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.

Much like GoT then, Bvop.

@mamaduckbone

I've just thought of another one - My Beautiful Friend. That one is our book club measure of awfulness, although I've heard the TV series is amazing.

I didn't like it either. I haven't read it but that's because every time I tried to I got so bored I had to stop. The tone (maybe it's the translation) was so flat.

@StColumbofNavron

In some ways I don’t think the Thursday Murder Club belongs here. Yes, there was hype at the beginning associated with Richard Osman having written it. But actually I’m yet to meet anyone who really liked it so I don’t think there is actual hype in the way of Crawdads where everyone was buzzing about it.

I do agree about Thursday Murder, it was passable enough for a boring weekend. I’ll probably read the second when it passes through Kindle for 99p.

I think the Murder Club hype is coming from the marketing machine behind it.

@midsomermurderess

I was ok with Cholera, it was 100 Years of Sodding Solitude that did for me. I gave it a good go but blooming heck, on and on and on it went.

Same here!!

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Tried twice, & gave up at pretty much the same point both times. Couldn't get on with the writing style and was so bored. Couldn't be bothered to pick it up & read. It nearly killed off my love of reading.

Sometimes you just can't get going with a book and then ten years later you pick it up and go. I couldn't get going with The Goldfinch but loved Captain Correlli's Mandolin.

It ends with us. Started great, middle was great and then just when I thought the romance will begin, the book is over?

LoTR and the Hobbit. I just do not like Tolkien.

@Thisusedtobeaniceneighbourhood

LoTR and the Hobbit. I just do not like Tolkien.

blasphemy! Take it back I say!

Wuthering Heights

Frenchman’s Creek - other books by DdM but found this one very boring.

Girl With A Pearl Earring.

Girl with a Pearl Earring

100 hundred years of solitude

Friends adore them and both left me cold.

LoTR and the Hobbit. I just do not like Tolkien.

I'm with you on that.

The Trouble with Goats and sheep actually made me a bit cross it was that bad.

Another vote for Captain Corelli's Mandoln.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

I couldn't get on with My Brilliant Friend either. I bought the whole series to read on holiday in Italy and didn't even finish the first book.

Glad to see A Little Life mentioned already, I detested this book more than I can put into words. Disgusting misery porn, ludicrous character arcs, abysmal dialogue (every other line starts "Oh Jude..."). HATED IT.

Never Greener..so disappointed as I expected more From Ruth Jones.

@littlepeas

Wuthering Heights
Frenchman’s Creek - other books by DdM but found this one very boring.

I read Frenchman’s Creek this year and loved it. Every time I see it on my list it makes me smile. (I also love WH but I understand why people don’t).

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse was everywhere when I read it. Just no.

Fifty Shades drivel. Oh my.

The alchemist
The midnight library

We are all complete beside ourselves
Life of Pi
Fifty shades

Milkman
Ordinary People
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
A Confederacy of Dunces
Cloud Atlas
The Time Traveller’s Wife
Crawdads
The first Game of Thrones book
Any Tolkien
The Old Man and The Sea
Mrs Dalloway
Pride and Prejudice

Couldn’t finish any of them. Absolutely not my cup
of tea.

My very favourite books are on this thread repeatedly

Oh yeah, Life of Pi.
A Little Life.
Brick Lane.
White Teeth.

Just found them really wordy in a not-beautiful way. Like someone saying words to you in a distracting monotone for hours and hours.

@jay55

Eat pray love.

Yes me too. Been trying to get through it for a year and still only half way

I gave up on The Life of Pi. It was just so pretentious and so, so boring.

@LunaNorth

Milkman Ordinary People We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves A Confederacy of Dunces Cloud Atlas The Time Traveller’s Wife Crawdads The first Game of Thrones book Any Tolkien The Old Man and The Sea Mrs Dalloway Pride and Prejudice

Couldn’t finish any of them. Absolutely not my cup
of tea.

We must have absolutely opposite taste because apart from three there that I haven’t read, I love all the others on your list and a few of them are among my favourite books ever. To the extent that I feel I should read the ones on your list that I haven’t read! I agree with Game of Thrones though.