to think this is the most over-rated book ever

[SlightlyJaded]

'If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things'

I love books. From big dramatic plotlines and epic storylines to subtle and beautfifully written prose with well drawn characters. I like quirky books, classic books, modern literature, poetry - anything well written or engaging.

I almost never have to 'force' myself to finish a book but always do finish a book if I've started (why do we do that? ) but thought 'If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things' was the dullest most over-rated dross I've ever read.

Or did I miss something?

And yes, this should be in books, but I prefer AIBU

Not an insult, honest. Gentle, endearing prod.

I got totally bored with The Time Travellers Wife. Load of rubbish.

MARVY, hully. well done. thanks.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, was raved about by everyone about 5 years ago, I've tried so many times but just doesn't grab me at all...can't understand what everyone was going on about.

Also at work about 10 years ago Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson we were all made to read and discuss, people apparently had life changing epiphanies after reading this, I swear to this day it was a case of the Emperors new clothes and NO-ONE really understood what on earth it meant!

Wolf Hall took me ages to read but it deserved the Booker.

Glad a couple of people have stuck up for Sebastian Faulk's Engleby because I rather enjoyed that, but I agree some of his others are pretty unconvincing.

Reading this thread, I'm almost glad I have so little time to read 'grown-up' books these days but that DS is big enough to read Roald Dahl together!

The Life of Pi. Blech. Had one exciting chapter and the rest was dishwater. Could not finish it. Did not CARE.

Almost all Dickens (if no-one has already said that) with the honourable exception of The Christmas Carol. Most of the novels are at least 400 pages too long, probably because they were serialised I suppose.

Dan Brown - I've only read The Da Vinci Code but it was absolutely asinine.

Sebastian Faulks - yawn.

I used to really like AS Byatt but I suspect I wouldn't make it through any of her novels now.

I don't really have any qualms about not finishing books. Sometimes, life is just too short and there are enough really good books out there that you shouldn't waste time reading dross.

Also, everyone who said Midnight's Children - yes, I have also never been able to get though that - a realy self-indulgent style I think although I did quite like The Moor's Last Sigh.

I don't understand why so many of you don't like Wuthering Heights though - it's brilliant! Bad school experiences maybe?

How can anyone diss Murakami?
His books are so lovely and dreamy! He's possibly my favourite contemporary writers.

Talking about self-indulgent, THE BELL JAR!

Noooooooooooooooo not Dickens!

Dickens is boring mawkish shit.

Little Dorrit. End of.

Alright, I'll give you Little Dorrit. But Bleak House!

anon, The Bell Jar is an incredible book. Bit nasty to call it self-indulgent considering Plath committed suicide don't you think?

Somebody said The Shipping News that woman can write.

As can Gabriel Garcia Marquez. And while I'm being positive - Fugutive Pieces, god I loved that book.

The Booker has seemed to me for a number of years though to be a guarantee of turgid writing and little semblance of a plot. Sort of middle of the road writing that thinks it's bigger and cleverer than it is.

Oh scarab you can't excuse it because she commited suicide. I first read the Bell Jar when I was about 16 and depressed and thought it was the best book ever. I reread it at 25, when I had PND and thought it was self indulgent and not nearly as good as it's cracked up to be.

I am a voracious reader and am loving these reviews...you've saved me lots of wasted hours on some stuff I haven't tried yet.

I think some of you are unfair about old classics which were groundbreaking at the time. Eg. Yes, Pride and Prejudice is hackneyed NOW because the central story has been Mills & Booned to death.

I would like to reach back over the years though and say that you can tell from his books that DH Lawrence was a complete nob.

Thanks Booboo.

Scarab I hesitated using the term self-indulgent but in the end regardless of the writer, the book itself reads like a pretentious English lit student effort.

One of my close friends raves about Ian McEwan. I really struggle not to be rude, but he is pompous , artificial, self-important and utterly fails to ever find any deeper truths in his apparently 'deep' and meaningful narratives (although he is very good at finding a good bandwaggon, presumably through reading the Sunday suplements). Atonement deserves special mention: it was a masturbation on how important writing was. Pah. Atonment, my arse.

anon you probably hated The Catcher in the Rye too?

Someone is defending the Shipping News??? Who gives a damn about knot tying. Seriously.

Can we talk about books we love now please. Anyone like A Rage to Live? I so loved it.

I read one of the Shopaholic books too - no, don't laugh. It was because I'd set my novel class students a task to go away and read a book in a genre they would not normally choose in a million years, to see if they'd learn anything from it. So I promised to do the same. It wasn't badly written, but the lead character was just so annoying I really, really wanted to slap her repeatedly and scream "Just stop BUYING stuff, you idiot woman!!"

I also hated, hated, HATED Jenny Colgan's "Do You Remember The First Time?" which DW left on the sofa and which I read after she'd gone to bed one night. "How bad can a book with a title from a cool Pulp song be?" I thought. Answer - very bad. Very, very bad indeed. Oh Jesus H Christ. It was really, really awful. A sort of "teenage flashback" story which has been done better (and more logically) by at least three Hollywood films. It made no sense whatsoever and was the most tedious, self-indulgent pile of wank. It read as if it was written by a semi-literate 12-year-old. Just when you think it can't get any worse, the protagonist goes to a Darius concert.

Agree with The Alchemist and The Bell Jar.

Total pants, both.