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

219 replies

CaramelJones · 05/07/2022 14:22

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?

OP posts:
DuesToTheDirt · 23/07/2022 20:21

I hated Scoop by Evelyn Waugh after expecting to love it. I'd got the idea it was going to have the feeling of PG Wodehouse meets Cold Comfort Farm. I couldn't get past the racism and not very much happened.

I gave up on Scoop very quickly. Just seemed dated and full of in-jokes.

Cattenberg · 23/07/2022 20:22

I enjoyed This Is Going To Hurt - I found it an interesting insight into the NHS, with some very funny moments. I thought Adam came across as a really hard-working guy who cared about his patients, despite his flippant humour and constant swearing.

However, Adam did make a couple of comments that suggested he viewed older women’s bodies with distaste. And if that tattoo incident actually happened… 😬

I was shocked by the song lyrics - some of them are vile, so I guess you all read him more astutely than I did.

Cattenberg · 23/07/2022 20:26

Regarding The Slap, I genuinely can’t decide whether to give it to a charity shop (and hopefully make them a quid or two), or to put it in the recycling bin to spare others the racist language.

Maireas · 23/07/2022 20:30

The Thursday Murder Club - so disappointing. Very poorly constructed and plotted. I found that I didn't care who the murderer was. A disjointed mess.

Hellohah · 23/07/2022 20:31

A Farewell to Arms, Hemingway.
I thought I'd love it, hated it. One of the most annoying people ever in a book is his wife.

Maireas · 23/07/2022 20:31

Pride and Prejudice. Dull.

BiscuitLover3678 · 23/07/2022 20:34

Not quite the same as iconic books other posters are mentioning, but I’ve heard a lot of praise for Emily Henry as a romcom writer. I just don’t think they’re that great.

pastypirate · 23/07/2022 20:36

MissBattleaxe · 05/07/2022 14:46

I didn't like Eleanor Oliphant at all. I thought the main character was unrealistic and unbelievable. Over rated in my opinion.

And it's boring

pastypirate · 23/07/2022 20:38

Agree about Shuggie Bain. Hated it and I usually love busman's holiday books - sw.

Life of Pi. People wank on about it being amazing. It's horrible.

Rayn22 · 23/07/2022 20:41

BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 08/07/2022 12:23

I was sure that I would love the Three Body Problem, but I really didn't. I made it all the way through the first book and found the historical back story interesting but not interesting enough to get me to read the next book.

I agree. Could not get it! My friend told me to keep at it as the next two books are better.

pastypirate · 23/07/2022 20:41

Gave up with cloud atlas.

Queenie by candice carty Williams was a bit meh

Ylvamoon · 23/07/2022 20:44

The Midnight Library by M Haig (?) ... so hyped up that I thought I would really like it.
I wish I hadn't bothered. It's just dreadful writing and dull reading.

MrsMitford3 · 23/07/2022 21:05

I actually liked a lot of the books mentioned on this thread.
Willing to put my head above the parapet here...
Love Jane Austin, read Secret History decades ago but remember hiding it under my desk at work to finish a chapter. Also liked Capt Corelli and Crawdads. Listened to Richard Osman book on audio-most of my book club liked it.
I adore the Pursuit of Love.

Hated The Book Thief.
Slap beyond awful.
Agree with a PP-Lianne Moriarity very hit and miss-that 9 perfect strangers or however many there were was absolute rubbish. Embarrassing really. Some of them good sunbed reads.
This is going to hurt was awful and seemed to deliberately be as vile as possible to shock I suppose. Made me feel sick. Did not finish.

Cattenberg · 23/07/2022 21:12

Life of Pi. People wank on about it being amazing. It's horrible.

It is quite horrible. I’m a bit sensitive about animal slaughter (even though it happens all the time in nature), so this wasn’t the book for me.

I didn’t get very far with Small island by Andrea Levy, but I mean to give it another go. I didn’t warm to any of the characters - the crude guy who kept picking his ears, the woman who very deliberately “stole” another woman’s husband, and the landlady who only seemed to care about money.

LeftyLou · 07/08/2022 18:57

Maireas · 23/07/2022 20:31

Pride and Prejudice. Dull.

Same here and Sense and Sensibility.

