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?

Tess of the D'Urbervilles is truly awful.
I also really dislike To Kill a Mockingbird. Aside from the court case itself, nothing happens for CHAPTERS. So boring.

I adore virtually everything on this thread! LOVE Kate Atkinson. "When will There be Good News" and "A God in Ruins" both broke my heart just right.

I loved The Time Traveller's Wife before pregnancy/miscarriage. Would find certain scenes too raw now.

Far from the Madding Crowd. So very dull.
The Essex Serpent. One of the few books I couldn't bring myself to persevere with.

The True Blood books (that the TV series was based on).I Loved the series, but the books were abysmal.

Came on to say Eat Pray Love and see @EnthusiasmIsDisturbed has summed it up perfectly.

Eat Pray Love - oh god could she be any further up here own arse never read such pretentious self indulgent rubbish not sure how I finish it

All that shit about being on the bathroom floor.

@snowfalling, I read your title and IMMEDIATELY, before reading your post, thought “Catch 22”.

Utter nonsense.

To PPs complaining about food “50 Shades”, the films redeem the books. Sizzling chemistry between the lead actors, superb acting, fantastic soundtrack and wonderful script.*

• LIES.

The girl on the train
Eleanor Oliphant
The Milkman
The other Mrs Walker

Anything by Jodi Picoult. So popular but it's a no from me. I can't see what all the fuss is about.

I agree re The Handmaid's Take buy find Sally Rooney brilliant. Yes also to Heart of Darkness.

I keep remembering more, Moby Dick, Love in the Time of Cholera, Captain C's Mandolin, I've read the first chapter of all three many times ( I'm tenacious with books).

Possible the worse ever was Walkabout, great for but the singular most treacle like prose. Another book I wadrdd through but loved the film is Kes, ( Kestral for a Knave).

Les Miserables. Needs a good edit.

purplecatt

I’m convinced that a big element of how much one enjoys a book is the circumstances in which they read it. So, if you read it relaxed on holiday you’ll enjoy a book. If you’re reading on the commute to work and a bit stressed, you won’t. You won’t be able to concentrate me really get into a book.

There are some great books here and I can only imagine that this factor must have influenced the enjoyment that some PPs experienced from these books

A Prayer for Owen Meany. All the SHOUTY CAPITALS drove me mad and I hated the ending.

Agree about Paulo Coelho and the 100 year old man.

I love Captain Corelli and Maggie O'Farrell though!

I’m not. A good book takes you out of the every day and transports you. You can’t put it down regardless of where you are.

My vote is The Goldfinch. Most overrated book I’ve ever read. The Las Vegas years could have been summarised in a few lines not s booksworth. Went on for evvver, pages of nothing.Was the author’s editor on holiday?

I loved the Goldfinch

The Miniaturist was very disappointing and didn’t live up to the hype.

Eat Pray Love is terrible- privileged white woman is paid by her publisher to travel and write a book, but she makes out that this is some sort of accessible pathway to enlightenment. Meanwhile most people with problems don’t have that luxury. I think it’s the most annoying thing I’ve ever read.

Crikey well I love anything by Hardy and Tess was the book of my teens. Refused to put it down on a family trip to France and got into trouble.
I love The Kite Runner, On Chesil Beach and We Need to Talk about Kevin. Also, The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing.
Never had any desire to read 50 Shades, Girl on a Train was okay, Me Before You was utterly predictable and Eleanor Oliphant was just annoying. Can take or leave Austen but love the Brontës.

Another vote for Ian McEwan - I don't believe in any of his characters, particularly the women.

Most hated book of all time is Wuthering Heights. Cathy & Heathcliff are dull narcissists - I read it when I was 21 and they reminded me of all the most annoying people at uni.

Cider with Rosie

Beloved by Toni Morrison. Worst book I've read - ever.

LOTR was the first book I couldn't finish. Jesus fuck, it's boring. I got 1/4 of the way through and left it at the side of my bed for 3 years before charity shopping it with a sense of relief.

Goldfinch. I read the first 1/3, skipped through the next 1/3 and then the final few chapters. And that was more than it deserved.

I don't mind Kate Atkinson. But I don't love her, read the detective series and thought itbwas OK but don't get the hype.

Have had A Little Life on my kindle for 2 years. I read a bit occasionally. Then lose the will to live again. Same with a few others mentioned on here.

I enjoyed Elinor O though, and loved Time Travelers Wife and the other one by the same author about the twins when 1 dies.

Books are so personal though, everyone wants something different when they sit down to read. It's not surprising that some love and some hate different books.

The miniaturist - good story but hey much is fantasy - frustrating.
The Red Tent - was a big hit maybe 10 years ago. Set in biblical times , women move into a red tent during menstruation. Oh, but that bit is fiction grrrrr!

Lake Wobegon Days. I tried, honestly, but when after around quarter of the way through it felt as if I was still waiting for it to begin I decided life was too short.

Bored of the Rings.

Normal People - Sally Rooney,
Utterly boring, no speech marks (irritating affectation), unlikeable characters. I slogged through it for book club. Can’t imagine why it has been showered with so much praise and so many accolades. Dull and forgettable.

The Hobbit - dire, didn't finish it.

American Psycho - extremely boring, hated the minutiae every time he got dressed.

Veronika Decides to Die (Paulo Coelho) - depressing shit.

Gone Girl - overhyped rubbish. First part boring, middle good, end crap.

Go Set A Watchman