Ok, here's my take:
1. Recommended: ~The
Sheltering Sky~ by Paul Bowles. I finally got around to
reading it after meaning to for ages, and although it at
first didn't seem like my type of book, I really did
like it. Honorable mentions: I, Claudius; Out of
Africa.
2. Distinctly Not Recommended: ~House of Sand and
Fog~, Andre Dubus III. I got this one from my sister
Carmen who said she couldn't put it down. I couldn't
either--I threw it across the room. (Unfortunately, this
isn't an original line, but I can't remember who said
it.) Dishonorable mention: The Name of the Rose (I
know a lot of people like this, but I could never get
into it. I tried, really.)
ESB