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Original poster

When someone recommends a book…

29 replies

ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 16:07

they love and you’ve read half of it and don’t want to read the rest. I’m seeing this person at the weekend and I want to give it back as I’ve had the book for ages and I’m just not getting into it.

Still life by Sarah Winman… can someone summarise for me or shall I come clean with my friend that I didn’t enjoy it and can’t finish it.

OP posts:
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neverendinglauaundry · 16/04/2023 15:36

tobee · 13/02/2023 20:11

Slight sidetrack but why are books loaned often not returned? I've had it both ways btw.

George Orwell writes about this in books and cigarettes. Sometimes I desperately want my book back and other times I don't even remember I've lent it out.
OP sometimes the pressure of someone having lent me a book and keenly expecting me to like it makes me not enjoy the story - maybe that's happened with you too?

kickupafuss · 13/04/2023 19:48

I’m amazed that this book has such good reviews. I absolutely hated it! I’m worried that something is wrong with me as everyone else seems to have loved it. I found the characters awful and didn’t even get me started on the lack of speech marks.

ApolloandDaphne · 20/02/2023 16:18

I loved it and recommended it to my DD who hated it. I've hated books she recommended. It happens. Just give her it back and tell her it wasn't for you.

dontgobaconmyheart · 20/02/2023 16:10

Oh I'd definitely give it back, but would just say I'd given it a good go but it wasn't for me, or ask her what it was she saw in it to see if that changes your mind. I can't imagine she'll think it's a big deal.

I gave up on Still Life, which is rare for me - I usually plod on anyway as I'm a quick reader but I just felt a bit bored by it; it wasn't bringing me joy, I didn't particularly like any of the characters, and the humour in it didn't hit the mark. I also found the dialogue hard graft.

My favourite chapter was the first one, which really engaged me, and after that I zoned out.

We're never going to like everything we read no matter how popular it objectively appears to be, and that's fine!

Time40 · 18/02/2023 01:27

It gets amazing reviews, I just don’t know why I’m not getting it

It's all too good to be true. It's writing by numbers - very good, clever writing by numbers; but writing by numbers all the same. I didn't believe a word of it - especially that bloody parrot.

MsAmerica · 18/02/2023 00:43

Of course you should be honest with your friend. What's the point of friends if you can't be honest for something as simple and neutral as a book?

Downunderduchess · 14/02/2023 04:30

Just say you couldn’t get into it. My neighbour and I swap books often, occasionally one of us won’t like one, no biggie.

LovelaceBiggWither · 14/02/2023 04:19

Still Life was a borefest. I got 2 chapters in and stopped. Yet other people have raved about it to me.

tobee · 14/02/2023 03:38

I still remember a book I loaned someone that was quite an obscure textbook I bought for a module I took at university that I really enjoyed; a first hand account of women's ordinary lives in an ancient civilisation. It cost me over £20 when I bought it new. Which was a large sum for a poor student in 1989! Not that I bear a grudge.....Grin

I still feel guilty about a copy of Curtain by Agatha Christie I borrowed off someone probably before that. I hardly saw the person again. For some reason Curtain was hard to get hold of then, and it was one of the few Christie's I hadn't read. The situation was complicated by the fact I fancied the owner and was to timid to engineer seeing them anyway!! GrinGrin

DahliaMacNamara · 13/02/2023 21:30

Not everyone does want them back. I don't tend to keep books I won't re-read, and have a purge every now and again where I'm fairly ruthless about getting rid of ones I haven't read for years and cant see myself reading again. Or ones that are more recent that I didn't much like. But I re-read loads. SIL, on the other hand, gets hers from charity shops and either takes them back once read or passes them on to me if it's something I might fancy. She prefers cleaner lines and zero clutter in her house. I like shelves of books. Horses, courses, etc.

Original poster
ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 21:14

Saying that I always offer them back but sometimes people say they don’t want them back when I offer.

OP posts:
Original poster
ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 21:13

I’m often not sure if people want books back when they give them to me to be honest, I think it’s a bit of a grey area. If you’ve read it then do you really need it back?

OP posts:
tobee · 13/02/2023 20:11

Slight sidetrack but why are books loaned often not returned? I've had it both ways btw.

JaneJeffer · 13/02/2023 16:43

ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 16:24

It gets amazing reviews, I just don’t know why I’m not getting it.

I avoid books with loads of good reviews because IME they're always a disappointment.

rexythedinosaur · 13/02/2023 16:41

UWhatNow · 13/02/2023 16:26

Just be honest. No one with any sense will get mortally offended if you didn’t like their book. But they will be pissed off if you don’t return it.

This. Give it back and tell her you couldn't get into it. It would be weird for someone to be upset by that! Everyone's different and some books just don't speak to some people.

Buttalapasta · 13/02/2023 16:40

I didn't love it either. The characters were just too nice for me!

MucozadeOnLucozade · 13/02/2023 16:34

Just be honest!

UWhatNow · 13/02/2023 16:26

Just be honest. No one with any sense will get mortally offended if you didn’t like their book. But they will be pissed off if you don’t return it.

SomersetBrie · 13/02/2023 16:24

ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 16:17

It’s weird I kind of like it and I have got halfway through and I really really want to finish it but I been procrastinating and putting it off which makes me think I just can’t be bothered. It recently switched to another character (Evelyn) and I’m just skimming chunks of it thinking I don’t care.

Skip Evelyn completely, Ulysses sections and characters are far and away the best part of it all.

Original poster
ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 16:24

It gets amazing reviews, I just don’t know why I’m not getting it.

OP posts:
HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 13/02/2023 16:23

PS - I looked it up on Good Reads and now I want to get it!

HiccupHorrendousHaddock · 13/02/2023 16:22

Hand it back - I loaned a dear favourite of mine to a mate and she had it over a year. I asked for it back, which she did right away, and I don't mind at all that it just didn't speak to her the way it spoke to me.

Just tell her it didn't grab you but you appreciate her letting you borrow it.

DahliaMacNamara · 13/02/2023 16:18

Just give it back. I really hate not getting books returned to me, unless it was something I specifically told them they could keep or pass on. I don't expect you'll be cross-examined if you simply say it wasn't your kind of thing.

Original poster
ShillyShallySherbet · 13/02/2023 16:17

It’s weird I kind of like it and I have got halfway through and I really really want to finish it but I been procrastinating and putting it off which makes me think I just can’t be bothered. It recently switched to another character (Evelyn) and I’m just skimming chunks of it thinking I don’t care.

OP posts:
SomersetBrie · 13/02/2023 16:15

I really liked it, I didn't to start with, but I knew by about half way.
I'd say you weren't loving it, weren't quite finished but thought you'd better give it back before you forget.
I'd rather have a book back that was attempted than them keep saying "oh, I'll finish it soon" and keep it forever.