Popular book that you didn’t enjoy

[Wanttocry]

Not really a TAAT but inspired by the Crawdads thread.

What’s a book that has been raved about, but that you didn’t really enjoy? For me it would have to be The Goldfinch, I just didn’t really get it.

The Midnight Library. Feels like it has been written with the objective to sell rights for cinema adaptation.

This one I'm ashamed...but I never managed to enjoy Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke.
I should probably read it again. I really want to like it I feel like I'm massively missing out.

Lovely Bones

I second Lovely Bones. The horriblest creepiest sick book ever. Wish I'd never read it.

The Goldfinch. DULL DULL DULL. I only read it cos I was off work sick following a hysterectomy and was bored shitless.

Life of Pi. Stupid book.

My husband nagged me for years to read The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists. Eventually I made a deal, I'd read it and in return he's to watch Its A Sin. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists while worthy was very dull (it helped me to sleep though.) The sod still hasn't watched It's a Sin. Please recommend a good divorce lawyer.

Oh and I forgot My Beautiful Friend. So dull.

Oh and what was the book about the little ornaments? The Amber Hares or something? It was a book club read, but it was boring.

The Poisonwood Bible and Wolf Hall. Both could not get into.

@Spidey66

Oh and I forgot My Beautiful Friend. So dull.

Oh - glad someone mentioned this to me - SIL (DB's DW) bought this for me for Christmas (she knows I like reading) and I couldn't get through the first couple of chapters, as yes, so dull.

@Viviennemary

I second Lovely Bones. The horriblest creepiest sick book ever. Wish I'd never read it.

See, it is a bit horrible and creepy but if you look at it from her, her family's etc perspectives rather than totally from the horrible and creepy side then it's quite emotive in parts.

@Cattenberg

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen.

I’d forgotten about this one. The section set in Lithuania was shockingly bad. I’ve never been to Lithuania, but I could tell instantly that the author hadn’t been there either. There was an American-Imperialist smugness that made me want to throw the book across the room.

I agree about The Slap. Horrible characters and constant racist language. I can’t decide whether to give my copy to a charity shop or put it in the recycling. Which would be more ethical?

I thought Trainspotting was massively overrated too. I didn’t finish it.

Had to read this at book club once, hated it. Had to finish it. Hard, hard work...

@olidora63

Eleanor Oliphant and Girl on the train…both really depressing

Read Girl on the Train - very depressing but so hyped. Film wasn't much better and set in America for god's sake!

Spidey I enjoyed the one about the little amber ornaments (netsuke) though I have forgotten the title. I found the family history really interesting.

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves !

• came out about 2014 - was listed for the Booker Prize - not a popular opinion but I found it a bit ‘meh’!!

I’m thinking of reading it again tho to see if I get a different appreciation of it

The one about the Netsuke sounds interesting. Is it the hare with the Amber eyes. Not heard of it but I might give it a go. It gets good reviews on Amazon.

Yes, The Hare with Amber Eyes.

Thanks. Just ordered a copy.

Oh thank god it's not just me re Crawdads I just don't want to carry on with it, so now I won't but I'll watch the film when it comes out. I adored The Thursday Murder Club though. It was a comforting read.

So many books on here I just found irritating too.

I preferred The Goldfinch and Wolf Hall as Audible books but had to keep rewinding the latter but I finally finished it. I was very determined for some reason to get to the end.

I'm always interested in what turns people off. I found both The Goldfinch and Mantel's Cromwell books extremely good but too long. I found Girl on the Train had a great set-up which propelled me through the first part, but by the second half, it dragged and then morphed into something slightly fantastical (if not contrived) - the affair, the deception, the baby's death etc. Also, you could tell it was written by an inexperienced writer. Oliphant ditto. You before me double ditto. 50 shades was great for what it was meant to be, though not my cup of char. Ishiguro is an interesting one: love his writing, some of his books are my favourite ever ( Never let me go ), others were lacking so much in 'heart' is the best way I can put it ( Remains of the Day ). His pull-back style certainly leaves the reader emotionally distant from the characters.

