Popular book that you didn’t enjoy

@CeaselessWatcher. I guess everyone”s different. My other intense dislike is The Amber Spyglass, it rambles on and on turgidly and I’m not too keen on the fact that a former English teacher writes about two twelve year olds having sex as if it”s a beautiful cosmic experience. Didn’t mind Northern Lights, Subtle Knife, a bit meh.

I loved Jonathan Strange, and loved the writing style especially the footnotes - my only complaint is I have it in hardback and it is such a hefty tome it defies re-reading, I have tried so many times but it is too heavy to read in bed, in the bath or carry around to read on journeys.
I also loved On The Road when I read it as a teen and in my early 20s but probably wouldn't like it so much now. And Never Let Me Go, I loved that too!

@AmadeustheAlpaca
Agree re Jonathon Strange, Fear and Loathing, Curious Incident, Girl on the Train and Never let me go. Although I am an Austen Fan.

Here’s some I disliked intensely:
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, great idea but pretentious and unreadable. On the Road, the Kerouac classic, horrible characters and poverty tourism. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, more druggie nonsense.
The Bunker Diaries- the most miserable young person’s book ever. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, supposed to be a children’s book, yet I have never met a child who liked it, it seems to be adults who rave about it and think children should like it.
The Girl on the Train, Never Let me Go.
Not keen on anything by Jane Austen though I realise lots of people love her to bits and I don’t loathe her books, just not a fan.

One Day - I could hear Hugh Grant in my head when I was reading it and I have no idea why.

Goldfinch - bored the tits off me.

Oh and I forgot... anything by Ian McEwan. Cannot stand his writing, I find him totally irritating.

Tattooist of Auschwicz. A remarkable story very poorly told.

The time travellers wife. Just crap.

Harry Potter and the philosophers Stone, read with my daughter and we were both a bit perplexed as to what all the fuss is about. Never read any more of them.

Charlottes Web. Found the writing incredibly dull. Will stick with the movie.

But I think DT actually falls intermittently in love with her own characters and asks us to believe that it is actually fundamentally superior to (a) walk around with Sanskrit books under your arm and to get drunk on brandy while playing the grand piano in a country house with a ballroom to (b) hanging suicidal quote from Artaud and Barbie dolls from a noose on your dorm door, and getting drunk doing shots at frat parties.

When it's just a different type of student pretentiousness.

The Secret History - Donna Tartt. Overly long, unoriginal plot, dreadful characters. Tries to be profound but it actually dull. Really, really, really don't understand why so many people think it is marvellous.

@MintyCedric, it's been a few years since I read it and I think it might be as much as the first 5 or 6 chapters that are difficult but I don't remember the exact number.

Trying not to do a spoiler but it's after the bit about the war on the mainland and it returns to the island, if that makes sense. From then on, it's a different book entirely.

Most things that are recommended as if "a challenging read" is a good thing. I'd take a quick light hearted Marian Keyes novel over any of them.

@MilesOfSand there is indeed massive hype behind Richard Osman. I've just received a link via Netgalley from his publishers for the next novel in the series which is out in September. It's really gearing up for that already.

I hated The Book Thief. I read it last year, after putting it off for years. Awful book, can't see why it's so popular

Also, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

Also, has anyone said the Book Thief? I hear that it's meant to be amazing. I have a copy here that I routinely pick up, struggle through a few chapters and then remember how much I hate it, so away it goes. Until a few months later when this fool tries again

I actually gave up on Captain Corelli twice and left it on the shelf for a good few years. One year I picked it up and just loved it. I’ve read everything he has written and have met him. The language that lots don’t like I now really savour. I’m yet to meet anyone who just likes LdB. Either they love him or really don’t.

Conversations with friends
The life of pi
One hundred years of solitude (magical realism is not for me)
My brilliant friend

Agree with The Lovely Bones and Crawdads. Both depressing drivel.
Has anyone mentioned One Day yet? That must gets prize for the most over-rated book I’ve ever set eyes on. I actually, physically, threw it across the room when I was finished with it, I was so disappointed by the ending!

Harry Potter. Awful, awful turgid muck and I wanted to help Voldemort find Harry and Avada Kedavra the fuck out of him so the whining would stop.

Hated it as a kid, as you can probably tell

It's the style of the writing that stops me getting any further (although I can't remember how far I actually did get, each of the three times I tried!). It's not often the way something is written interferes with my ability to read a book, but this time it really did.

@Tedisateddybear thats really interesting...I couldn't get past the first couple of chapters...felt like I needed a dictionary and reference book on mythology to understand wtf was going on.

Might have to give it another try.

For those who have said they hated Captain Corelli's Mandolin, could I ask how far into the book you got before giving up?

The reason I ask is because I read this book many years ago and I really struggled with the first few chapters. But then it suddenly changed into a fantastic read, I have no idea why but it's ended up being on my list of favourites. The ending of the book is excellent, far better than the film. In fact, forget the film altogether, especially any scene that has Nicholas Cage in it.

I'm not for one minute saying that anyone's opinion on the book is wrong, just thought I'd mention that in my mind the book definitely got better as it went along.

Spandrel it is to my 6th form I think I got hooked on Hughes when I read the Crow poems at uni. Thought Grief is the Thing with Feathers worked really well with the Crow references.