Authors who are very popular but you just don't get....

[Corneliawildthing]

I read the first Harry Potter book when my kids were little and was rather underwhelmed by it (maybe I wasn't the target audience). I started The Cuckoo's Calling and seemed to have been reading for about 2 hours and had only reached page 25.

My in-laws raved about the Stieg Larsson books but I think I lasted about 20 pages.

It's Sophie Hannah for me too. Her covers and blurb sound so gripping (so I've read more than one), but the books gave me a headache to read.
Also Paul Auster. I read his New York Trilogy, it was so dull and boring, didn't get the 'depth' of it at all..
Ian McEwan. I only read a few pages of Saturday and gave up.

Oh the Scarpetta books; awful too.
And against my better judgement I've just got an SJ Watson book out of the library. The plot is so ludicrous I'm not sure if I can carry on.

Kazuo Ishiguro. Boring.
Paula Hawkins. Overrated.
Terry Pratchett. Wtf?
Kate Mosse. Dull.
JoJo Moyes. Nope.
Anything that gets into the "unmissable" category at the Times. Missable.
Dan Brown. Can't do it.
Patricia Cornwell. Brutal.

I've started rereading all my old Rendell's and Vines as I can't find anyone I like as much.

Forgot Paul Auster. Had to read Moon Palace for book club. Drivel.

For me

Jane Austen
Tolkien
Terry Pratchett
Paolo Coelho

Interesting how we are all different - my favourite book ever is by Thomas Hardy!

I loved Elena Ferrante's Days of Abandonment but I don't think it's like her other books.

To the person who hadn't read the classics, give Great Expectations a go, quite an easy read.

I do love early Leslie Charteris - The Saint tweaking the nose of policemen. I tend to enjoy vintage thrillers, no matter how over-wrought.

On the other hand, I do not get on with the mid-century Americans. I despaired of Joseph Heller, thought Portnoy needed to get his hand off it, and was bored senseless by Kurt Vonnegut.

I should add DH Lawrence to writers I dislike. All those horny-handed (and not only handed), hairy little men. On the other hand, I think Lawrence is a very fine poet.

@purpleme12 I totally agree with you. Well done for finishing the García Márquez book; I gave up halfway through!

Deborah Levy. Pretentious pseudo-intellectual twaddle. Her metaphors have all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

Nodding in agreement with many of the above but genuinely surprised at the numbers who don't like Hardy and Lawrence. Can I respectfully recommend Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Sons and Lovers?

I think a lot of authors start good, but then deteriorate over time. I used to enjoy Lee Child, but they are repeatitive now. I enjoyed Jodi Picoult when younger.. but it was like reading the same book over and over.
Harry Potter- I read it originally as a child. It was literally magic. I'm now having to read them to my daughter but it's exhausting. I judge Children's fiction in how easy it is to read out loud.

I read a lot of rubbish, but I find it's more entertaining than a lot of apparently 'good' books... I read to escape.

JK Rowling - Harry Potter just about acceptable as it was for children, but her "Casual Vacancy" was absolute drivel. She simply isn't a credible "adult" writer.

Not an author, but does a "poet" count? Seamus Heney cost me my A grade at A level Engish Lit. Our teacher chose him for the poetry and however much I tried, I just couldn't get into it at all. Just seemed like a load of random waffling about Irish misery rather than a serious poet.

@MAFIL
I asked the head of my kids primary why she was so keen on Jacqueline Wilson books, because I was a bit about them.
She told me that she had had a dreadful upbringing and home life, and that if she had had a point of reference outside herself to see that she wasn't the only one, it would have given her some solace.

Elena Ferrante. Tried twice to read My Brilliant Friend. Couldn't get past half way. So bored. Didn't care about any of the characters.

Colm Toibin. Hated Brooklyn. Tried some of his other novels. Liked The Blackwater Lightship but didn't like anything else.

Dan Brown - tried to read one. Hated it so much, poorly written drivel.

I read a lot and I'm sure there's many more I don't like.

