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 Thursday Murder Club. Over-sentimental with a sloppy plot that didn't really make sense.

I do like Wuthering Heights, I have to say although for me the real relationship that makes the story sing is Nelly and Heathcliff.

I couldn't finish Shantaram.
People raved about My Brilliant Friend but it annoyed me a lot.
And The Goldfinch, I loved The Secret History but not that one!

Mine is We the Animals. I felt it was trying so hard to be poignant and meaningful and it actually just felt really try hard to me.

Also, and I know everyone loves this, but A Little Life. I didn’t find it moving, I actually felt it became comically ridiculous as more and more awful things happened. I also thought the characters were very ‘flat’ and not well written.

Oh pps have already said A Little Life! I thought everyone except me thought it was amazing!

@TheMoth

Oh my god, I'd forgotten I am Pilgrim. Possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. So bad, it was like a parody. Thoroughly enjoyed writing an amazon review of it though

I remember being incredibly irritated by the smug foreword about how incredibly complicated it all was (it wasn’t )

I thought The Night Circus was bloody awful too. Predictable and more like teen fiction.

I cried at Hamnet though. Enjoyed all the wolf halls. Agree The Goldfinch was too long and reminded me a bit of Vernon God Little. I've taught Remains quite a bit. It's a grower. And a lot of fun with a sparky group.

A little life. It's ENDLESS. just going on and on and on. Still haven't finished it have been trying on and off for 3 years.

Ha! Glad it wasn't just me with A Little Life - horrible misery porn. Recently disliked Theatre for Dreamers - boring. Olive Ketteridge - miserable old woman. And Crawdads - improbable and overrated. There are also lots of brilliant books that I've loved, but that's another thread.

Ha… I clicked on this thread to say Crawdads! I can forgive a lot things that people often don’t like but I just felt like it wasn’t very well written at all and overplotted. I would have DNF’d but I was reading 5-6 chapters a week with bookclub.

Gone Girl. WTAF.

The Lovely Bones. Shite. I'm so glad to finally find others who agree, everyone I know IRL loves it!

I do like (and actually love) some of those mentioned.

The Thursday Murder Club. I found it a total slog. I really wanted to give up on it but I plodded on and really regretted it because the ending was rubbish

I tried Captain Corelli but have up after a few chapters. I just wanted it to get on with the story but it just kept waffling on.

I’ve tried to read The Lovely Bones twice and both times given up a few chapters in. I rarely give up on a book and just couldn’t finish that one.

Loads on this thread though I have read and liked,

I really enjoyed captain corelli, but liked the South American trilogy more. Even got dh loving those and he's not a reader.

Tried really hard to read a History of 7 killings, but got overwhelmed by the characters and flipping about. One of the few I gave up on. That, and The Wheel of time that a friend recommended cos I'm partial to a bit of fantasy. But it was old fashioned fantasy and really dull, with not enough decent female characters.

Life of Pi - just what?
The Lovely Bones - creeped out by subject matter and stopped reading.
Room - Ditto

A Thousand Splendid Suns &
The Shadow of the Wind - I just found them boring. I'm obviously not book clever enough.

This thread is full of 3 types of books:

1. Books I never read because I could tell from the hype they were shite (e.g. Fifty Shades, Time Travellers Wife)
2. Books I read and thought were very readable but essentially shite (Crawdads, Eleanor Stupid Name)
3. books I loved and think are brilliant (Secret History, Wolf Hall)

Agree the ending of The Minituarist ruined the book.

Disliked Piranesi though everyone raved about it.

This will get me lynched on MN, but not a fan of Terry Pratchett! Sorry.

Currently reading His Dark Vanessa by Kate Russel and absolutely hooked.

I was very disappointed with how the miniaturist ended. It was a great story with lots of mystery, interesting characters but it ended without actually explaining who or what the miniaturist actually was. The Christmas adaption wasn't any clearer either.

Ah @TheMoth I truly love Louis de Berniere’s books. Senor Vivo is one of my favourites ever.

Bloody loathed We Need to Talk About Kevin. Hated it.

Also hated Eleanor oliphant, but didn’t finish it so can’t really stand by that one.

Loved Piranesi, but lent it to a friend who thought I’d gone mad 😂.

As above pp said, the girl on the train

Cant understand why people raved about it, i just didnt empathise with the character at all. I actually thought the film was much better which says something as most people seemed to hate the film.

@RightOnTheEdge

The Thursday Murder Club. I found it a total slog. I really wanted to give up on it but I plodded on and really regretted it because the ending was rubbish

I tried Captain Corelli but have up after a few chapters. I just wanted it to get on with the story but it just kept waffling on.

I downloaded the audiobook of the Thursday Murder Club and had to return it after 2 chapters as I just couldnt get on with it at all