What books were you 'supposed' to enjoy but thought were a pile of crap? And why?

[MrsMerryHenry]

A Suitable Boy

Writing style far too poncey and utterly incapable of moving me.

PERFUME by Patrick Suskind. It makes me cross just thinking about it.

And then we came to the end - Joshua Ferris. The pb edition has rent-a-quotes all over it such as: funniest book ever; couldn't stop laughing etc etc.

Did anyone think this was a funny book? I'm utterly mystified. Woman loses a child, lots of people get sacked, someone has a nervous breakdown, someone else is treated for cancer. I know it's possible to write about sad things and still be funny. Didn't get it here though

i refused to read twighlight after seeing the film, what a pile of shit!

yy The Island. A potentially really good story, but I think she was a travel writer for women's mags. And you can tell.

Twilight wasn't my thing at all but I think it hinges on you being attracted to Edward Cullen . If not, there's nothing much to it except fairly bad writing.

Life of pi yes it was shit.

I like some of the ones on this thread though!

Ooh I know another - that dark materials trilogy - another recommendation at work. Dreadful.

bella i struggled through the first lord of the rings after loving the hobbit, it was awful!

Erm stayfrosty assume you're referencing some book or other not talking about me!

Catch 22 - have tried many times - cannot read it, I just loathe the main character too much.

I love some older McEwan but Saturday and On Chesil Beach were both - meh.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - utter drivel. Life-changing my arse.

Ladies Detective Agency - I read it really fast, it was easy to read, then I thought eh? what? was that it? Total fluff. Vaguely enjoyable I suppose by why anyone would want to read the whole series I can't imagine...

muffle i really liked on chesil beach! admittesly haven't read any of his other stuff!

I found On Chesil Beach just felt like I could constantly hear McEwan himself in the background going "aren't I clever, don't you just love this bit?" it seemed just showy - and yet also dull and unenlightening. But maybe that's partly because I've read his earlier stuff IYSWIM.

Life of pi was truly awful - god knows why I didn't just abandon it?

Harry Potter and the anything
Da Vinci Code
Craptain Corelli
Ladies detective..I mean, who cares?

On Beauty, I loved Zadie Smith's other books but didn't even finish this one.

I enjoyed Life of Pi but remember nothing about it now. Also the ridiculous one about the boy and the tiger in the boat - mainly because it was so ridiculous.

The detective agency stuff is a very light read but does have some musings in which are quite thoughtful and therefore, imo, not a dead loss like Da Vinci Code which wasn't even well written.

And I will never forgive that Hislop woman for ruining a good story (I'm a bit obssessed!)

That Wild Swans by Jung Chang.

I've never read such a dry, dreary uninspiring story. Of course, everyone else raved about it.

And Sarah Waters Fingersmith - oh my god. It's like a seven year old girl wrote it. Soooooooooooo bad.

Muffle- I really like 'On Chesil Beach', but I found it incredibly frustrating too.

Both the Book Thief and the book by Dan Brown were sooooo, boring. Ugh!!

One book that I DID grit my teeth and get through , only cos I was in book club thing, was the massive Mr Norrelli one?

Hopefully the proper title may come back to me...ahhh, Jonathon Strange and Mr Norelli? Or something like that?

Hated it most of the way through, but then loved it- although OI was the only person in the group, besides the person who proposed it, that actually finished it. everyon else hated it.

Haven't started Life of Pi yet.

And then We came to the End - I loved it, small!

I found it very funny in parts.

wholeheartedly agree with The Alchemist.

What a load of shite

I liked 'Perfume' a lot. I also liked 'The Book Thief' hugely (and it made me cry: not like me really). I liked The Ladies' Detective Agency ones too, although I've only read a couple.

'Life Of Pi' - couldn't get beyond about page 12.

Ditto "Jonathon Strange etc'

'Fingersmith' - finished it but hated it.

yes, I liked perfume var much

life of pi - very over rated