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

I enjoyed the Da Vinci Code. Utterly gripping nonsense.

How can anyone not finish "Heart of Darkness? - it 's only about 50 pages or something.

John Irving went horribly and sadly wrong after/including a Prayer for Owen Meany. I think it's when they get so famous that no one dares edit them any more. Couldn't read his Until I Find You one with 5000 pages on tattoo parlours of Yerp. All his earlier stuff FAB.

Rachel Cusk, yes - her media attention totally out of proportion to what she presumably sells as a "literary" novelist. Couldn't be her flawless ababaster complexion and her chestnut locks, could it?

If so, she'll be in trouble as she is looking a bit raddled these days.

Started thread here for people to explain why we should actually be liking such shitepiles as Midnight's Children, Atonement, LOTR et al.

Oh thank you - Prayer for Owen Meany was the squealy voiced messiah. Everyone told me it was great but I couldn't finish it.

As suggested by several before: The Slap.

Saturday...monumentally self indulgent book about a uxurious neurologist, including an 8 page description of a game of squash. I play squash and found it boring!

A week in December....some of the lest plausible characterisations I have ever seen with no character being drawn in enough depth to give them any motivation for any of their actions. Drossy turgid descriptions of high finance, some of them actually wrong to those who have actually worked in the area.

I love Saki.

wrestles Elephants to the ground<

jams shredder with copies of 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' <

what a pile of wank that was.

No, no Edgar - you have misunderstood. Elephants loves Saki. The plan is to shred Hemingway & other tedium and recycle it as more Saki. Join us!

Surely Martin Amis deserves a better showing here? (Or do we think he's not that 'rated' in the first place?)

I know Koba the Dread was just a travesty but what do you think of his work after Time's Arrow? Can you give a 'group prize', do you think?

agreed - anyone for Kingsley Amis on toast?

Martin Amis and Evelyn Waugh have got off undeservedly well....

I don't think any of these men ever met a woman in their lives, as their writing may as well have been written based on the observations of a disinterested third party.

Helps Elephants up, dusts her off apologeticaly, and gets in the forklift to drop a consignment of early twentieth century crapola into the friendly and willing jaws of the paper masher

Evelyn Waugh is not to be impeached. Or else.

Do what you like with Amis

No, no, no, I really liked Martin Amis The Night Train.

Tried to read the unbearable lightness about twenty five years ago to be cool, hate it then, tried it again later sill hated it.

Oops sorry about typing. While I am writing another message I could add American Psycho, well maybe it was brilliant as people said, but I found it so horrible I could not have it in the house afterwards and had to get rid of it.

Martin Amis: yes, totally self indulgent shit of someone who has a famous daddy. And famous daddy should know better as well.

Waugh must be forgiven everything for Scoop though there are some unspeakable bits in Brideshead - he took possession of her narrow loins, anyone?

Dudes,

Agree re American Psycho. What is so marvellous about designer clothes coupled with torture? Someone would have to educate me on that one.

Yes, yes to misery porn. (Did anyone see Stewart Lee's 'Paddy McGinty's Goat parody?)

Edgar, Kingsley on toast it is. I think Evelyn is much better than the Amii,though - until he starts bleating on about how wonderful the upper classes are, and it all goes a bit World of Interiors. And, you're right, he is woeful on women.

Argh! You've made me revaluate one of my favourite comfort reads! I came here to have my prejudices confirmed, not to think! That's not why I joined this thread.

Richard & Judy were never like this...

And I loved American Psycho! Gosh I am out of tune...

There is a torture scene in it which I still cannot get out of my head and wish I had never read. Don't know what the movie was like but if it was anything like the book I never want to see one frame of it!

does anyone else here think that, actually, enormous amounts of modern literature is just not very good? And we still bothered to read it?

shakes head<

throws 'The Loved one' offhandedly into the 'mash' pile