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Original poster

Hyped up books! - did you read them?

127 replies

tobee · 09/04/2025 17:35

I'm probably a bit too fascinated by this, but what books do you remember being hyped up to the max and "everyone was reading"? Did you read them at the time? Did they live up to the hype? Do they stand the test of time?

So, off the top of my head, I'm thinking

The Silence of the Lambs
The Secret History
The Essex Serpent
Where the Crawdads Sing
A Little Life

I think it's interesting to me because I tend to shy away from anything hyped because I assume it will be disappointing, I'm stubborn and don't want to feel duped by the hype.

For example I never hear people talking about The Essex Serpent any more or see it recommended. But people still talk about The Secret History as evidenced by the thread on here currently. The Silence of the Lambs has been superseded by the film.

OP posts:
DisneyTokyoNewbie · 12/04/2025 00:47

Paperclipp · 10/04/2025 19:53

Old hyped books in terms of everyone was reading the paperback on the London Underground (pre Kindles & Smartphones) that I read & really enjoyed included
Wild Swans
Memoirs of a Geisha
Angela's Ashes
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night

Ones I just couldn't get into were
Sophie's World
Birdsong
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Secret History
Might give them another go.

Carriages used to be full of people reading the same book.
Now they're all looking at porn 🙄

Miss Smilla is one of my favourites books

Bbq1 · 12/04/2025 00:57

I avoid over hyped books and doubly avoid anything recommended on Sm, particularly Tik Tok.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 12/04/2025 08:29

I couldn't get on with Captain Correlli's Mandolin.

Original poster
tobee · 12/04/2025 16:41

I was just thinking last night that probably the first hyped up book I was aware of was The Bonfire of the Vanities which was 1987. I was 19 and at poly in London and everyone was reading it on the tube!

Then the big hoo-hah about the film rights and the casting of the 1990 film with somewhat back to front casting which was a critical and commercial flop.

Apparently it was also made into an opera in 2015, according to Wikipedia!

OP posts:
Original poster
tobee · 12/04/2025 16:42

tobee · 12/04/2025 16:41

I was just thinking last night that probably the first hyped up book I was aware of was The Bonfire of the Vanities which was 1987. I was 19 and at poly in London and everyone was reading it on the tube!

Then the big hoo-hah about the film rights and the casting of the 1990 film with somewhat back to front casting which was a critical and commercial flop.

Apparently it was also made into an opera in 2015, according to Wikipedia!

That was definitely hyped up here and the US. And presumably all over the world.

OP posts:
LindorDoubleChoc · 12/04/2025 17:14

Perfume by Patrick Suskind. I absolutely hated it!

RaraRachael · 12/04/2025 17:29

My daughter says The Shadow of the Wind is her all time favourite book - I think I managed 3 chapters.

Likewise my friend with The Kite Runner. I did finish it but was a bit "What was all the fuss about?" at the end

Dolamroth · 12/04/2025 19:16

Timeforatincture · 10/04/2025 21:19

In the mid 80s everyone was reading The Name of the Rose. And so they should - superb! The film didn't capture the atmosphere at all.

That is a superb book! Have you read any Italo Calvino? I love his books too.

endofthecorridoor · 12/04/2025 19:23

@Thighdentitycrisis Lincoln in the Bardo. I thought I would hate it but I actually enjoyed that one
Read and enjoyed all the list except the Essex one. I loved a little life but I have a fondness for books that drag on a bit

Dolamroth · 12/04/2025 22:18

I didn't like My Brilliant Friend. I couldn't stand the friend

Puppylucky · 13/04/2025 17:23

SydneyCarton · 11/04/2025 16:07

I finally got round to reading Normal People about eighteen months after everyone else (and still had an eight week waiting list at the library) and just could not see what the fuss was about. I slogged through it but honestly could have put it down at any point and not been bothered about finishing it. No desire to read any more of her stuff. Gave up on Crawdads about 100 pages in.

I did enjoy Gone Girl and I do re-read it, but I think Sharp Objects and Dark Places (Gillian Flynn's earlier books) are better - Dark Places is heartbreaking at times.

Weyward also didn't make much of an impression on me, the story sounded interesting but the writing wasn't great, especially the parts set in the 1940s where everyone acted and spoke like it was the 1840s Hmm

I recently liked a couple of books by Jessica Knoll - Bright Young Women and Luckiest Girl Alive

Ooh @SydneyCarton I am positively evangelical about Bright Young Women but can't get anyone else interested in reading it!

laddersandsnakes12 · 14/04/2025 08:14

@RaraRachaeli read Shadow of the Wind - I liked a lot of it but the way the female characters were treated and written about felt so misogynistic that it ruined it for me. And the conveniently written letter near the end explaining the whole mystery really felt far too convenient, I suspect the author couldn’t work out how to tie up all of the mysteries successfully. It’s a bit lazy. A good story but definitely not worth the hype!

SabrinaThwaite · 14/04/2025 11:24

mamaduckbone · 11/04/2025 21:35

I loved The Secret History, Crawdads was Ok, A Little Life was bloody awful.
Others mentioned...
Lessons in Chemistry I found quite irritating, especially the dog parts. I loved Eleanor Oliphant. How to Kill Your Family was very hyped a couple of years ago - I thought it was rubbish.

I liked the dog parts in Lessons in Chemistry, but it was a bit cutesy.

