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 Girl With The Dragon ratio et al seemed to me to mainly consist of the author advertising Apple products and describing sandwich fillings - dross

lazymare - up until that book, - Captain Corelli - I read every book to the bitter end ( including The Bone People by Keri Hulme (sp?) ) .
But I decided life is too short to plough through stuff you don't enjoy . I now have a 3 chapters and you're out rule

I do love some mentioned - I obviously like hateful characters as liked “Kevin” and Gone girl

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

That’s possibly gone over my head a bit. Possibly as I get the rage he has a sister called Go 😂

This is possibly not an unpopular one but beyond Woman of Substance how does Barbara Taylor Bradford keep getting published? Who cares about her over privileged grand kids enough for another six books? And her proof reader needs shooting , as the continuity is abysmal.

Christ my autocorrect is on fire this evening!

I disagree with Kate Atkinson but agree with you on the rest! I love Behind the Scenes at the Museum.

It's a shame bookbook because it has one of the best scenes I've ever read later on. I really love that book but just skip the first third.

The Power by Naomi Alderman. It was raved about on here and I just couldn't see why.

beyond Woman of Substance how does Barbara Taylor Bradford keep getting published?

Loved loved Woman of Substance though.

well Laxymare - thats what I keep on getting told , so I may have to have another go some time - but the first third of the book !!!!!

Just skip it altogether.

God yes Eat Pray Love, navel gazing bollix! I posted my opinion on another forum and was told that I didn't 'get it'. Also thought the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was beyond tedious. I love Jane Austen and some of the other books mentioned here though, including catch 22.

I agree with Anna Karelian, The Lovely Bones & Wuthering Heights.
Can I also add Howard’s End, Jonathan Norell & Mr Strange and, regrettably as I love his travel books, Bryson’s A Brief History of Nearly Everything.

erm lazymare - sorry , fat fingers!

Loved loved Woman of Substance though

Me too. Did you ever read Emma’s Secret and beyond though? 😩

Karenina* Stupid AutoCorrect.

Anything by zadie smith and will self. What self-righteous, self-indulgent drivel
The English Patient by Michael Oondatje. Loved the movie, hated the book
Same with Chocolate by Jane Harris

Oh , I loved Bryson's A Brief History - I am a total fan of his but his One Summer 1927 was incredibly tedious

I love Pride and Prejudice but could not finish The Time Traveller' s Wife.

Did you ever read Emma’s Secret and beyond though?

No I stopped after the first three. Loved the tv series too.

Catch 22 - hated it. Also Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Similar to a PP on Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, tried to read it a few times and never got past the first few pages. I bloody love The Time Traveller’s Wife though.

Also really like Kate Atkinson. Her books are set in places I know and love.

50 shades of grey.

It started shit, got shittier and I kept reading it til the end simply to see if it could possibly get even more shitty. I could not believe that something so badly written had ever made it past an editor, let alone been published. I think my eyes were bleeding by the time I finished and I’d insulted my own intellect.

Friends on FB raving over how much they loved it when it came out made me wonder what they’d been reading before

Also, LOTR. Bored me to tears.

Eat pray love
Elinor Oliphant.
There was another true story crap about a couple travelling round Europe in their camper van.
All awful .yet dd liked Elinor

It's intersting that some of the books listed above are major award winners. What is it about some literature prizes that makes the judges choose books which are so far up the writer's arse? I second White Teeth and Catch 22. Couldn't even finish either of them.

Lowering the tone here, I know it isn't great literature, but Fifty Shades of Grey was sooo unsexy it was laughable. There are far filthier reads on the MN sex thread!