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

No, the most over rated book ever is The Unbearable Lightness of Being. Or possibly The Reader.

Strandedatsea chicklit is atrocious, but not sure if overrated would be the word...

But while we're on things that are simply atrocious, James Patterson (his Women's Murder Club series) is possibly the worst writing I have ever seen in print, but the plots are engaging so I've actually read several of them. It's just like watching TV really, only the dialogue is worse.

(Maybe we need a guilty pleasures thread too?)

I'd rather read Dan Brown than Wuthering Heights - at least The DV code is a page-tuner.

The other Brontes are great though - Villette is my favourite.

Ok I get it you mean books that get rave reviews from the critics but are actually crap?

Those are the ones written by either: a) a critic or b)someone who has a lot of friends who are critics or c) someone who otherwise has a lot of influence eg a newspaper editor.

A lot of the books mentioned below might be badly written but the plots as good and they are engaging. Therefore they fulfill a need. For me the worst are the Emporers New Clothes books that are awful but everyone raves about because, well, everyone else is raving about.

Loved Time Travellers Wife - completely got it - loved the concept

Love Ian Banks mostly wonderful cleverness (although he has a couple of Duds - Canal Dreams and Breaking Glass or summat)

Read Captain Correlli and wanted to brutally murder the author for such a SHIT ending.

1000 Splendid Suns - should be renamed 100 weeks of violence and misery. Really - why would you want to read a fictional tale of such soul destroying brutality and misery? Completely beyond me.

JM Coetze - read Foe thought WTF

I very nearly divorced dh halfway through an idyllic holiday after one chapter of Shantaram because he had said he liked it. In the end I settled for an hour of 'and another thing...' on the beach until he agreed that a. It should never have been published, b. The bloke who wrote it should never have been born, c. Anyone who likes this book is evil and degenerate.

The bit where he's with the child prostitutes and saying 'what could I have done...' grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I don't care that it's obviously made up, it's an egregious waste of paper.

I am a lot more fun to holiday with than I sound btw.

Thanks Molly

Bonzo, that's exactly how I felt about the ending of Captain Correlli.

Ha ha UnrulySun. Soo agree. Actually DH had the sense not to read it after I ranted for hours a few minutes about what trash it was.

Noooo Wuthering Heights is lovely! You obviously haven't read it in the intended surroundings - on a very grey stormy day snuggled up with a mugful of hot chocolate and a duvet wrapped round you. LOVED it - have read it countless times.

And whoever said Down & Out In Paris and London - as a 19-year-old, this actually kept me in the bookshop rooted to the spot reading the first 50 pages as quickly as I could before I had to leave. I had no money but would've bought it on the spot otherwise!

Now - I am a self-confessed Tudor whore and was positively orgasming on the day Wolf Hall came out. I sold it on Ebay without finishing it. I absolutely hated it. WTF do you have to do to write a book approved by the critics these days? Oh yes, write in incomprehensible tense about characters who have no names...except back on page 4.

That last Dan Brown one, got to page 3 and thought "meh"

some of the others mentioned I quite enjoyed but wonder if memorey association is to do with it ( WH - being at school etc).

Can't beat a bit of cold comfort farm, anyone who has a character obsessed with bra's quite frankly is ok in my book, love it love it love it - must go and find it again to read it.

Ooh, some of the most recent Jilly Cooper stuff - haven't even had the desire to read the back page.........

Loved the Lovely Bones too.

could not read that Dan Brown one - gee can't even think of the name of it now but it was HUGE. Absolutely awful to read - read like a bad script written by a very bad writer.

DA VINCE CODE - that's it.

Most bonnet and shawl books have me in a coma, but I am partial to a bit of Lawrence (have been preparing comprehensions of The Rainbow for my French students all morning, and indeed am supposed to be carrying on doing that right now, which is obviously why I'm here ) I love Hardy and also Wuthering Heights (because I always used to sleep with men who were dark and sulky and treated me badly) But anything else with a bonnet- shoot me now.

Gah- Memory Keeper's Daughter- utter tripe, as was something about an Abortionist (possibly also daughter) I learned after those two that a recommendation from RichardandJudy might not be the highest accolade a writer might receive.

Loved Captain Corelli, but am buggered if I can remember any of it now.

Any of that Sth American magic realism shite is just shite.

Hated Cold Comfort Farm as well.

I watched "Eat, Pray, Love" on the weekend, its THE most boring film I have ever watched, I can only assume the book is as boring.

The Island. A potentially excellent story ruined by lacklustre uninspiring and frankly bad writing.

A quiet belief in angels. Overwritten overwritten overwritten. I threw it across the room. Never finished it.

Midnight's Children was insufferably dull.

Wuthering Heights is one of the few books I couldn't finish.

Proust is like Wagner - some tedious bits but then you get to a moment of pure genius and it makes it all worth it.

Dr Norrell thingy - dreadful faux-Trollopian style for the first few chapters which was inexplicably dropped when she couldn't be arsed anymore . It irritated the fuck out of me probably because, rather than despite, the fact I love love love Trollope.

Da Vinci Code I enjoyed as a page turner, whilst realising the total lack of literary merit. Sometimes I enjoy trash though.

Think you should only read Cold Comfort Farm if you've read WH to fully appreciate the characterisation. Likewise only read the Eyre Affair if you've read Jane Eyre.

To The Lighthouse, Finnegan's Wake & that other stream of consciousness bilge, the title of which I've evidently blocked from memory, are also on my overrated list.

I dislike disposing of half finished books so am considering whether a Kindle with a large delete key which informs the author of my action might be the answer. I thought it was me but actually I think there are an awful lot of highly praised books which not even the writer's cat have ever finished.

Bucharest - The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts?

The Island by Mrs Hislop?

If you think that was bad, try her second one. It was appalling.

The Time Traveller's Wife. First book I couldn't bring myself to finish in years

Oh yes, Paul Coelho should be shot, defintely. I have never forgiven him for Veronika deserves to die, it made me completely murderous, so I woudn't even attempt the Alchemist!

I've just read a crap one - The Choice (or something ) - girl gets pregnant by uni partner, they are all a bit luvvie (stereotypical) dreadful ending. Am Loving Sister so much though.