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Overrated Books

posted a year ago by ClementinaSpur (888)
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Which books that have received accolades and hype thoroughly disappointed you? If you'd like, also tell why you disliked them.

Mine are:

Wuthering Heights - Heathcliff and Catherine are intensely unlikable and the way the story is presented is weird

The Joy Luck Club - just a big snooze fest outside of a couple of moments that I can't even remember now but remember thinking were okay in the moment

Where the Crawdads Sing - where do I even begin with this one......it was a sign it took me nearly two months to finish such a less-than-complex read

This topic is over on the Books board, but there's zero traffic there.

[–] Bateman (572) a year ago

Infinite Jest.

I was simply unable to force myself to read beyond the first hundred or so pages.

Felt like the author was trying his absolute hardest to be Thomas Pynchon, and failing miserably at it.

[–] ClementinaSpur (888) a year ago

Do you have a hard time pulling the plug on a book you're not enjoying? For some reason I do. I will employ speed reading methods to say I got through it. I guess I don't want to miss out if it suddenly gets good which never happens!

[–] Bateman (572) a year ago

Yeah, I totally do too.

But there are cases when not even stubbornness is enough to keep me going.

[–] Mustang (5274) a year ago

A lot of the classics. Apparently back in the day they were written writers would be paid by word and their stories were often published in part form in newspapers etc. This may explain for how long winded they are and how much attention is spent describing in painful detail the most simplest of actions of scenery.

Books like Twilight, the True Blood series, 50 Shades read like they were written by a 10 year old illiterate.

Anything by Maya Angelou.

[–] ClementinaSpur (888) a year ago

A lot of the classics. Apparently back in the day they were written writers would be paid by word and their stories were often published in part form in newspapers etc. This may explain for how long winded they are and how much attention is spent describing in painful detail the most simplest of actions of scenery.

Excellent point. I've never thought of that, but it makes sense.

[–] Mustang (5274) a year ago

I tried reading Last of the Mohican's he spends pages describing the mountains. Fair enough maybe for the time but the picture of the mountains is right on the cover!

[–] ClementinaSpur (888) a year ago

So maybe it could be said that these classic books that ran as serials in newspapers were in a way the same as middle or high school kids with a half-met word count requirement looming large over them.

[–] Mustang (5274) a year ago

Possibly! I don't find that with all the classic authors but definitely some of them are long winded. Moby Dick for instance has chapters on whaling boats and whaling. Not really essential for the story.

[–] ShogunofYonkers (73751) a year ago

I couldn’t get through Last Of The Mohicans, you nailed it perfectly.
The DDL movie is great though👍

[–] Mustang (5274) a year ago

I love the film beautifully shot although not a whole lot going on story wise. But it doesn't matter still a great film.

[–] ClementinaSpur (888) a year ago

Agree. The movie has one of the best climactic scenes in all of cinema starting with Major Hayward's sacrifice and then the events after.