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Popular book that you didn’t enjoy

459 replies

Wanttocry · 19/06/2021 16:33

Not really a TAAT but inspired by the Crawdads thread.

What’s a book that has been raved about, but that you didn’t really enjoy? For me it would have to be The Goldfinch, I just didn’t really get it.

OP posts:
Spandrel · 26/06/2021 15:02

@TheMoth

I struggled with the Bell Jar, but then, I found her world so alien. I was never really moved by the poems. I'm more Team Hughes. I know this means I need to hand in my feminism badge, but I prefer Ted. And Birthday Letters made me cry.
But it’s not either/or, though. I think Plath was a genius, and that her novels would have continued to develop, too, but I do love some of Hughes’ poetry as well (though I’ve less patience with some of his more occult stuff…) Worth saying too, I think that part of the reason he was far more established than she was by the time of her death was her work ethic and organisation in getting both of their work typed and out to journals and in for prizes etc. He worked hard, but she was more committed to getting their work out there, and that took a lot more work when you had to type it up and post it.
Cowbells · 25/06/2021 22:19

@LunaNorth - I can't forgive him, though, for leaving her with two tiny children in a run down house during the bitterest winter for a century when she was so unwell, so he could have an affair while she had to battle mental illness and mothering pre-schoolers. It's so cruel. I've never been able to enjoy his work since discovering this, even though he's a great poet. But selfish men are bound to be better artists.Less to contend with in life...

LunaNorth · 25/06/2021 08:20

I prefer Ted, too. What a poet he was.

TheMoth · 24/06/2021 22:17

I struggled with the Bell Jar, but then, I found her world so alien. I was never really moved by the poems. I'm more Team Hughes. I know this means I need to hand in my feminism badge, but I prefer Ted. And Birthday Letters made me cry.

Ellmau · 24/06/2021 19:10

Cold Mountain. I couldn't finish it.

Maverick197 · 24/06/2021 14:23

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. So depressing and impossible to warm to the lead character.

BIWI · 24/06/2021 09:53

@Fyredraca

Yeah, I have a love hate relationship with LOTR. I just want to yell "Get on with it!" at times.
Exactly! I first read it when I was about 14 - I think that's probably the ideal age for it.

When they were making the films, I decided to read it again. But oh my goodness. How turgid is it?! Just one bloody fight after another.

Smallkeys · 23/06/2021 23:01

Midnight library sounded brilliant very boring

Winniewonka · 23/06/2021 22:53

My Brilliant Friend - gave up when the two young girls were walking forever and only got as far as the tunnel. However, I watched the Italian series and thought it was wonderful.

crapbuttrue · 23/06/2021 22:51

Life of Pi here too but lots of others mentioned I really liked.

AngryPrincess · 23/06/2021 22:44

Perks of being a Wallflower.
He was the diametric opposite of a wallflower, then got ecxellent marks after an ACE score of half a dozen traumatic events.

IdblowJonSnow · 23/06/2021 22:41

I loved the Goldfinch. It's one of my favourite ever books! Agree it could have done with a generous prune, especially the first of the three sections.
I like Hilary Mantel but I can't read Wolf Hall, just find it impossible to follow.
Agree The Alchemist is a bag of shite.

idontlikealdi · 23/06/2021 20:14

Where the crawdads sing. Twee twaddle.

chilledteacher · 23/06/2021 20:11

Normal people. Didn't go anywhere...

Countrydiary · 23/06/2021 20:06

Another Alchemist hater here, utter self serving male nonsense.

Also could not get on with Catch 22 but tried it a long time ago.

Spandrel · 23/06/2021 19:01

Oh, god, Tauriel. Though (as someone immune to the charms of Poldark Man), I found casting Sex God as a belligerent shortarse in a funny hat quite amusing.

lazylinguist · 23/06/2021 18:56

I must admit I have a slight soft spot for the preposterous Tom Bombadill Grin. And I'm not a big fan of invented extra sexy female characters (and their bloody love triangles with elves and dwarves... I'm looking at you, Tauriel!). Major kudos for slogging through the Silmarillion at 11 Shock.

Spandrel · 23/06/2021 14:27

@lazylinguist

I absolutely love The Lord of the Rings, but I can totally understand why lots of people don't. Grin
I kind of love it too, or did when I was eleven and devoured the entire thing, plus The Hobbit and The Silmarillion, at one go, but there are bits I don't miss from the film adaptations, like Tom 'Dear God, Don't Start Him Singing About Goldberry Again' Bombadil. (Though conversely, the barrow-wight mound episode where he rescues them is brilliant. But maybe Arwen or some other entirely invented sexy martial She-Elf could have ridden to the rescue, so we could have had that in the films without TB...)
CaptainMyCaptain · 23/06/2021 14:12

I liked the Guernsey literary and potato pie society. IMO the film left out a lot of important background detail.

peachescariad · 23/06/2021 13:49

The Tattooist of Auschwitz
The Guernsey literary and potato pie society (loved the film)
The Fountainhead
Every single book after The Hobbit Grin

StyleAndLasers · 23/06/2021 13:33

@Fyredraca

Yeah, I have a love hate relationship with LOTR. I just want to yell "Get on with it!" at times.
I also love it, but am reading it to DS at moment and actually am yelling "get on with it", currently during Frodo and Sam's interminably slow progress to Mordor. "They walked for three days" would be fine, not three chapters detailing the different terrain they walked through, the weather, etc.
BaronessOfTheNorth · 23/06/2021 12:01

Me Before You is one of the worst books I've ever read. Absolutely awful.

Also PS I Love You. Horrific.

In my defence they were both Christmas presents from someone who really does not know me and I read them to not feel guilty.

I don't know why they made them both into films. Terrible stories, terrible writing.

Fyredraca · 23/06/2021 11:47

Yeah, I have a love hate relationship with LOTR.
I just want to yell "Get on with it!" at times.

lazylinguist · 23/06/2021 10:54

I absolutely love The Lord of the Rings, but I can totally understand why lots of people don't. Grin

MustBeThursday · 23/06/2021 10:30

The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I love reading, and really wanted to enjoy that but it was just such hard going. I couldn't get into the story at all. After weeks and weeks of trying to get through it my sister knocked my bookmark out and I took it as a sign to give up!!

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