A couple books mentioned had me nodding. The wildly successful EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert, wasn't a favorite of mine. There were also books that shocked. THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak, for example. Zusak’s book is the first to make my top ten list in almost a decade. Someone didn’t like it? How can that be? Impossible!
All in all, the lineup was fun, enlightening and entertaining. Honestly? It's a good thing we don’t all like to read the same thing, ‘cause dudes, we sure don’t all write the same thing. Who knew there were folks out there who didn’t enjoy LORD OF THE RINGS, ANGELA’S ASHES, or THE ROAD?
I’m sure you can see where this is going.
My personal pick for a book everyone else loved but I hated: SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS by David Guterson. I should have loved it. All the elements were there: elegant writing, a Puget Sound setting—where I lived at the time I read it, a murder, courtroom drama, social justice. But for me, nothing clicked. Not the characters, not the storyline, not the descriptions, not the theme (if there was one).
There is a connection between reader and book that runs deeper than plot and protagonist. Although, I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, I know when it's there. With me and SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, that connection was missing.
Now the fun!
What book did you dislike that everyone else [readers, not book critics] loved? C'mon, 'fess up. Don't be bashful!
35 Brilliant Insights:
This is a tough one because I know how much heart and soul authors put into their work. So while I won't say I hated it, I will admit that I didn't like Shiver and everyone else around me seemed to love it. I just did not connect to the characters. However, thousands of people disagree so I hope my opinion doesn't deter anyone from buying it.
That's the thing about opinions, everyone will have a different one. And that's okay, not everyone will like every book. That's a lesson I'll try to remember when my book comes out in a few weeks. :)
Almost spooky that you mentioned "Snow Falling on Cedars." I have the exact same attitude. Didn't do a lot for me.
I would add "Room" by Emma Donoghue. I can't pinpoint why. Perhaps I couldn't get into a five-year old's POV. Or it may have been the disturbing subject matter. Just not a fave of mine, even though it garnered tons of awards and nominations.
I'm actually going to say a book that was written by one of my most favorite authors, Margaret Atwood. I love every single book of hers ... except, The Blind Assassin. I just couldn't get into it. AT ALL. I'm not sure why. Have you read it? I think I kept feeling interrupted every time it would go into the novel within a novel bit (yeah, two stories in one. Interesting concept. But couldn't connect.)
I hated Twilight. Hated. Forced myself to read it to the end.
I'll probably get lynched.
Well, speaking of LoTR, I didn't like The Two Towers. Couldn't even bring myself to finish it, let alone The Return of the King.
I am one of those people who does not truly appreciate LOTR. It's just such a slog for me to get through! I'm not sure if it's because I don't particularly care about the hobbits or what, but it just never resonated. All of this was compounded by the fact that I took a class on Tolkien, and it was terrible, so it has totally colored my experience of the books. I also hated Margaret George's Helen of Troy novel. I was just continually frustrated by Helen's characterization. And that is probably more than I should be saying, as it is :P
Hi VR! Thanks again for your comments on my post at Carol Kilgore's blog, I'm so glad to have discovered your blog as a result! This post made me laugh. I liked Snow Falling On Cedars, but I hated Eat Pray Love so much I couldn't even finish it. I groaned when it was made into a movie, as if the popularity of the book wasn't enough LOL.
Fun post! :)
I can definitely jump on the 'hated Twilight' wagon--I make no secret of that, but I don't think we are that unusual (the haters, I mean)... When I looked on my Goodreads ratings, the other one star reviews I gave for high rated books are A Separate Peace, Crime and Punishment, and both my attempts to read John Updike--all for having main characters that were not only unlikeable, but unrelatable. There was no REASON they should be so awful. I can deal with unlikeable if I can feel pity, fascination (like Lolita) or at least a twisted sense of humor.
Oh!! I almost forgot. The Great Gatsby. It did absolutely nothing for me, and I feel like I have to apologize for it every time. Gatsby himself even disappointed me as a character. That is probably my worst offense as far as disliking books other people think are great.
Gone with the Wind. Loved the movie. Could not get into that book at all.
It by Stephen King. Zoomed past my 'too scary to read' point before page 6.
Amazon's blurb read : "You don't have to be a fan of vampire fiction to be enthralled by The Passage, Justin Cronin's blazing new novel."
To me it broke every rule for good writing possible -- in the worst possible way ... for me. I even had the ghosts of Marlene Dietrich, Samuel Clemens, Raymond Chandler, and Ernest Hemingway dog it in my blog posts.
Everyone else seemed to love it. Perhaps that is why no agents are knocking on my door, right? LOL.
As always, a great post, Roland
This is so funny because I really didn't like SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS either. I don't know what it was about it, but it wasn't for me. I didn't like COLD MOUNTAIN either. I think I was annoyed by the ending, but I didn't really like the first part either.
