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Original poster

I dislike 95% of fiction. Help me rectify this. (Very detailed post!)

82 replies

Fishpond · 02/03/2012 04:18

95% of my reading material is interesting non-fiction, particularly social criticisms / pop psychology type stuff and parenting books of course (gag). Apologies for the massive post, but felt I needed to give a definitive list of my "type" of books and either confirm or deny most of the hotly debated books I've seen in this topic.

For the last 2-3 years, I start a novel and 20 pages later just am disgusted with my inability to enjoy the book and chuck it away. I spend hours and hours combing the non-fiction section of the library and have picked over probably every subject. I really want to be able to get lost in a great story, with great writing, great characters, but they seem much more difficult to find. I continue re-reading the books I love but have literally not found a new novel to enjoy in at least 2 years. Sad

Books I have read and enjoyed...
To Kill a Mockingbird
1984 & Down and Out in Paris And London (did NOT like Animal Farm)
Wuthering Heights
Pride and Prejudice and other Austen was okayyyyy
Most Philippa Gregory stuff
The Da Vinci Code and the rest of Mr. Brown (I know, I know...)
Pillars of the Earth & World Without End
HP & LOTR series
George R.R. Martin books (Song of Ice and Fire series)
The Doomsday Book
About 50% of Nick Hornby
Seven Types of Ambiguity
Most Barbara Kingsolver stuff
Maybe 25% of Hemingway
East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men
Maybe 50% of Faulkner
Almost everything by Poe

Books I have tried to read or have read completely through and definitely did NOT enjoy...
Wolf Hall
The Help
Anything by James Patterson, Jodi Picoult, Stephen King, Salman Rushdie, John Grisham, Kate Mosse, Annie Proulx, Kurt Vonnegut, Virginia Woolf, Margaret Atwood
One Day (wasn't a HATED book, but "meh")
Anything "chick lit" - Sophie Kinsella et. al
Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
White Tiger
Catch-22
Catcher in the Rye
Life of Pi
Most "classics" - 98% of Dickens and anything pre-1900 really Blush
Any type of mystery, I abhor the genre
Any type of romance, ditto
Room
Time Traveler's Wife
Captain Correlli's Mandolin
The Great Gatsby
Twilight

Any help? Or am I doomed to the annals of the first floor library only forevermore?

OP posts:
IamtheSnorkMaiden · 02/03/2012 14:34

Just keep trying different stuff.

What about trying Ismail Kadare, Yiyun Li and Orhan Pamuk. You'll probably hate these too, but you'll be no worse off than now!

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson? It's short.

She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb?

More Steinbeck - Cannery Row, The Pearl

The Carpenter's Pencil - Manuel Rivas

Some Paul Auster?

DuchessofMalfi · 02/03/2012 08:38

Like joan suggests - The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, and Donna Tartt's novels. So I'd recommend those too. The Bonfire of the Vanities wasn't one I enjoyed, but it was so long ago now I can't remember why :o. Also, if you find you like The Corrections, there's also another novel by Jonathan Franzen - Freedom, which is on my very long tbr list!

joanofarchitrave · 02/03/2012 06:14

The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
I've always wanted to read Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe but haven't done so - think you might enjoy it.

joanofarchitrave · 02/03/2012 06:14

What was it you liked about Kevin? I've enjoyed a couple of other Lionel Shrivers but they tend to be marmite books.

Are you getting stuff from the library? sounds like it's often not worth you investing in buying the book!

Did you read Longitude when it came out, and some of those big-invention history books - Tulip Fever, Scurvy? Great stuff.

joanofarchitrave · 02/03/2012 06:11

Hmmm, Barbara Kingsolver. Also lots of Americans in your 'like' list.

could try The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.
also The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen.

Penelope1980 · 02/03/2012 05:52

I've liked pretty much all in your like list (apart from Hemmingway and that Seven Types book which I haven't read) but also liked a few in your other list too so can't help sorry. Maybe you like books you learn from, but not in an obvious or pretentious way?

Original poster
Fishpond · 02/03/2012 04:23

Oh and I liked the Kevin book.

OP posts: