Disappointing Reads from 2015

[Quogwinkle]

Following on from Southeast's best reads from 2015, I've been thinking about the books that have disappointed me ie not lived up to expectations, have been over-hyped by the media or were just not that enjoyable for me. I know one person's favourite book can be another's hated book, tastes are all different, but these are the ones that I haven't enjoyed as much as I was hoping I would.

1. Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey
2. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
3. Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
4. The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion (nowhere near as funny as The Rosie Project)
5. Stoner by John Williams (so depressing)
6. A Song For Issy Bradley by Carys Bray (just didn't like the claustrophobic religious element)
7. Wake by Anna Hope (shows WW1 books are hard to get right)
8. Mr Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Oh I liked Us but probably because I had really low expectations and picked it up in a charity shop!

Disclaimer by Renee Knight. It sounded so promising, it delivered very little other than disbelief and a feeling of pissed-offness at the husband.

The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne. Again, promised a lot, delivered little, had a very important plot twist that just seemed so unrealistic that the rest of the book was a bit pointless.

The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones. It could have been better, I didn't realise it was just the first book, and the twist at the end annoyed me because they hadn't hinted at it at all, so it felt shoe-horned into the plot to justify a second book.

Second Life by SJ Watson. I liked the other book, this one didn't live up to expectations I felt.

The Girl In The Red Coat by Kate Hamer. It just wasn't what I was expecting and I didn't enjoy it.

How I Lost You by Jenny Blackhurst. Unrealistic plot and revelations, I really didn't like it, didn't believe it, lost all interest in it. It was just implausible from start to finish. I won't read one of hers again on purpose.

The Orphan Choir by Sophie Hannah. I've promised myself this is the last one of hers I will read, it was nonsensical and dull.

I liked Us too. It was far better than One Day whose characters were so annoyingly slappable.

I am halfway through J by Howard Jacobson and go through times of loving and hating it. Worst book for 2015 for me was Ali Smith's How to be Both - just awful.

How to be Both was the one book I read this year that I wish I could forget.

Daddy Love by Joyce Carol Oates.
The Farm by Tom Rob Smith (particularly disappointing as I'm a huge fan and think Child 44 an almost perfect book).

The Tea Planter's Wife was awful.

Interesting thread- some of these books I really enjoyed, I couldn't get into Ghostwritten by David Mitchell at all and I usually enjoy his books.

The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mosse. Saw the author herself comparing it to The Woman in White. She is kidding herself, thought it was pretty trashy.

I kind of liked How to be Both, although I did prefer the easier bit about the girl to the bit about the artist

The godawful misogynistic tripe that is The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair. Badly written, overly long. And most imporrantly normalises/romanticises an affair between 34 yr old man and 15 year old girl 😡

I tried my very best with 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves,' by Karen Joy Fowler because it was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize the previous year.
It's the one about a chimpanzee living with a family. But I found it laboured and dull as ditchwater. The only interesting bit was signposted in the first page. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be surprised by it or if it was supposed to be obvious. Just like watching cardboard dry.

The TAxidermist's Daughter was very labored. Looked like the author had come up with an idea (cruel, misogynistic behavior) then dressed it up in a Victorian gothicky mould ( descriptive taxidermy)to sell well.

It was tedious in the end imv and I wasn't much involved with the lead characters.

I gave up on both Elizabeth is Missing and How I lost You..... I thought Helen Lederer's novel (can't remember the name) was utter drivel!

I've loved A Spool of Blue Thread, and think it's among her best. It's a bit sad to see someone deciding not to bother with such a great book because someone else didn't think much of it. Still, that's lit crit.

Footle - I enjoyed A Spool of Blue Thread. Not sure though what it was about it that got it onto the Man Booker shortlist (don't really understand their criteria - this one seemed too nice and readable :o) I've read a few Anne Tyler novels and enjoyed them.

I quite liked A Spool of Blue Thread as well. It's not my favourite of hers, and I'm not totally sure what the point of it was, but that seems to be the thing in many of her books, the way life just meanders along, with everything and nothing taking place along the way.

Beloved - Toni Morrison. So many people I know loved this, but somehow I didn't connect with it

The Comfort of Strangers, and The Cement Garden. Love Ian McEwan, hated both of these. The first was supposedly a thriller but you could see the ending coming a mile off. the second was just gross. Sweet tooth was better though.

The Goldfinch - Could have been great, but the Nevada part really dragged.

Morrissey's autobiography. Just shite

Christopher Isherwood - Goodbye to Berlin. Loved A Single Man, didn't like this one. No real narrative thread.

The Gathering - Anne Enright. Dull. Bit shocked it won the Booker.

Hygge and Quog, glad you liked the Tyler too. I love the way she writes and it's rich in details that all add up to astonishingly vivid portrayals of lives. This latest one has a close parallel to an ongoing situation in my life, and it helps me think about that constructively.
But this is off-topic. I'm trying to remember which book I chucked across the room recently. Aha, here are two in the charity bag - Summer at Gaglow by Esther Freud, and Selfish People by Lucy English. Free to good homes.

The Buried Giant- so disappointed. I struggled to read half way, then gave up.
A Secret History- the last third was just waffle and I couldn't connect with the characters.
Lucky Jim- not in the slightest bit funny.

I find Anne Tyler's books to be very thoughtful, very good at little details and the odd ways of family goings-on. I think she's a wonderful author. My favourite of hers is The Clock Winder.

I just remembered another book I read and hated this year, The Orphan Choir by Sophie Hannah. I really dislike Sophie Hannah's books now, and have decided that this is the last one of hers that I will read. I've seen her new one out in paperback and ignored it. Her plot lines are too far-fetched and bizarre, they spoil what usually sound like a good stories.

The Clock Winder - that's the amazing Elizabeth isn't it ? I've known people read it and get quite a shock.

Agree about Sophie Hannah,and her "new" Poirot was a big let-down too. She is very over-rated.

Yes, The Clock Winder is Elizabeth, Footle. I loved her. What were they shocked by?

I refused to read the Poirot book, and I love Poirot. I don't want him ruined by her and her daft plot lines.

'Open City' by Teju Cole. Self indulgent, waffly and just so pretentious. Gave up half way through.

I haven't read the latest Sophie Hannah, but you've reminded me that I keep picking them up because of the blurb, then finding they're completely ridiculous and I'm never quite sure if I've followed the unravelling/motive properly. And it probably doesn't help that I read them all out of order, but I get distracted by the bizarre relationship between the coppers who are supposedly a couple. No more!

Wasn't mad keen on The Buried Giant either, and I usually like Kazoo Ishiguro. Not sure what he was aiming for.

Finished, but really disliked The Miniaturist. Soapy storylines, unbelievable as a straight story, not well explained enough for magical realism - aargh! I like historical fiction usually but didn't feel particularly swept away to C17th Amsterdam, just irritated!

Hygge, an unexpected event.