Me Before You - am I the only person in the world not to love it?

[EleanorofProvence]

Just over half way through this book and finding it a bit of a chore to read. It seems like everyone else loves it & pretty much all the reviews I've read have raved about it. Why? What am I missing?

[Ragwort]

I agree about Brookyn - pleasant enough read but absolutely nothing special - has anyone seen the film?

[Quogwinkle]

No not seen the film, yet. Might do at some point, but am in no rush.

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

i loved Brooklyn, understated and simple story about emigration and its effects.

I wasn't keen on One Day and Us although I do think David Nicholls is a great writer. Loved Starter for Ten and The Understudy.

[NuggetofPurestGreen]

Brooklyn film is good, very close to book, but I think they simplified some of the characterisation e.g. Tony.

[EleanorofProvence]

I found Brooklyn quite nondescript - but having said that I read it when I was feeling very upset about something family related so maybe wasn't in the best frame of mind for it. I'd read it again though (see if I appreciate it any more second time around) and not feel embarrassed being seen reading it in public, which is more than I can say about Me Before You.

[Goatcoat]

I read MBY and One Day a few years ago now and I found both to be easy going reads with predictable storylines. They served a purpose I guess but IMO not rely deserving of all the hype.

[lurkingfromhome]

God, I love this thread. I rather enjoyed One Day in an undemanding-beach-read kind of way, but I think largely because I was at the same university at exactly the same time, so it kind of (mildly) resonated.

I too have something of a (slightly guilty) fondness for Liane Moriarty. Her writing has a wryness that I find quite appealing. It might be chick lit but at least it's chick lit written with a sarcastically raised eyebrow.

[lurkingfromhome]

Fellow MBY haters - if I was in the market for a Lisa Jewell for this year's beach holiday, which would be the least chick-litty, would you say? Something that is undemanding enough for when one's brain is frazzled from too much sunshine but is still not an insult to said frazzled brain ...

[Quogwinkle]

Lurking - I thought The House We Grew Up In was good. Not chick-litty, deals with the issue of hoarding and related mental health problems.

[lurkingfromhome]

Excellent, thanks Quog. Will go and investigate now ...

[AnyFucker]

Yep, hated it

Can't stand that faux heart-tugging bullshit

[tothesea]

I read MBY on the back of all the raving about it on here...I think I managed a chapter...what a load of old pish. The same for PS I love you....I mean really people like this?? Do they enjoy reading something that is so badly written and cringeworthy!!

[LilacSpunkMonkey]

Lurking I haven't read The House We Grew Up In yet so can't comment but I expect it'seems great. I thought The Truth About Melody Browne (I think that title is correct) was fantastic and I remember crying over it. Books don't often make me cry (The Color Purple always makes me cry) but that one did.

She's come a long way from Ralph's Party, which she wrote as a dare apparently.

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

Lurking- I graduated on the same day they did, so I loved the first chapter. Sadly it crashed and burned very soon after that though.

[lurkingfromhome]

Yep: when I read Amazon reviews of pish like PS I Love You that say "The best book I have EVER read", my heart sinks and I have to sit on my hands to stop myself from writing a really rude comment.

I mean, we don't all have to be reading the collected works of Wittengenstein every night but FFS do people really not like to exercise their brain cells just a little bit?

Thanks Lilac!

[EleanorofProvence]

It is just mindless drivel - I'm up to the bit where they go to Mauritius and I can't believe people find the plot anything other than completely laughable.

I'm going to have to look at One Day now though (I've managed to avoid it so far but now I'm feeling curious...).

[PennyDropt]

Always read the 1 and 2 star rating comments on Amazon.

These comments on this book sum it up well.

[EleanorofProvence]

I am going to finish it though just to see if I find the ending at all upsetting. Plus it's not exactly a demanding read

[Awholelottanosy]

One Day was crap. Thought Us was much better.

[EleanorofProvence]

Nope didn't find it upsetting at all - it had the emotional depth of a puddle IMO. And now to find something a bit more intellectually stimulating...