Most overrated books

[Snowfalling]

I'll probably get flamed for some of these choices but here's my list:

1. Brick lane by Monica Ali. So badly written and researched, i was embarrassed for the author, as I'm from a similar background to her.

1. The God of small things. There was one sentence that was repeated over and over again to the point of toe curling cringe. Something about the twin's hair bobbing. Also generally didn't enjoy the writing or plot. Just absolute crap. I don't get the adulation for this at all.

1. Anything by Maggie o'Farrell or Kate Atkinson. I know people love them both, i just don't get it.

1. Sophie Hannah's more recent books are just dire. The earlier ones were great.

1. Catch 22. Just gibberish. You probably have to be drugged up to enjoy it.

I'm sure I'll think of more.

So which books do you think are overrated?

The time travellers wife

The alchemist - biggest pile of shite I've ever read!

You did much better than me: I read the intro and couldn’t continue as I’d already cringed myself inside out!

I agree re: Kate Atkinson and Girl on Train.

Why are Charles Dickens and David Mitchell on this thread???

A clockwork Orange. Utter dross.

And agree re Kate Atkinson

I thought me before you was very mediocre but really liked the sequel

I’m the other way round! Cried like a baby reading MBY but thought the sequel was pretty dull, and as for the third... if I’d had a quid for every time someone referred to her by her full name 🙄 And I got the message her boyfriend was a hunky paramedic at some point too.

I’m only a third of a way through Gone Girl and I’ve had it on the go since Easter. Is it worth persisting? I haven’t warmed to either of the characters yet.

Kite Runner, got progressively more ridiculous as it went on.

The Time Traveller's Wife.. rubbish.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, highly overrated, nothing new, hard to credit a lot of it.

Anything by Paulo Coelho

Really can’t connect with Catcher in the Rye on any level - tried at 17 and at 29 but both times found it excruciating.

The Hobbit - everyone goes on a long walk and then there are eagles

I didn’t make it as far as the eagles. The dwarves in the caves had my life 😂

Captain Corelli's mandolin - couldn't get past the first few pages.
I liked Girl on a train, so I read the next one (something about water) SO dull
.Lord of the Rings - too many weird names and descriptions of battles. Yawn. (enjoyed The Hobbit though)

Lord of the Flies, great message but turgid prose.
Cannot believe that anyone outside a classroom reads it.

There are many I cannot even start, because just looking at them makes me sad. Elinor Oliphant is the main perpetrator.

The only book I have never been able to finish is captain corelli's mandolin. That book is my fucking nemesis. How a book can be that utterly shit and yet so popular is beyond me. Dreadful book, and I've read some utter drivel.

Sally Rooney. So BORING!

Also agree with PPs: The Alchemist and The Goldfinch (tho this latter far better than the former).

Anything by Ian McEwan. He's so wordy.

Likewise the Hobbit/LOTR books. Lots of walking. Singing about walking. Then a battle.

Cloud atlas

Agree that The Goldfinch was in desperate need of editing.

Anna Karenina [ducks]
Ok I know it’s historically important etc but my god it’s dull

I loved the time travellers wife, I remember crying , but I struggled with her fearful symmetry, I thought that was quite flawed.

Really enjoyed all Donna Tartt books too which seems an unusual opinion.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fifty shades of grey books. I think I read the first 10 pages of the first one because my friend forced me but my eyes melted and I couldn't bare anymore

I loved 'The Secret History' but couldn't get into Donna Tart's next book.

Anything by John Grisham is a turn off for me.

Captain Corellis Mandolin. I tried 3 times to read it and gave up

The first bit is tedious - but after that it was so worth it.

The Great Gatsby - awful.

I love so many of the books mentioned on here.

Hated 'There's Something About Kevin'. It's far far too long.

I’m only a third of a way through Gone Girl and I’ve had it on the go since Easter. Is it worth persisting? I haven’t warmed to either of the characters yet.

The characters are awful but that's the point really. They deserve each other.

Seconding The Great Gatsby.

if pp means "We Need to Talk about Kevin" - I thought that was brilliant!

The Time Traveller's Wife. Nowhere near as clever as it thought it was.