On: How to Read a Book [pdf]

[gknoy]

I still laugh about the chapter in the middle of Les Miserables where the author spends something like 20-30 pages talking about the battle of Waterloo. It was interesting, and very detailed, but had nearly no connection to the plot of the story (other that one of the people there left an heirloom for a character, or something?). Later, he did the same thing for the sewers of Paris, and I believe I skipped that. ;)

[csdrane → gknoy]

Similarly, Moby Dick has tens of pages describing the particulars of the whaling industry.

[huehehue → csdrane]

And Michael Crichton's Airframe has tens of pages describing airplane parts and their inspection processes.

I love it when books do that -- fortunately, it's easy to distinguish between technical passages and drivel.