Books that you thought you'd love but didn't.

[CaramelJones]

I thought that I was going to love We Have Always Lived in the Castle and The Haunting of Hill House but I didn't, in spite of how many boxes they ticked for me.

Which books were you disappointed by?

Many, but We Need To Talk About Kevin stands out. I got about 1/4 of the way through, then actually got out of bed in the middle of the night, took it outside and threw it in the wheelie bin just to make sure it was properly gone.

Wuthering Heights - bunch of wankers

Wolf Hall - very boring and no wolves

The Eyre Affair - no idea what was happening or why there was a dodo

Most fantasy books - full of stupid names and people with unusual eye colours instead of personalities

The Catcher in the Rye - whiny little bitch; will grow up into a total manchild

American Psycho - bafflingly WTF

Bleak House - STFU, Esther

Wolf Hall - very boring and no wolves

Actually snorted to myself, far too true 😂

The Catcher in the Rye - whiny little bitch; will grow up into a total manchild

I see a lot of comments about Catcher like this. Did nobody read it and think ‘here is a neglected and bereaved child trying to make sense of everything that has happened’? Plus, the entire book was his stream of consciousness, I reckon most of us would probably be a little unlikeable if our every thought was honestly written down.

Thats said, following Captain Corelli hate, as a total devotee - the world would be boring if we all liked the same stuff.

Normal People - just didn't get the hype at all.

A Little Life - probably the most profoundly depressing book I've attempted to read in a long time: got 2/3 of the way through and couldn't go any further. So many awful things happening to one person, it felt quite voyeuristic. Besides that, I didn't find any of the characters remotely believable.

On the other hand, I loved the Poisonwood Bible which others have hated, but I had to start it twice. First time, I got half way through and gave up. Second time, I couldn't put it down and found it totally enthralling.

I agree with a lot of these

sally Rooney books are all awful
eleanor oliphant
the goldfinch
Nine perfect strangers - utter shite
the hearts invisible furies didn’t do it for me either despite always being on mn recommendation lists

Da Vinci Code, Wolf Hall, Essex Serpent, Girl on a train, but the last Joanne Harris, The Strawberry Thief - what a load of utter crap, and I'd so looked forward to a bit of escapism.

Completely agree, I couldn’t see any bond between them whatsoever, they all seemed to hate each other.

And their extravagant success was utterly unbelievable & yet they didn’t seem to particularly enjoy it, preferring to wallow in the past.

Hated it!

The Midnight Library. somebody had an interesting idea and then totally failed to make an interesting book out of it.

I've read 2 books by Matt Haig and I think that pretty much sums up both of them.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Ally book group agreed it was poorly written but felt a bit guilty that such an obviously moving plot didn't move us because of the bad writing!

Another one who didn't think much of Normal People. They seemed to break up for no apparent reason which irritated me when it was obvious they were supposed to be together.

So glad nobody has slagged off my favourite (not going to say its title in case I inspire someone lol)

"All my book group"

The only book I have thrown away and not even in the recycling bin. Ugly writing, just ugh. Interesting idea but I gave up a few pages in.

I really hated that Liane Moriarty book Truly Madly Guilty. It kept going on about what happened at the barbecue with loads of threads going nowhere. About 75% into the book, the barbecue plot was finally revealed and I thought it was shite. I find her books hit and miss.

Similarly, I used to like Joanna Trollope books but now I think her publisher just lets her write any old upper middle class bobbins without editing her.

I started Life of Pi three times before I managed to get past all the religious stuff and actually get into the story. I then loved the book

The DaVinci code I did read but was really annoyed at the cheap cliffhanger ending to each chapter so I had to read the next and then beat myself halfway though, only to do it all again with the next chapter. A bit like playing a game on my phone when I should be sleeping. I'll say to myself after this game I will switch it off and go to sleep, only to find I've pressed next game and it all starts again.

The only bookI have hated and didn't finish was a Dean Koontz one, can't remember the name, but it was awful. My dh thought the same.
I have started We Need To Talk About Kevin but couldn't get into it. After seeing the film a few years ago I think I will try again.
I also started Donna Tartt Secret History but gave up. Just felt far too slow
Another one I've got part way through is Margaret Atwood The Blind Assassin. Not sure I want to re revisit it, I've tried three times I think. Same with Marion Keyes Grown Ups. I've loved all her other stuff

😂

I knew it wasn't the book for me when I had to keep checking the dictionary definitions of several words per page. We get it, you're a writer.

Think I made it about 6 pages.

Watched the film instead, not great but I think some things were well done (the shot of the bike locks on the doors gave me chills). Also the mum coming home to the dad and daughter 😕 it's a story that definitely stayed with me

The night circus (OMG my book club loved this but it left me cold, )

Normal people....HATED this book, wanted to throw it against the wall when I finished it, so cross with myself because I'll never get these wasted hours back aaaaahhhh!

American dirt, started off great but lost interest then couldn't finish it

White teeth by Zadie Smith

The secret History Donna Tartt (up there with normal people, hated it)

The official Auschwitz Twitter account often comments on posts about this book pointing out the inaccuracies so don’t feel too bad.

Er apparently I can’t reply…The Tattooist of Auschwitz is the offending book!
my hates are Crawdads, Captain Corelli, Normal
People. Lots of books I didn’t hate but are so overrated- Luster, Hamnet and no doubt others I can’t remember.

I started the Crawdads book as an audio listen but just couldn't get into it. Didn't like the narration either so that may have been a factor.

Can I also add 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'? I wasn't expecting it to be a barrel of laughs, by any means, but I also didn't expect it to be so crassly... wrong. Like Bruno called the camp 'Out-with', which only works in English, not in German. Or the fact that he became the main focus and victim of the concentration camp in the story. That book makes me angry on many levels.

https://holocaustlearning.org.uk/latest/the-problem-with-the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas/ - from the Holocaust Survivors' Friendship Association, for example.

I hated

This is Going to Hurt - vile man can't believe how much love he gets.

Me Before You - Abelist shite, can't believe it got published.

Really didn't like

St Mary's Chronicles - Dissapppinting as I expected to love these. Just found they were trying too hard to be witty.

Normal People - Self absorbed bore fest

Totally agree! It was so incredibly wooden, how on earth it’s possible to write a book about the topic that’s not heartbreaking is almost an achievement 😬

The night circus (OMG my book club loved this but it left me cold, )

Yes, nothing bloody happened - gave up on that one it was so dull.

I couldn’t bear the St Mary’s books (I waded through the first one and tried the second) — so glib and really sloppily written. I’m amazed that there are now a dozen of them.

Call Me By Your Name — aka Please Groom My Teenager.

Jurassic Park, Jaws and Minority Report — all far better movies than the source books.

Something about Literary Potato Peel Pie — just urgh