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When Know No Fear was first released I got stuck in straight away like I did every HH book. Put simply I was more than a little disappointed with it. I just didn't get it, the characters didn't interest me, the pace I found to be ponderous, and more besides. A few years later it was re-released as a Collectors Hardback edition, which I duly ordered from Black Library on a whim. When it arrived I was so impressed with how the book looked, felt and smelled (don't ask) that I set about giving it another go.

The up-shot of this is that I couldn't put it down! I feverishly tore through the entire book in a couple of days, picking up scene after scene, character after character that I seemed to have missed somehow on the previous read. There are countless battle scenes that I've re-read over and over since then. My opinion of this book couldn't have been more different on the second read, and I'm really glad I read it again. Weird huh?

Has anyone else ever had a similar experience with a book? Maybe you loved a book the first time you read it but HATED it the second time, or maybe vice-versa like my experience?

Oh, the bit about....smelling books....it's hard to explain so I won't try. If you know what I'm on about it won't sound so odd, but if you don't, pretend you didn't read that bit.

I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I totally get what you mean about book smell. New book smell is awesome, and old book smell is awesome.

Also, I love Know No Fear.

Edit; oh I've reread plenty of books I hated the second time. Fulgrim, Galaxy in Flames...

 ImAGeek wrote:


Edit; oh I've reread plenty of books I hated the second time. Fulgrim, Galaxy in Flames...

It's funny you mention that because a mate of mine said the same thing about Fulgrim. Personally I LOVE that book, not literally, of course, because that would be, well...weird, but I liked it immensely.

Yes, book smell, for me, is a good way to pass a few minutes. I approached a friend of mine once about how GOOD books can smell, which resulted in both of us getting stuck into my 2000+ book collection. After a good few minutes of eager smelling, my mate looked at me with a wide-eyed grin and said "Yeaaah! I get it, man, I get it!" A meeting of minds over something so fringe yet weirdly enjoyable is a very good thing. Went to Waterstones the other day to buy The Talon of Horus. I grabbed a copy off the shelf and made for the queue while getting a good lung full of its fresh pages. I stopped when I realised my eager sniffing was attracting attention from bemused customers and staff.

It's good to hear there are other enlightened people out there who GET IT.

Peace *pathetically inept gang sign*

I may appreciate books more after I've let it soak in, and maybe go back and read passages.

I loved know no fear. Struggled through some others such as Fulgrim and Fear to Tread, but may give them another try. Perhaps I was missing something.

I've never liked a book more coming back to it later. Usually I like it just as much, though sometimes I like it a whole lot less.

I imagine there's a good number of 40k books I'd have loved to death when I was twelve or thirteen, but absolutely cannot stand now. I'm certain the twelve year old me would have loved Brothers of the Snake for instance, but when I read it at twenty two or so it was just so over the top I couldn't finish it.

Storm of Iron was not as funny as I first read it 6 years ago.

Blood Gorgons was hilarious! but its a one time joke. I think I read the book before gay marriage was legalized in my state. Also the juvenile lvl 100 psycher was ROFLMAO!

I think it's a matter of time..Something I read ten years ago and hated, then pick up and read again and really like is probably due to changing tastes and outlooks..Works both ways..I've reread stuff that was great back in the day, and then years later read again and thought WTF was so great about this? Doesn't happen very often. Usually if I read a book and decide it sucks, it goes to the local library donation bin..

I got about 100 pages into A Thousand Sons the first time, and it just didn't grab me. It was paced very slowly, and not a whole lot was happening. I started it again this summer and got around to finishing it just recently. While I won't say I loved it, I'm glad I read it. It could definitely have stood to be about 200 pages shorter though; 550 was kind of overindulgent.

I've always believed that it's the author's obligation to make me want to continue reading, not my obligation to read everything they wrote.

I think the only 40K related novel I ever gave a second chance was Prospero Burns. I can't say I loved it the second time though. I felt like the best part of that book was identifying all the lifted cultural and literary references. It was basically Michael Crichton's The Thirteenth Warrior (what was originally titled Eaters of the Dead) retold in 40K using the name a different Arab explorer and then also the Kaspar Hauser name which, of course, refers to the European myth of the "wolf child". I mean, Abnett even had the Space Wolves lacking a written language and needing Hauser to draw sounds for them. Not sure I buy a high technology spacefaring culture without a written language, Seems like it would be dangerous to have a bunch of illiterates in command of a space ship, but hey.

The bible.

It's becoming pretty entertaining when you envision it as a history book from an ancient human standpoint perspective.