Books you feel were overrated

[ClearSky456]

Just finished Lessons in Chemistry and kind of wondering what all the fuss was about?! Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy it but given so many people had told me I HAD to read it, I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Anyone else felt the same, or anyone felt like this about another book recently? I had the same feeling with Daisy Jones and the Six too.

A Little Life - It was awful.

I totally agree, it’s added to the pile of unfinished books heading for the charity shop, along with Eleanor Oliphant, American Dirt, Kite Runner and a Thousand Splendid Suns, Appletree Yard, The Girl on the Train, Lessons in Chemistry and at least a dozen more so-called ‘must reads’.

I couldn't get into The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at all. I found it so badly written.

Just came on to say Captain Corelli's Mandolin as well.

What a struggle. I gave up about 10 pages in, I think.

Agree re Catcher in the Rye. The narrator is so irritating and nothing much happens.

I also hated The Slap. It’s quite a few years since that one was touted as a ‘must read’ but I only got one chapter in, if that. There didn’t seem to be a single character with any redeeming features or anything I could relate to at all.

Agree! An awful book.

Agree with captain correlli's mandolin. Dnf
Gone girl...don't know why I bothered
A little life..couldn't be arsed about 20 pages in

Agree with A Little Life - it read like a first draft and I just couldn't suspend my disbelief. No idea why it was so popular.

I loved Wolf Hall though.

Oh I loved Gone Girl! Not so much the various ripoffs.

Didn't dare read A Little Life. I steer clear of misery porn, for want of a better word.

Misery porn is about right @CharlotteRumpling and it doesn't make for a good read!

Act of Oblivion. Garlanded with lavish praise by Robert Harris, a very well-regarded writer. I gave up on page 200 and it went to the chazza. (Sorry DB whose present that was).

I love Mantel's Cromwell trilogy but The Mirror and The Light is too long. It's as if she didn't want to write the ending.

I agree with so many already mentioned!

The Slap
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
The Time Traveler's Wife
The God of Small Things
The Testaments
A Thousand Splendid Suns/ Kite Runner
A Suitable Boy
Cloudstreet

And - The Girl on the Train

The Tatooist of Auschwitz. I felt a bit guilty not liking it because it's obviously such a worthy topic and I usually enjoy things relating to this period but I just found it reall badly written.

I persevered with Captain Corelli's Mandolin and finally got it on my 4th try. I'm not saying it's the best book in the world but I had to get more invested in the Characters. I rather liked it in the end.

Time traveller's wife - so badly writtten and utter tosh. Only finished it as it was literally the only book I had with me on a holiday in the middle of nowhere.

Demon Copperhead - great book but about 150 pages too long, it really started to waffle in the last third of it <ducking for cover> 😬

I gave up on that one around page 10!

A Little Life wins my award. I actually finished it which is staggering but the recent cover of ‚young man in pain‘ always makes me laugh as it is absolutely what my face was doing all the way through!

There's a particular type of book called the Book Club book which are much hyped, but always leaves me feeling unsatisfied. These include
The Time Travellers' Wife
The Book Thief
The Island
The Girl on the Train
The Invisibile Life of Addie Larue
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Lessons in Chemistry

I can't explain why I don't enjoy them. Is it that they seem very formulaic?

I'm not sure if Idare say this, Wuthering Heights. It took me many attempts over many years to actually read it. Not worth it. Thought it was an awful book.

Elinor Oliphant
We Need to talk about Kevin

Yep, that’s mine as well.

Mine has been mentioned several times already - Captain Corelli's Mandolin isn't coming out of this very well, is it?! 😂

A Little Life wins my award. I actually finished it which is staggering but the recent cover of ‚young man in pain‘ always makes me laugh as it is absolutely what my face was doing all the way through!

If you look on the back of the book, that misery photograph is titled “orgasmic man”!!

I came on to say Crawdads but I am pleased to see Lessons in chemistry, time traveller's wife and midnight library getting a mention.
Looks like I should be swerving Evelyn and her seven husbands as well.

Ha, I came on here to say Wuthering Heights, never understood the raving about it. The first half is OK but any interest goes with Cathy's death.

It was one of my A Level books so had to read it thoroughly, alas. I do like Jane Eyre and regard it as a much better book

Also disappointed in Twilight - didn't expect it to be great literature but did expect it to be "good trash". Wasn't even that - just tedious