Loathe Thomas Hardy . Sue Bridehead one of the most annoying characters ever and I would have given Jude a bloody great kick up the backside. Tess ditto.

I couldn't stand Wuthering Heights. Tried 4x over the last 30 years but nope.

I really enjoyed Rowling's Cormoran Strike series.

I have just been given the Elena Ferrante Beautiful Friend books by a very keen fan of hers - I have been putting off reading them as am a bit worried I won't like them.

Lobsterquadrille2 I've read Tess of the D'Urbervilles. Hated it. Forced myself to finish it and didn't enjoy a single page.

My husband hates Dickens which I just can't understand (how could you not like Great Expectations??) but to each his own. He loves Wuthering Heights which bored me so much I've never managed to finish it despite starting it several times.

My dislike of Terry Pratchett isn't because of the writing, but because of the subject matter. I just can't get into fantasy at all. I think this is also my problem with Tolkien.

Notonthestairs we cross posted... delighted to find someone else who hates Wuthering Heights and has never got through the whole thing!

Out of interest, does anyone dislike George Orwell, John Wyndham or John Steinbeck? They are my favourites but I know a few people that don't like Steinbeck.

evilharpyinapeartree I loved "1984" but didn't like "Animal Farm" or "How to shoot an Elephant".

@evilharpyinapeartree fair enough regarding Tess! As to your three authors - absolutely three of my favourites. East of Eden is in my top five books of all time.

Most old books 😳 Austen, Hardy, Dickens - yawn

Jodi Picoult
Sophie Hannah - started well descended into crazy
James Patterson (does he write kids books? Dc love those)

Love Ian mcewan but wondering if that's because I've started chronologically

In total agreement regarding David 'churn-em out' Walliams, bloody highest grade shite I've ever had the misfortune to share with my children (who do seem to like his books). I absolutely put my foot down 2 chapters into 'Fing' last Christmas and now refuse to let my kids bring them into the house.

Also just read Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - total disappointment with the poorest level of writing I've seen for a long time (my kids use better sentence starters than she does); so I am adding any of her work into the list. Had to finish the book for our book club.

I have never got on with Dickens but love other classics. I've read War and Peace so can cope with complicated and long but couldn't finish any of his - last tried Bleak House (is that the Jarndyce v Jarndyce one?). Gave up.

Donna Tartt. I'm sure her books are great, the reviews are really positive & I have tried with a couple of her novels. Completely unable to get into them, I don't know why.

James Joyce, especially Ulysses. I just couldn't. I even tried the audiobook, but I really found my attention waning.

I am another who struggled with Wuthering Heights & couldn't finish it, although I think I've read all of the other Bronte novels.

I picked up a David Walliams book at Waterstones a few months ago, after DD expressed interest. I was glad to find that my dislike of him (chauvinist pig, IMHO) is mirrored by my dislike of his writing style, & have recommended DD against his books as they appear to be complete tosh.

@Pinkarsedfly ... I'm glad you said Kazuro Ishiguro. I read The Remains of the Day and absolutely loved it. Read everything else he's written hoping something will be nearly as good ... but they're just not, and it's so disappointing.

My contribution is Donna Tartt ... so many people raved about The Goldfinch ... it took me about a month to muddle through it, but it wasn't very good at all. I've read rave reviews for her other book The Secret History but I'm not willing to even attempt it.

Graphista I am not a sci-fi/fantasy novel fan but I loved Raymond E Feist's "Magician".

I hate most Dickens, all Hardy, Jodie Picoult , Joanne Harris. I've not read Dan Brown or the Jack Reacher novels because I know I'd hate them. I also dislike Malcolm Bradbury, not sure why, I just find him tedious.

Hellohaj Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" is one of my favourite books but "The Goldfinch" was nowhere near as good. It was still miles better than "The Little Friend" which was complete pants though.

James Joyce's "Dubliners" is lovely but both "Ulysses" and "Finnegans Wake" are very difficult. I do like modernist fiction usually but I stick to the more accessible end of the spectrum, like Virginia Woolfe and E.M. Forster.