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

A girl is a half-formed thing.

Pretentious and superficial.

Mamamary was just going to post that! Awful, grim misery porn written in stream of consciousness style that was revolutionary when Joyce did it 100 years ago but now just tedious and impenetrable.

.Pastoralia by George Saunders - satire; apparently
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - though I liked the pictures
The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend - didn't find it funny got the impression it was ment to be though
Jaws by Peter Benchley - really disappointing
Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - could have really done with less words. So so SO much waffle.

Didn't get through the first chapter of Girl is a Half Formed thing. Like trying to read a diary from Yoda's grammar-shy brother written while she was stoned.

Another vote for The Girl on the Train.

Also:

We are all Completely Beside Ourselves
Go Set a Watchman
Labyrinth
Blood on the Altar
All My Puny Sorrows
Life (Keith Richards)
One Night Markovitch
A Brief History of Seven Killings

That really annoying 100 year old man. I wish the window had been on the 19th floor...

Oh yes 'Go Set a Watchman' - so dull. Couldn't get past the first 50 pages.

Had forgotten Go Set a Watchman - it was pretty poor wasn't it, imagine if Harper Lee hadn't been sent away to write about the childhood and this was her novel instead!!

100 yr old man. Read it because I'm interested in Scandi thinking , but very disappointing and also pretentious with its "I was there" historical agenda. And the Sue Townsend had a good title but the story kind of evaporated.

I won't be popular for saying this, but All the Light You Cannot See - while prettily written, it just went on and on, and a dreadful ending.

Hated the 100 yr old man book - gave up after a few pages, thankfully. Stuck with Paper Towns, despite the vile female character. She was so not worth it! Also hate the following, while I'm on a bit of a rant:
Margaret Atwood's latest.
Anything by Cecilia Ahern.
Anything by Charles Dickens. No, I haven't read them all...actually I've read one and a bit, but that was quite enough, thank you. Didn't get that far with the Ahern books - started two; appalling grammar and syntax. Richard & Judy lied...

Glad to see some other Sophie Hannah haters. I read The Orphan Choir too, possibly the most ridiculous story I have ever read. I actually got it in poundland and wished I could get a refund!

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves wasn't great either, I found it rather daft but it was enjoyable enough.

The 100 year old man was entertaining though, but that was a couple of years ago now!

Wasn't keen on Jonathen Franzens Purity either. Was ok in many parts but boy did it drag

I absolutely hated we are all completely beside ourselves.

Also after the crash by Michael bussi that someone mentioned up thread. Utter dross and very disappointing as I'd been really in the mood for a good thriller but no such luck at all.

musicmaiden - at least you got that far with All The Light We Cannot See. I can't get past the title. It's screaming pretentious at me. I did download a sample but I'm afraid that just confirmed my initial reaction. Never have I felt such certainty about not wanting to read a novel.

When God was a Rabbit - I did get through it, but it was pretty dire.
But Elizabeth is Missing - I really enjoyed, and thought the author pulled off "dementia" very well - the slipping between now and the past.
Agree Spool of Blue Thread wasn't up to the usual Anne Tyler standard - found it irksome and unsatisfying, which is unusual.

Oh yes - The Goldfinch - really did NOT like that. It went on and on and on. So boring reading about drug and alcohol fuelled crap behaviour. I liked the first part, but when he went of to Nevada(?) I was skipping pages/page skimming. Was MIGHTILY relieved when it finished. I thought it would never ever end.

I did like the Goldfinch, but the Nevada bit was not pleasant, I agree, so bleak and unhappy, and I didn't like, what's his name, Boris? at all. I knew someone IRL exactly like him and they are not charming, essentially good types.

Some Luck by Jane Smiley. Utterly dreadful. Goodness knows how she managed to write two others! Hundred years of dullness!

The Jungle Book. Book club read. Rocked up to said book club to find 13/15 members hadn't finished it. How is it a classic?

Driving over lemons wasn't good either.

Slightly concerned about the Sophie Hannah comments - I've just picked up A game for all the family to read!

Dust by Hugh Howey. It wasn't terrible, it's just it was meant to pull together all the strands in the Wool trilogy and the explanation of it all never really made sense.

An old one, but the worst book I read last year was Aftermath by Rachel Cusk. It's an extended essay about her divorce. She's always been an irritatingly self-regarding writer, but here she reveals herself as an unpleasantly selfish individual too (not wanting to "share" the children or pay maintenance to her SAHP ex. He's a man! He should be able to make lots of money, so why should she fork out?). I wouldn't mind that if it was written well, but she aimed at profundity and landed on pomposity.

I didn't much rate The Buried Giant (he misunderstands the origins of conflict. Memory my foot) but wouldn't say I was disappointed as the reviews were pretty cautious and gave an accurate warning of what to expect.

Interesting. Will avoid these!

Sorry but has anyone seen / can anyone please link to the thread a couple of days ago re recommending a gripping book for a long flight?

Agree re Harry Queberrt Affair and five people you meet in heaven - both awful for exactly the reasons already specified: weird normalisation of abusive relationship and just utter tripe.

On the other hand I like the Handmaids Tale.

I have however just finished "Her" possibly The.Worst.Book.Ever

Rachel Cusk's book about being the mother of small children must have prevented several hundred births, I should think.
There's one Jane Smiley I liked and found perceptive and well-told : I think it's called Duplicate Keys. Long short stories maybe ?

Rachel Cusk, didn't she write that book with the pink cover. I only bought it for the cover. Didn't like it, don't remember it...