Me Before You - am I the only person in the world not to love it?

[EleanorofProvence]

Just over half way through this book and finding it a bit of a chore to read. It seems like everyone else loves it & pretty much all the reviews I've read have raved about it. Why? What am I missing?

[LittleBlackTrilby]

I didn't enjoy it either.

And then someone gave me the sequel...it's awful. It's five years later, and the girl is still a devastated shell of a woman, in grief counselling for someone she knew for what, six months?

Load of cobblers.

[Destinysdaughter]

I found it pretty depressing tbh. Apparently it's been made into a film, out this year!

Disappointed to hear the sequel was so poor.

[EleanorofProvence]

I'm finding it quite irritating.

The constant class references & portrayal of Louisa's supposedly typical WC family.

The idea that the only way to live a fulfilling life is to live in London with a high-powered job, lots of travel to adventurous/cultured locations, watch arty films, read 'literature' (which I found quite ironic in this context!) & listen to classical music.

And the rape subplot that has just been thrown in seems quite strange (not sure where that's going, if anywhere...).

[MoreGilmoreGirls]

It was annoying dross

[EleanorofProvence]

I've just watched the film trailer - safe to say I won't be going to see it

What is it people like so much about it then? It got really good reviews in the 'proper' press too. I'm completely baffled!

[LittleBlackTrilby]

Yes, the class thing! I hate that plotline; I just watched Trainwreck too and got seriously disappointed in Amy Schumer. Feminist, my arse.

May as well keep remaking Pygmalion. Bad girl turns good, gets guy. Bleurgh.

[lurkingfromhome]

Mediocre chick lit masquerading as something more. I may be wrong but think the author is part of the cohort of female journalists about whom Not A Bad Word Shall Be Said in the press, hence the good reviews.

I tell you what I did like, though: Jenny Eclair's Life, Death and Vanilla Slices. Pissed me off that the publishers marketed it with that inane chick lit title and godawful cover when it was actually dark, interesting and really well-written, I thought.

[Costacoffeeplease]

I don't get all the love for it either, I found her really irritating with her 'kooky' clothes

And yes to life death and vanilla slices, I don't think it got the recognition it deserved

[Quogwinkle]

< SPOILER ALERT >

It was the "bravery" of raising the right to die topic I suppose that got it the literary praise. I thought that made it interesting, but for a more balanced and understated approach to the subject I preferred Patrick Gale's A Perfectly Good Man, which covered it more sensitively.

[LittleBlackTrilby]

I guess, but it was hardly a rigorous look at the subject, was it? Brave.

[Destinysdaughter]

Actually I did cry at the end

[Quogwinkle]

Trilby - that's why I put bravery in inverted commas :o. I did enjoy the story very much but it had the emotional depth of a very shallow puddle.

[LittleBlackTrilby]

Destiny was it tears of joy that it was over?

[jalopyjane]

I cried too. Doesn't mean it was any good though - just emotionally manipulative tear-jerker chick lit. No idea why it got such good reviews.

[EleanorofProvence]

I'm wishing he would just get on and do it - I've obviously not got into the spirit of the book



(Actually, I object to the premise that taking him on a few days out will somehow make his life worth living where he's actually made a perfectly justified decision of his own to end his life.)

[EleanorofProvence]

I haven't got to the end yet do no idea if it will make me cry or not. It might I suppose...

[LittleBlackTrilby]

Him: my life is a living hell and I choose to die.
Her: but, wahey, let's go to the BEACH!!
Him: seriously, kill me now.

[Costacoffeeplease]

I didn't cry at the end and was a bit surprised that so many people did

[jalopyjane]

I used to cry at sad storylines in Home & Away though Like I said, no indication of quality!

[RalphSteadmansEye]

It's an absolute pile of trash. I can't believe I read it all the way to the end; I fell for the hype that it was 'literary' chick lit. Was it heck? Sooo badly written. I've found my people!

[TheCrowFromBelow]

I chose it for our book group
It was awful. Shallow treatment of serious subjects.
It killed our book group we never met again.

[Quogwinkle]

Crow that's really sad. Did they blame you?

I'm still wondering whether to read the sequel, just to find out how bad it is. I was so torn over MBY. I have quite an eclectic taste in books, mixing heavyweight serious with thrillers and lighter "palate cleansers" and felt this definitely dropped into the palate cleanser category despite the subject matter. It was still head and shoulders above the one and only Sophie Kinsella novel I have read. That really was bad - badly written and utterly implausible. I shall never want to read another SK novel ever again.

[EleanorofProvence]

DON'T DO IT

[CoteDAzur]

LittleBlack

[Quogwinkle]

:o I don't want to read something that will just make me cross. Life's too short and there are many more books on my tbr list, so perhaps not then!