Disappointing or overhyped books

[YaMuvva]

I have just finished reading I Who Have Never Known Men after 2 friends have harangued me into reading it for a while now.

What a total let down. I hate it when books build up a mystery with loads of clues as if you’re gonna have answers at the end, then…nothing! So frustrating. I’m so cross I wasted my energy and time on it.

I also hated Elenor Oliphant and kept wondering when the good part was gonna start. Nothing happened except that she got a makeover.

Another book I just remembered that I hated and couldnt see what the fuss was about

the dutch house- Ann Pathchett

the main character is a whiney little man who doesn’t age mentally past a certain age.

The Dutch house has a ‘charm’ apparently, but we don't know why. The mum hated it so much she left the family over it, but we don't know what made it so awful. People dislike each other for reasons not explained. We're meant to care about the main characters, but it's not clear why. Everyone is obsessed with this house, and we have no idea why they care so much!!

utterly boring and again too wordy and overly descriptive of such small things like a stairwell for example.

Tomorrow, tomorrow ... I opened it the other night, read one page and thought 'this is not for me'.

I'm looking for a book to read and this is a great thread as I enjoyed lots of books you all hated so might get some good suggestions!

I really enjoy Barbara Kingsolver but had to put down Demon Copperhead, I couldnt cope with what other misfortune that poor boy might fall into.

The first book I didnt finish was The hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy. It was a great feeling to finally decide life is too short and there are too many books I want to read to continue with books I dont.

Load of Rubbish (for me):
Eleanor Oliphant
Seven Husbands of who cares
Dark Matter Blake Crouch was meh
Lincoln in the Bardo George Saunders
The slap (was a gift - WHY???)
My sister's keeper (or any Picoult for that matter)
Midnight Library/Humans/How to stop time Matt Haig
Rosie Project
Silent Patient (obvious)
Bear Town
Crawdads
Little Fires anywhere
Such a fun age (DNF)
Cloudatlas (DNF)

I liked the Dutch House, mostly as it has parallels with my own life.

Anything by Matt Cain or Clare Pooley

There are several on your list @flyingvisit that I loved 😀

Oh, interesting! Which ones?

Well I enjoy Matt Haig, David Mitchell and Blake Crouch books. Also liked Eleanor E and the Rosie Project!

It often tickles me how on love or hate book threads there is often crossovers (see it on film threads too).

I feel like the Blake Crouch and Matt Haig have the same issue for me. The promise of something really really good but then it ends up very shallow and rushed with a quick and disappointing "tie up" at the end.
I just wanted a little extra "something, something".

How to Turn Back Time was a fascinating premise but just so....pedestrian and what I can only describe as unhappy and draggy in mood. It turned into a 'look at all these famous people I met' namedropper, which to me was a sign of someone who had no idea what to do with this initially intriguing concept.

Apart from write an ending that'll be good for the film. 🙄

Great thread

I gave up on Lessons in Chemistry, Tomorrow x3, Hamnet (in fairness I recognise that she is a good writer but I have yet to be able to get through any of her books), Eleanor Oliphant.

I think Kazou Ishiguro is the most overrated and tedious writer ever - Never Let Me Go was dreadful.

I loved A Little Life - and everything she has ever written. I have no idea why - even as I read it I couldn't believe I loved it so much.

The Slap was just nasty.

I agree with many of the comments on this thread but I enjoyed both of those. I found a lot of humour in Demon Copperhead, not something you'd guess at from reading the reviews. DC is a book for people who love reading - it's not for kids. I wouldn't have stuck with it if I'd read it when.i was 20 years younger I'm sure.

Hamnet was well written and interesting but it starts with the girl being seriously ill, and then goes off on lots of tangents including the mother's early life. It annoyed me so much that the author didn't go back to the girl's illness and day what was happening that I gave up halfway through. It seemed so disrespectful to the reader to just keep them on tenterhooks for half the book like that.
But the book I've hated the most is The Buried Giant. So badly written it's insulting.

@flyingvisit I agree with previous poster. I find it so funny that's there's always a crossover and no 2 people will ever agree on every book they've read.

I enjoyed some of your list (Eleanor Oliphant, Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Silent Patient, Little Fires Everywhere),

I loved Bear Town, I thought it was brilliant.

But hated Dark Matter, My Sister's Keeper and Midnight Library. Crawdads was just meh for me. Not read the others.

Agree all of those are pap. I admit that if anyone says they like something in that list I immediately file them as a bit 🤔 😬

I'm currently slogging my way through The Bee Sting, so disappointing.
I hate all of the characters.

I'd never judge someone on what books they like or dislike! Some of my closest friends have completely different tastes in books, films, music and tv programmes. In fact, my tastes are a bit different generally to most of the women I know - I think I'm a bit of an oddball!

So not a fan of Jodi Picoult - I have a book club member who insists we read her and it's torture, IMO.

I liked a couple of Picoult's earlier books (Handle With Care, Sing you Home) but most have been drivel. It's quite strange. I wouldn't want to be in your book club @Delphinium20. Life's too short to wade through bad books!

Agreed. I actually gave up on that one which is very very rare for me.

White Teeth. It lost credibility for me on the first page, with the character sitting in his car, slumped over the steering wheel in the shape of a cross, his arms splayed out. Where was his right arm, then? Poking out of the driver's window? Not when he was attempting to kill himself by inhaling exhaust fumes, surely! Can't understand how such a glaring mistake slipped through the editors' net.

Bit OT but I just went the best new book club at my local library. Instead of having a set book each month, everyone brings a book they've enjoyed and does a little review of it. SUCH a good idea, that way no one has to wade through something they don't enjoy, plus you get to hear about some interesting books you've not read before.

I took "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters and now several other people want to read it. Great fun!

I loved Fingersmith.

I think that's a great idea @Dustyblue. I'm with a book club that tends to like chick lit type books (if that's the right term?) which isn't really my thing, but they are such a lovely fun bunch of women that I enjoy going but have had to do a bit of "wading".

I know what you mean @Mothership4two Personally I like chick-lit but it depends on the author doesn't it?

If there's a fun bunch of women to hang around with at your books club then that's all you need really! I've been in clubs before where I've been too embarrassed to turn up & "I'd say this was shit from start to finish, but I didn't finish it". Depends on the participants A LOT.

Have never seen this format of "Everyone BYO book", I really like it. Thinking ahead to next month 😀

I'm very honest @Dustyblue and we score and I'm known for being a 'tough scorer'. I'm enjoying this month's book fortunately.

At least you have all the resources that the MN book section can offer to help you pick your next BYOB