I just read a terrible book

I loved Piranesi, but I have read a BA Paris book and the twist was similarly .........implausible so thanks for the headsup. I also tried twice with the alchemist and it's supposed to be so life changing and deep. I couldn't concentrate on it at all. My mind wandered because is it was so boring I think

Snap. I could not understand all the rave reviews. It reminded me of reading kids creative writing at school.

I used to force myself to read a book I had started but don't bother anymore.

One that particularly jumps out at me that everyone said was very good was 'The Slap'. It really irritated me and I don't think I finished it.

The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney. A man loses his wife, so he recreates her with an AI robot. DH bought it for me without reading the back cover.

You're my book soul sister. I almost lost a friend when I made the same remarks about Jodi Piccoult. She's rather insufferable.

Was a while since I read Thursday Murder Club... am I remembering correctly {{{SPOILER}}}, quite a few elderly characters just dutifully die to help their friends/help the plot along?

I made it about 100 pages in to the first Elena Ferrante and just thought, fuck THAT.

I am always confused about why other women like the story about the friends who don't seem to actually like each other much - is this what people's lives are like??

Yes! Now, I LOVE Sophie Hannah. But The Orphan Choir and more recently The Couple at the Next Table were disappointing.

I wonder if listening to these books, specifically Thursday Murder Club, is better on Audible or similar. I absolutely loved listening to them!

I'd probably watch a TV adaptation of the books. Just won't be reading any more of them.

Yes he can!

@BeesAndCrumpets I reckon it's the Audible narrator too - looks like everyone who's confessed to enjoying the Thursday Murder club so far has had the audiobook!

Oh I can't fucking stand Jodi Picoult. What was the one that had highlighted words throughout that spelled out something pretentious, amd a character whose signature dish was called Sorrow Pie and you literally had to cry into it so it contained your tears? Yeah, don't think I'll be joining that dinner party.

The My Brilliant Friend books. I've read the first two and thought they were just about ok, but the third one I've started twice and I don't want to continue with it. Maybe it's the translation but the prose is very clunky. And I hate all the characters. It wouldn't bother me, but Elena Ferrante is SO feted and revered it irritates me. I just don't get it.

I haven't read A Little Life as it absolutely does not appeal to me. I get that we're all different, but I struggle to understand how people can willingly put themselves through such a misery fest? The world is horrible enough, why depress oneself even further?!

A Secret History: I read this at the time, literally decades ago, and was underwhelmed. Couldn't understand why everyone else raved about it.

Sally Rooney: have read the first two and won't bother with her anymore. Intellectual millennial navel-gazing. And I BLOODY HATE THE LACK OF SPEECH MARKS!!!

And Wuthering Heights. Not the book per se, but the interpretation of Heathcliffe as the epitome of a romantic hero. No, he's a narcissistic emotional abuser, and Cathy is a prime example of 'Not Like Other Girls'. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is better by miles.

Feel better now!

Eleanor Oliphant

everyone kept saying wait for the twist, but it was so predictable I had guessed the “twist” early on . Also didn’t like or sympathise with the characters

I have to admit that the MN all time favourite book The Heart’s Invisible Furies, although it was an okay read, the coincidences that were written in to the plot to make it ‘work’ were so unlikely that it totally spoilt it for me.

@DatasCat the premise of School for Good Mothers was so good. I was just so disappointed by the execution. It had the potential to be an amazing critique on how hard we are on mothers collectively and as a society and instead we have crappy unlikeable characters and a completely implausible plot. I'm still so angry about it!!

I was scrolling to see if anyone remembered the Fear Street book with the same plot. It was Sunburn - Alison was thought to have drowned, she actually hadn’t but blamed her sister Marla for “letting” her die. Comes back and murders Marla and starts impersonating her. Invites the now dead sister’s group of old friends around to murder them too. Gave me nightmares when I was 10 from the description of the decomposing sister found I think in a shed?

Haha amazing! I'm glad I'm not the only one!

I see someone has nominated To The Lighthouse and that reminded me of The Waves, oh and Orlando while I'm here. I bloody hate it when authors try too hard to be clever at the expense of a coherent or interesting story. I unfortunately got lumbered with reading Wolf one semester at uni. Self congratulatory nonsense, mostly.

I can't believe someone else read Zelda's Cut! Honestly even remembering that book is like a fever dream so I'm glad to discover it was actually real.

I hated Cloud Atlas; The Time Traveller's Wife (creepy spying on a child) and - I'm almost scared to admit it because it was so popular - but I hated The Kite Runner. I hate books that are obviously deliberately emotionally manipulative - which covers most of Jodi Picoult's too.

I used to be such a Marian Keyes fan but after Last Chance Saloon she really fell off, in my view. Now she seems more interested in writing books which espouse all the right woke opinions in favour of plot.

I still love Rachel's Holiday though.

Agreed, utter trash

I love this thread! I wonder if listening to these books, specifically Thursday Murder Club, is better on Audible or similar. I absolutely loved listening to them!

I remember getting Michelle Obama's first book, and I just couldn't read it. AT ALL. But I was interested, so tried the audio version - and enjoyed it.

Never to replace books, though... Sometimes I find it a lovely way to relax.

Wuthering Heights for me. The most frustrating book I've ever read.

I'm glad to see The Time Traveller's Wife on here. I don't know what was so brilliant about it. Hated The Miniaturist as well.

oh I see @beastlyslumber has already mentioned it... that was a few days of my life I'll never get back!!

Anyone read any of Fiona Valpy's historical novels? Thoughts?

I loved the first one I read - The Skylark's Secret - as I was on holiday in the area at the time (Loch Ewe, Wester Ross, Northwest Scotland). However read The Dressmaker's Gift, set in Paris also in WWII. Cameto the conclusion it's a bit smaltzy.

Not sure if already mentioned but the School for Good Mothers.

Completely unlikeable characters, the author seriously wants you to sympathise with someone that leaves their 18 month old baby alone at home for hours. Not that any of the other characters were better. Then pages and pages of repetitive shite at the 'school'. Just fucking awful.