Books that weren’t shit, just underwhelming/didn’t get

[KenForPM]

So we’ve had a number of shit books threads... how about a thread for books that we didn’t necessarily hate, but were underwhelmed by/were forgettable, if you get what I mean.

I read Hideous Kinky by Esther Freud a good few years ago. I remember getting to the end and thinking “what even happened in that book?” I remember thinking it just felt like there was no plot. I suppose it’s partly to do with the fact that the narrator is so young (four/five IIRC), but others seem to rave about it when I googled it. It made no sense.

*It gives me the Gatsbys
*
Haha, love it! That might become my go to phrase for anything overrated (I do actually really like The Great Gatsby but I can understand the 'urgh' feeling)

As long as you credit to some weirdo on MN that's fine

Ready Player One got great reviews but I found it meh. Not terrible cause the idea was interesting and it was OK written, but the amount of 80s references was just too much.

We are all completely beside ourselves (mentioned a couple of times already)

Brick Lane (pleased to see I’m
not alone. Everyone I know loved it! Not sure I even managed to finish it.)

The Little Friend (finished it but had expected to love it. Had really enjoyed the Secret History and The Goldfinch)

Perfume:the story of a murderer

The Handmaid’s Tale (didn’t hate it but expected to absolutely love it. Interesting concepts raised though).

The Noise of Time (re Shostakovich. I really wanted to love this but I just didn’t).

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (couldn't finish it).

I have agreed with everything on here until someone said The Hundred Year Old Man and I actually made a loud inhaling noise/ shriek of dismay - out loud and everything.

I love that book.

I think I am too taken in by the lovely book covers sometimes! I am a sucker for a good piece of arty farty cover work.

Have just remembered how dull Sarah Waters' recent book was : The Paying Guests. All atmosphere, the promise of a plot and then nothing happens.

I loved 'Perfume' when I read it (when it had just been published).

'The Miniaturist' just really disappointed me. It always felt as if there should have been something more to it. It just fizzled out - I was left feeling as if a large chunk of the plot was missing.

I agree with a lot of the books already mentioned on this thread but would also add We Need To Talk About Kevin. Everybody else at my book club raved about it but it felt like a long slog until the end for me.

I disagree about The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters- I really enjoyed it. I did see the ending coming and maybe it could have reached more of a crescendo but it made me want to read more of her stuff. I've got The Paying Guests but haven't tried it yet

Sorry piggy - that was me. And in fairness I didn’t finish it. Everyone I know loved it, I just found it slow and couldn’t get beyond 50 pages. Maybe I should give it another go :)

ReelingLush - yes I know people rave about Perfume. The concept was interesting and the descriptive language fantastic but something just didn't work for me.

But my copy did have a very pretty cover page

I see Never Let Me Go has been mentioned a few times – I didn’t put that on my first list because it didn’t leave me ‘meh’, it left me angry! Read it as part of a book group, so that’s the only reason I finished it. Utterly pedestrian writing, what should have been an interesting subject made boring, and I kept waiting for a big reveal, or a point at least, but nothing came. It was completely obvious what was happening from the beginning, so I kept waiting for something ‘more’, but no. In fact, that was the last book I read with that group, it spurred me to leave!

All of you dissing Brideshead, though – have a word with yourselves…

I didn't like The 100 Year Old Man either, I'm afraid. I thought that I would because I loved A Man Called Ove( though I've since read two other books by that author and didn't like either) but I really struggled to get through it,and was ultimately disappointed.

Oh well, we can't have the same tastes. Jonas Jonasson's other books aren't as good (or are worse, whichever way you look at it!)

I've started Never Let Me Go a few times and just don't get sucked in.

Loved Brideshead as well. But did A Handful of Dust for A level so ou teacher made us read loads of Waugh. Plus, this was when the sumptuous tv series came out so lots of good associations.

Lady Monica - I was given Eleanor Oliphant. It was just utter nonsense and completely unbelievable, so I stopped reading it.

Did the same with Man Called Ove because you could see what was coming and I didn't really care.

Gave up on Jane Eyre as I just didn't care enough about any of the characters and I just couldn't get into Songs of the Humpback Whale, which is a shame because I usually love anything by Jodi Picoult.

50 Shades - everyone was raving about it. Couldn't get into it and gave up at Chapter 2

The Luminaries - just too long, and a waste of time

Oh and 50 shades the repetition of certain words and phrases and the poor quality of the writing just made me want to scream

The Incredible Lightness of Being. I decided the protagonist was incredibly up himself. Maybe I should give it another go.

The Goldfinch. Having read and enjoyed Donna Tartt's previous two novels, I had been really looking forward to this one. But it was just such a slog through to the end. Yes the writing was excellent, and parts of the story were gripping but it just dragged on too long. Disappointed.

White Teeth - couldn't get past the first few pages.

Brick Lane - struggled through to the end but don't really know why I bothered.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I rarely leave a book unfinished but had to give up on this one, the style was very Dickens and so many footnotes I kept losing the plot. Very disappointed.

Gone Girl, Girl on the Train and the Miniaturist. Oh, and anything by Jae de Wylde, who is truly awful.

Not a fan of The Hundred Year Old Man either. The Miniaturist doesn't appeal and couldn't be bothered to watch the TV show either, so clearly not for me. The Vikram Seth books are supposed to be masterpieces, but I find sections quite dull. Onwards and upwards!