We Have Always Lived In The Castle
Coraline
Wizard Of Oz (the book is not always better than the film)

StaplesCorner · 07/08/2022 19:02

Miriam Margoyles “This much is True” - self aggrandising luvvie stuff with pages of “so I said to Dame Helen …” - I’m expecting Lionel Blair to pop up at any minute too.

EquallyDivided · 07/08/2022 19:06

StaplesCorner · 07/08/2022 19:02

Miriam Margoyles “This much is True” - self aggrandising luvvie stuff with pages of “so I said to Dame Helen …” - I’m expecting Lionel Blair to pop up at any minute too.

Totally agree with this and so did my book group, as for the Jacqueline Du Pre chapter, words fail me.

Minecraftatemychild · 07/08/2022 19:24

Where The Crawdads Sing. Given to me by someone who said you’ll love this.

SO. BORING. Depressing, too. Gave up half way.

Give me Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound or Erin Kellison’s Shadow seris any day…

EstateAgentz · 07/08/2022 19:24

Minecraftatemychild · 07/08/2022 19:24

Where The Crawdads Sing. Given to me by someone who said you’ll love this.

SO. BORING. Depressing, too. Gave up half way.

Give me Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound or Erin Kellison’s Shadow seris any day…

No interest in watching the film then?

endofthecorridoor · 07/08/2022 19:29

ResentfulLemon · 06/07/2022 12:02

Catch 22 - everyone seems to rave about it. But it's one of the most puerile and misogynistic shambles I've ever read.

Literally the only book I can’t finish. My brain shuts down I hate it so much

NeverTrustASmilingCat · 07/08/2022 19:31

Saucery · 06/07/2022 17:36

Shuggie Bain.
Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell.
A Little Life.
Anything by Stephen King after about 1990.
The Fireman, by Owen King. Love all his other books, found this bloated and silly.
Villager, by Tom Cox. Bought the physical book as really enjoyed Ring The Hill and 21st Century Yokel.

Are you thinking of The Fireman by Joe Hill? They're both Stephen King's sons. I preferred his Nos4r2.

Kanaloa · 07/08/2022 19:35

I had a friend recommend A Little Life to me - she said it was just the type of thing I like. I thought it was the worst book I’d ever read. Badly written, boring, poor characterisation. I only finished it because I wanted to be able to say it was rubbish beginning to end. Then I went online and saw people gushing about how amazing it was. I was flabbergasted. I know there’s no accounting for taste, but there’s lots of books I can read, and appreciate that they aren’t for me but aren’t bad books. This one was just bad.

Abracadabra12345 · 07/08/2022 19:40

SquirrelFan · 06/07/2022 21:04

Crawdads
The Secret History (but I loved The Goldfinch!)
Eleanor Oliphant
Elena Ferrante's books
Sally Rooney's books
Brooklyn
I'm sure there are more!

Ah, you’ve named two of my favourite books. I found The Goldfinch plodding and dull, which was such a disappointment.

The 100 Year Old Man who jumped out of a Window and Ran away made me want to do the same.

Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory, the first in a series about the Cousins’ War (War of the Roses). So, so dull and stilted but I used to love her Tudor books...

All these were recommended to me by different people.

I agree with other pp that The Thursday Murder Club is horribly twee. My friend recommended it and I so much wanted to like it. And I didn’t like This is Going to Hurt at all.

I loved Me Before You by Jojo Meyes! And Eleanor Oliphant and Life of Pi!

Abracadabra12345 · 07/08/2022 19:51

NightmareSlashDelightful · 08/07/2022 08:17

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

I think you either connect with the St Mary’s books or you don’t. A friend hated it too whereas a few of us are obsessed fans and dream of being at St Mary’s ( like I used to dream of being at Malory Towers as a girl). There’s a who,e load of merchandise and fan groups and everything! 😁. It’s definitely a Marmite book though.

ilovesushi · 07/08/2022 22:51

I thought I would love 'I'm Thinking of Ending Things'. I saw the trailer on Netflix and was intrigued. I read the kindle sample and was even more intrigued. Ordered the book and lost interest almost straight away. No spoilers but I found the ending ridiculous. I feel like I am being unfair but it didn't work for me.