I think overall I can love a book that is well written but lacking somewhat in plot ( Girl with a pearl earring, The light between oceans ). I can enjoy but not love a plot-y book that lacks big style ( Thursday Murder Club ). It's a rare book that combines both and I count We need to talk about Kevin as one that does.

Then come the books of ideas that either turn me on or off. Hated the idea behind Life of Pi, loved I saw a Man.

On books that I simply hated: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh has to be up at the top. Well written, in its way, but getting into the heads of the most awful characters - I couldn't bear to finish it.

@BlooDeBloop

I'm always interested in what turns people off. I found both The Goldfinch and Mantel's Cromwell books extremely good but too long. I found Girl on the Train had a great set-up which propelled me through the first part, but by the second half, it dragged and then morphed into something slightly fantastical (if not contrived) - the affair, the deception, the baby's death etc. Also, you could tell it was written by an inexperienced writer. Oliphant ditto. You before me double ditto. 50 shades was great for what it was meant to be, though not my cup of char. Ishiguro is an interesting one: love his writing, some of his books are my favourite ever ( Never let me go ), others were lacking so much in 'heart' is the best way I can put it ( Remains of the Day ). His pull-back style certainly leaves the reader emotionally distant from the characters.

I think overall I can love a book that is well written but lacking somewhat in plot ( Girl with a pearl earring, The light between oceans ). I can enjoy but not love a plot-y book that lacks big style ( Thursday Murder Club ). It's a rare book that combines both and I count We need to talk about Kevin as one that does.

Then come the books of ideas that either turn me on or off. Hated the idea behind Life of Pi, loved I saw a Man.

On books that I simply hated: Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh has to be up at the top. Well written, in its way, but getting into the heads of the most awful characters - I couldn't bear to finish it.

The thing for me is it totally depends on the author and their books, Tracey Chevalier's Girl With a Pearl Earring was good but did lack somewhat in the plot.

Her other books The Virgin Blue and Lady With Unicorn I read - and were interesting but they lacked in plot somehow I thought, or enough to keep me interested and fairly well written but forgettable. Falling Angels however, I felt the plot was fairly good, subject matter was interesting and on the whole I really enjoyed this book.

Her latest book A Single Thread - I read this and liked it to a certain degree but I actually found it quite depressing and found went off at a tangent.

I really liked a book by Kate Pullinger called Weird Sister about an American woman coming to an old English town to be married - turns out she's not whom she seems. I hadn't seen much or researched much on her other works - but have just found The Mistress of Nothing which looks great and will order that.

I also have read two books I have really liked and reread by Frances Sherwood - Green which charts the life and growing up of a Mormon teenager in 1950s America - it's an interesting tale with twists and turns which was published in 1995. Her second book, I was recommended to read, she published in 1993, loosely based about the life of Mary Wollstonecraft, a couple of reviewers say they found it very crude - but I found it fascinating, full of detail and entertaining.

Normal People. Cannot understand how it became so popular. Disliked the boy and didn’t care for the other characters.
The Time Travellers Wife - boring, boring and repetitive.
Then there was the Kate Atkinson one Life After Life if I remember correctly.

Brené Brown Daring Greatly. Awful book, just waffling on about herself, navel gazing middle class American lady. Didn’t resonate much with me or our bookclub.

What a load of shite!!

I liked Time Travellers Wife, but can see that the premise is troubling (grooming). I couldn’t get into Captain Corelli’s Mandolin but keep trying- been on my bookshelf 20 years and I keep giving it a go every now and then

Never let me go was so depressing- I hated it. I know that’s point, but it was just so bleak and the characters did nothing for me. All suffered through the film - also not enjoyable or interesting.

There's a few mentioned that I hated, and a fair few I've absolutely adored.
I'm currently struggling with Last House on Needless Street. I'll persevere, but it's hard-going.

@Flavabobble

There's a few mentioned that I hated, and a fair few I've absolutely adored. I'm currently struggling with Last House on Needless Street. I'll persevere, but it's hard-going.

That's been on 10% on my kindle for ages. Couldn't get into it.

Late to this thread but absolutely normal people, also ghosts by dolly alderton was absolutely fine but definitely nothing beyond a competent book. If it wasn't written by her I'm not sure it would have got the acclaim.