I bet this has been done before, but what classics/modern classics have really left you baffled as to why they're so popular?

[Twinklemegan]

Brave New World for me

Wuthering Heights to an extent, though I might need to try it again

I know there are others, but can't think at the moment.

The Turn of the Screw. It is chilling and quite a good plot, but it's so flipping wordy. There are entire chapters where nothing at all happens, I find myself drifting off.

Middlemarch
Wuthering Heights
Jamaica Inn
Catch 22

Captain Corelli's bloody Mandolin

tried 3 times to read it and it is just pretentious twaddle

Ah that's funny Stillwaiting - I was really pleasantly surprised by Catch22 - very odd book but I quite liked it.

I kind of agree about Jamaica Inn - not quite what I expected but I did enjoy it.

I liked CCM - much better than the film - though if I read it again I'd probably skim over some of it.

The Lovely Bones
Brick Lane

Love love Wuthering Heights and Jamaica Inn

Nearly everything written by Dickens (with the exception of A Christmas Carol). I find it hard to hear the characters, they don't seem real to me and so I can't lose myself in the story. There are other authors who also write in quite a self-conscious way and I always find it distracts from the book.

hated CCM too

have just got catch 22 from a charity shop Twinkle - I haven't got round to reading it yet but might do so on your recommendation. I tried for ages to get into another book of his (Good as Gold) but just couldn't.

Message withdrawn

Oh God, you mightn't like it so don't blame me! It's very very strange, unlike any book I've ever read before or since.

The Time Travellers Wife

Brave New World absolutely. Tried to read it got to page 4 and had to stop.
Paul Auster books (except New York trilogy which was ok) and Jose Saramago The Double (Blindness was good).

The Time Travellers Wife is another one I hated. I'm starting to think I must be a philistine.

I've not heard of a lot of these

will let you know if I do, Twinkle

I recently tried to get into Don DeLillo's Underworld and failed. Too dense.

The Alchemist. people rave about it but I can't see why. My reading group did it and everyone hated it.

any McEwan eg atonement, Saturday. turgid.dull

I'm with you there ScotishMummy. Am slightly shocked at how many books I hate.

Anything by George Eliot. Just torturously shit.

Recently had a bash at The God Of Small Things and found it so irritating I had to throw the book aside. Several times.

Oh yes, I agree about George Eliot. I tried to read the Mill on the Floss again a while back. The first time around I found it OK, but the second time I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

Shadow of the Wind.

Catch-22 is brilliant!

Once you've read it once you can dip into it again and again to re-read the funniest bits. I love it!

I love The God Of Small Things. Its one of my fave books ever. there is a book I like after all

Have you read The Cement Garden, ScottishMummy? Totally agree with you about Atonement so was shocked when I picked this up and found myself gripped. I thought it was dark and beautiful.

oh thanks harpomanx love a recommendation