What books were you 'supposed' to enjoy but thought were a pile of crap? And why?

...despite the fact that nobody likes them or has even managed to read them right the way through.

Basically, everything Waterstone's have on their 'lit-lite' 3 for 2 table is here isn't it? Books that are supposed to be proper literature but are actually badly written drivel - Lovely Bones, Alchemist, Kevin, Captain Corelli, Ladies Detective, Time Traveller's Wife. All pants and all have made the writers and publishers A LOT of money.

I did read all the way through 100years of solitude, but only because I was on holiday and there it was. I finished it and thought - nothing.

Funny about Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. everytime I read it, I quiet enjoy it. But I feel no compulsion to read it (this is not like me). An odd book.

Hated Cap corelli and da vinci code - just awful books. Also English patient was one I read about 2 paras of and realised it was not going to be my thing. I do love a sentence to have a verb in it.

But I adore Hardy and Dickens, so am going to leap in and take them out the bonfire.

i read at least 3 or 4 books a week, mostky paperback fiction, but these were thr pits.

A Thousand Splendid Suns, why did everyone think it was amazing? Having been to a lot of the places in the book, it is unbelievably inaccurate and inconsistent. Thought I 'd give him a second chance with Kiterunner, utter tripe too

Ladies detective series, so young and immature, like something for 11 year olds to progress to. ( No sex!)

Captain Corelli and Da Vinci, just downright boring, so were the films.

Light on Snow - Anita Shreve, infact most books by her, covers look good and that is about all!

Agree with Shadow of the Wind, didn't think the author really knew what he wanted to write

Saturday - lots of navel-gazing, uninspired characters

Anything by Dan Brown - over-hyped, poorly written drivel!

Captain Corelli - could not start it.
Any Harry Potter beyond the first 3. They do not function as either children's or adult's literature. The first three are solid children's books.
I am also struggling to like One Hundred Years of Solitude. I know the failing is mine, I've been trying to read it for many years.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Zafon-sentimental shite imo

DaVinci Code -crap

The Island- beyond crap

A Prayer for Owen Meany- meh ! not as good as everyone bangs on about..lost interest.

All the Jane Austen books, dull dull dull

Captain Corelli's Mandolin. It was an ok book I just could not see what all the fuss was about.

We bought a zoo.

I thought it was going to be light hearted and about a zoo.

It was actaully the struggle between buying zoo and wife dying.

Good book but definetly not what I wanted.

I know it's a bit of a kids book but after 6 months I finally got hold of

The Boy in the striped pyjama's

and it was shit! It was too repetitive, and I thought the story in general was pretty crappy expected much, much more. I want to see the film now though.

In my defence though I did'nt know it was a kids book so that could be why i did'nt like it LOL,

Gave up both of these two thirds of the way through:

The Hobbit - found it a bit dull and couldn't get 'gripped'.

Tess of the D'Urbervilles - utterly depressing and painfully slow-moving.

Beloved - studied it for A'Level

Herzog - whiny

Anything by Hardy -aaaaaargh

Dickens - unreadable

I couldn't read the Diary of Ann Frank - I hated it.

However - I loved Flowers in the Attic, If there be Thorns, Petals in the Wind and ummm nope it's gone...Seeds of Yesterday? - addictive teen twaddle

life of pi
a suitable boy
the god of small things

I got stuck on the last volume of the Lord of the Rings the other day. I remember really enjoying it as a teenager too. Just very dully written with no real characterisation. One of the very few books were I enjoy the films more than the books (ditto with Harry Potter which turns into poorly edited self indulgent twaddle in book three, having been derivative but diverting to start with).

On Chesil Beach was dire too - my mother went on about how it was just like her life (my poor father!) but I thought it very shallow. I've not read Midnight's Children, but thought the Satanic Verses very self indulgent (look at me aren't I daring and artsy)

I really enjoyed Lovely Bones though

catcher in the rye , read when i was pregnant with my first child . Just didnt get it and thought main character was dull. Oh and on the road ,tried to read it many times but only ever manage to get about three chapters in .

Lord of the Rings- the ONLY book I have ever started to read and not finished. Tolkien goes on and on and on and on, no boring detail is left undiscussed. Yawn.

The English Patient. I tried but couldn't read it.

Did enjoy a Suitable Boy though (did read it pre-children, not sure I could do it again now).

i loved brick lane.
made me cry.

I love this thread. You have slated a whole load of books that I felt guilty about not reading but instinctively felt I would hate. Now I KNOW I would hate them.
Apart from A Suitable Boy. I liked that.
Hated Brick Lane though. And Catch 22. And White Teeth. And Oryx and Crake.
All of which I was told are brilliant.

i have a load of books that i've only read one or two chapters. i don't count them as disappointments. only the ones i make the effort to get through to discover they are shit cause disappointment.

I read voraciously and finish everything resolutely... (even if its painful to me)
except Jude the Obscure
I cannot get past the sibling murders, I have started it with good intent so many times but I cannot see the point of finishing when I read that part, Im totally depressed by that time
Things I have hated recently...
The Lovely bones - Just why?
The Alchemists Daughter- yawn
Davinchi Code - ooh, I have one trick! (lets end this chapter with some suspense....)
Perfume - bad pastiche of much better authors
The Old Curiosity Shop- sentimental victorian twaddle (goes for a lot of Dickens)
The Crimson Petal and the White - hmmm...

Could go on for ages... I take reccomendations from only a few select friends now....

I am so relieved to find this thread.

I get the Booker finalists or popular self important/indulgent works, without fail, every Christmas from my various ILs.

I was beginning to think that the few brain cells I have had deserted me as most of seemed dull and inexplicable.

Now I no longer have hours of commuting by train to fill, I only read things that truely captivate me.

I used to commute to work on the train and I swear that about 3 out of every carriage-load of commuters was deep into a Potter book and I'm SURE half of them only read them because they thought they looked cool!
Yes, MrsMH, I did well to read 3 - again, giving the benefit of the doubt to pals who suugested they were absolutely marvellous and so I felt I should give it chance to improve....I'm nothing if not a trusting friend