Which authors' success is a complete mystery to you?

[emkana]

Tony Parsons

Jodi Picoult

Lois de Bernieres (Captain Corelli's Mandolin)
Dan Brown,
Marian Keyes,
Joanne Harris,
Rachel Cusk and ANY 'magical realist' author!

I tried to read a Celia Ahren book.

I mean, I really tried!

It was about these two kids who wrote letters to each other.

And you know, they were two dumb kids in one dumb book.

So I left the tome on a park bench by a bus stop in Edinburgh.

I still feel horribly guilty for that.

I like Marian Keyes she is very funny.

JK Rowling
(runs away before being shot)

Have you heard of Lisa Jewell/ Someone lent me a book by her once- utter dross

I like Melvyn Bragg, but he can't write for toffee

Yes, I am mad mrsruffallo and you will notice that I am the only one who thinks they're over rated.
I stand by my opinion though

(after sneaking back in) Oh good, did not read through, now see I am not the only one

Yes, Christopher Brookmyre is awful.

Anyone remember The Celestine Prophecies? Can't remember the author but it was huge when I was at uni.

love almost ALL magical realism, especially the just for fun variety like um what is her name? water for chocolate woman.

think de bernieres redeemed himself and actually had something to say in 'birds?' one, that turkish one but I loved those 3 cocaine ones, god what has happened to my memory - don pedro or something like that

The person who wrote Cold Mountain . I loved the film but the book was almost impossible to read. Ditto Seabiscuit.

John Updike
All mislit apart from "Once in a house on fire" which is fab
Margaret Atwood
Maeve Binchey
Jodi Picoult
The Ukranian Tractors woman
Anita Brookner

Too many to mention:

Thomas Hardy, Evelyn Waugh, JK Rowling, Michael Cunningham, Ian McEwan (since Amsterdam)

there are 3 of them, that sounds like one and there is one called something like don pedro's nether parts and another one - I LOVED them even while I knew it was a guilty pleasure because he was so popular

Dan Brown was in my SIL's class at school. SIL, a nerdy scientist, was in competition with Dan for the last place in the Creative Writing class - she got it. So, the guy that was a reject from this class is now a multi-millionnaire - for creative writing.

Oh forgot about Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'ubervilles sent me to sleep.

yes you've got it, and cannot remember 3rd one at all

am slow and forgetful but cannot believe Hardy has also appeared on this list, I mean come ON. pull yourselves together.

Message withdrawn

I said George Eliot
Agree with T Hardy
Also D H L who was known in my school as Dirty Hardbacks