Uładzimir Karatkievič, Ears [of wheat] under Thy sickle I was supposed to read this at school, because it's a seminal work of Belarusian literature or somethin

Uładzimir Karatkievič, Ears [of wheat] under Thy sickle I was supposed to read this at school, because it's a seminal work of Belarusian literature or something, but I somehow managed to avoid it back then. So I've decided to give it a try now. And... I just couldn’t finish it. It's a book about nobility. And I just can't associate myself with the nobles, with their rules and ideas about life. E.g. there is a situation when Aleś starts arguing about politics; he says some things that irritate his classmates, and he knows it. Then three classmates find him alone, tell him some things that irritate him. And he starts a fight, because honour or something. And he's supposed to be in the right here. I just... it's just so different from my worldview. They way they act, the way they think. ____________________ Ohran Pamuk, İstanbul: Memories of a City I just can't finish this book. It's just... I don't know, I don't feel compelled to continue reading? It's just a collection of memories, with no real incentive to read them. Also, I find it difficult to empathise with the grief about the ruined empire, because for me, ruined empires are a good thing. So, a large portion of the book's sentiment is lost on me.