have gleaned some useful knowledge and information from it, and come away with some concept of the content of the book. Not Yellow Dog though.

Despite the fact it's a novel, and therefore should have a plot etc, I finished that book and had no idea what it was about. I missed the point entirely. I would re-read it but it I found it to be so much pretentious bollocks that I couldn't face it again.

I went back to crime fiction after that. Harlan Coben, David Baldacci et al. Still thought provoking but much more enjoyable.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:21, 8 replies)

^^
I also found this frustrating and ultimately pointless. Henry Fielding references, online dating, dead bloke in a plane....
Hugely disappointing.
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:31, closed)

I'd recommend
London Fields or Money by Martin Amis.

Both have his typically wordy style, but are 'proper' stories, with plots and everything. Well worth reading.
( Moey, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:31, closed)

^^
What Gunter said.
( Boss Keloid Got your mother's maiden name tattooed on my arm, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:31, closed)

^Same here
'Money' is a fantastic book.
( girlinthehole, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:35, closed)

agree with Gunter
He's one of my favourite authors but Yellow dog is pants. You should read those books Gunter suggested or also success and the Rachal papers are brilliant
(BarryChuckle, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:41, closed)

London Fields
Yes I heard that was a good one. I'll give it a go sometime, as well as the other suggestions.

Was this QOTW sponsored by Amazon, perchance? I think their sales figures are about to show a spike!
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Mon 19 May 2008, 11:44, closed)

^My postman
Is going to be pretty pissed off as a result of this QOTW.
( Moey, Mon 19 May 2008, 13:47, closed)

I couldnt get into 'Money' at all
The story just didn't interest me and the lead characters pointless hedonistic ambling was a little bit boring really.
( whenanimalsattackhumans clad in global hypercolour, Mon 19 May 2008, 14:43, closed)