MamaNewtNewt · 18/04/2025 23:10

@PuppyluckyI absolutely loved Bright Young Women, once of my fave reads so far this year.

TalkFastThinkFaster · 22/04/2025 23:48

I’ve enjoyed quite a few of the ones some people have mentioned, e.g. I loved Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.

I reluctantly read Yellowface recently, I was worried it would be one of the over-hyped ones but actually I really enjoyed it and found parts of it very funny.

The one I really and truly can’t understand is Butter. I slogged through it (book club) but honestly, I can’t imagine very many people loving that book. I have been to Japan and lived in Asia, but I still found it incredibly tedious and odd. I don’t know if something is lost in translation but genuinely can’t understand why it’s been promoted so heavily. I saw someone reading it at the airport earlier and I just thought “you poor bastard” 😂

AutumnLeavesInMyHairDaisiesOnMyToes · 23/04/2025 01:50

I couldn't finish these:

Gone Girl (Amy annoyed me)

Wuthering Heights (didn't mind Cathy and Heathcliff at the beginning when they were kids. As adults I found them insufferable and annoying).

The Life of Pi

The Time Travellers Wife (utter bilge)

MooseBeTimeForSnow · 23/04/2025 02:43

I’m with @SabrinaThwaite on Cloud Atlas. Unmitigated shite.

arcticpandas · 23/04/2025 03:16

I've tried Sally Rooney but it wasn't for me (maybe I'm too old(45)?). I try to be openminded so not to miss something good but if 20 pages in I'm not captivated I just let go. I loved Arlington Park but nothing Rachel Cusk has written since has made me want to finish the books. Hello beautiful was ok; I finished it:). Yellowface OK but tedious at times and quite predictable. Lessons in chemistry made me think of Maeve Binchy: cosy read. Secret history was perfect at the time when in was a student myself but now I feel to old for it.
The problem is when you get older you get pickier because you have read so much. Books I know I would hate so therefore haven't read: 50 shades, Twilight, all romance shite, self help shite, science fiction (except Stephen King who is a marvellous storyteller). Did enjoy Osman's Thursday murder books : cozy read.

autumnskyes · 23/04/2025 04:58

I am always a bit skeptical about 'hyped' books too, but sometimes I give in to it, a few come to mind I only read due to seeing so much talk about them;

Wild Dark Shore - a recent one. The romance/environmental plot did not appeal to me, but I decided to give it a go after seeing it all over Instagram and really enjoyed it.

Demon Copperhead - amazing. Totally worthy of all hype!

Conversations with Friends - it was ok, decent, fine. Due to the huge hype about Sally Rooney I expected something more impressive. Haven't tried her other books though.

I am Pilgrim - so many people I know love this, but I couldn't past the first 100 pages. It's not a genre I really read though, so I didn't expect to love it, a friend gave it to me so I felt obligated to read.

Atonement - I liked parts, found parts boring.

My Name is Lucy Barton - the premise of this sounded so boring I put it off for ages, but it's probably my all time favorite book.

LBFseBrom · 23/04/2025 05:04

tobee · 09/04/2025 17:35

I'm probably a bit too fascinated by this, but what books do you remember being hyped up to the max and "everyone was reading"? Did you read them at the time? Did they live up to the hype? Do they stand the test of time?

So, off the top of my head, I'm thinking

The Silence of the Lambs
The Secret History
The Essex Serpent
Where the Crawdads Sing
A Little Life

I think it's interesting to me because I tend to shy away from anything hyped because I assume it will be disappointing, I'm stubborn and don't want to feel duped by the hype.

For example I never hear people talking about The Essex Serpent any more or see it recommended. But people still talk about The Secret History as evidenced by the thread on here currently. The Silence of the Lambs has been superseded by the film.

I read 'The Silence of the Lambs' before the film came out and found it very good though rather shocking but it was a good many years ago and I wouldn't choose such a book now.

'The Secret History' I enjoyed but now cannot remember a thing about it.

The only other title I recognise from your list is 'Where the crawdads sing' and I saw the film on TV not long ago which I loved.
......
Books I did read out of curiosity because they were so hyped include:

'The Da Vinci Code' and 'Angels and Demons', both of which I thought were stupid.

'Fifty Shades of Grey' which was quite horrible and unrealistic - I hope.

I absolutely loved 'Mr Loverman' and would recommend it; the TV series certainly did it justice, wonderful atmosphere and beautifully cast. I didn't think it would be so well reproduced but it was.

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 23/04/2025 05:28

Oh god I read the Essex serpent recently and was pretty disappointed. It wouldn’t end!

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 23/04/2025 05:28

Loved the secret history though.

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 23/04/2025 05:32

Dolamroth · 12/04/2025 22:18

I didn't like My Brilliant Friend. I couldn't stand the friend

Oh another one that would’nt finish!!

SummerDaysOnTheWay · 23/04/2025 05:37

Ihaveneedofwaternear · 11/04/2025 14:13

Shantaram. Read it once in my early 20s when everyone around me waxed lyrical about how amazing it was. I remember I found it quite compelling, but when I tried it again in my early 30s - what a load of rubbish!

Loved that when travelling in my 20’s.

Dolamroth · 23/04/2025 08:11

@TalkFastThinkFaster I too loved Captain Corelli's Mandolin including the ending.