Hate is a strong word, but I really disliked Nicholas Sparks "Luck One." My wife had it on CD, so... I think I made it through the first half-dozen chapters before intestinal fluids started coming up into my mouth. Not that his writing was bad, it was just so syrup-filled.
Now one that everyone hated that I actually liked was "Bridges of Madison County." Go figure.
I liked _Snow Falling on Cedars_, but I didn't care for _The Road_. Truthfully, a lot of personal taste goes into reading ever book, and even bestsellers don't always have universal appeal.
Heather - I kind of agree with you on the characters in Shiver, but I enjoyed the writing—although not enough to read on in the series.
Bryce - I enjoyed Room, but I admit it took me a while to get into the POV. You're right, the subject was very disturbing.
Jessica - Love Margaret Atwood, but I've never read The Blind Assassin. I'm shifting it to the top of my TBR pile as I type. Now I'm curious.
HeatherG - No worries, I don't allow violence on my blog. :) I thought Twilight was meh. I still don't see the fascination.
Summer - Read LOTR once, but I preferred the movie version. Hmm, that may be the only time I've ever said that!
Amalia1 - I started reading LOTR several times before I forced my way through. Love The Hobbit though.
It must be hard to write a character, like Helen, about whom so much has already been written. You are very brave.
Julie - Too funny! That is the exact reaction I had when I heard about the EPL movie. Thank you so much for swinging by!
Hart - Yes! I don't like John Updike either and for the very reason you mentioned. I'm running over to friend you on Goodreads. Love that you have the courage to give books one star. I think the lowest I've braved is two.
Amalia2 - Gatsby didn't do all that much for me either. Feel that way about most of Fitzgerald's novels, but I do like his short stories.
Carol - I've never tackled GWTW. I've seen the movie so many times, I don't think the book could live up to my expectations. King doesn't scare me, but he's grossed me out on more than one occasion. :P
Roland - Hee hee, I knew you'd pick The Passage! Cronin really is a fine writer, and in fact I liked the chapters set before the apocalypse. But The Passage was too long, far too much TELL and not enough SHOW. I've read some reviews and each time someone says how well written the characters are, I'm baffled. First two hundred pages, maybe. It amuses me that the author of Angelology blurbs him on Amazon. IMO, her book has many of the same issues as The Passage.
Am I digging myself in deeper?
Natalie - Love hearing I'm not the only one who didn't like SFOC. As for Cold Mountain, I stopped reading it half way, and I rarely put down a book.
PJ - Hate *is* a strong word; I was a little shocked the Huffington Post used it. You'll notice, I backpedal a couple of times to dislike. LOL. Haven't read any Sparks, but I'm guessing he's too sweet for my jaded tastes. The Bridges of Madison County surprises me. An excellent example of why we should read widely. We never know when we'll be rewarded.
Mark - Absolutely true. Can't think of a single book that has universal appeal. For most books, though, I can say explicitly what worked or didn't work for me. I can't do that for Snow Falling on Cedars. Hmm. The Road was powerfully written, but I can't say it was an enjoyable read.
The popularity of Hush, Hush among the YA crowd and not so YA crowd baffles me to this day. I just don't get it. I've searched the universe for the answer but the universe is mysteriously silent on this topic as well.
Stephanie - Yeah, you'd think the universe would me more forthcoming. While I never read Hush, Hush—it seemed too similar to Twilight—I do remember the cover, and it was awesome. :)
I have to agree about Twilight. I read it because of all the buzz and was not all that enthralled. Though, I am not the target audience, so there's that.
Edge of Your Seat Romance
Raquel - Very true, and that's an important point. But I've read a lot of superb YA, and even though I may not have been the target audience, I enjoyed it immensely
I can think of quite a few books that were deemed best sellers that I didn't like. The Morganville Vampires just didn't grab me. I hated the short, choppy style of writing and I didn't connect with any of the characters.
Diane - I, too, can think of quite a few books that were bestsellers that didn't win me over. It's almost always because I didn't connect with the characters. Many writing sins are forgivable if a reader can relate to the characters.
There are several popular, hugely successful YA books I just don't like. I can't dish here. I just can't! I'll email you if you want to know.
This is so not tough for me - I couldn't stand Eat, Pray, Love. I didn't get why everyone loved it so much. I even tried to watch the movie, but even Julia Roberts couldn't pull me in. And, LOTR? all that narrative - it makes me pull my hair out! But I loved The Book Thief, but can see why some wouldn't. You're right - it's a good thing we all like different books.
Lydia - I'm ashamed to admit how much I'd love to know. There are without a doubt books I wouldn't mention here. On the other hand, I figure it's okay to pick on LOTR. :)
Kris - Must be something wrong with me that I get a little tingle of satisfaction whenever I hear someone else didn't care for Eat, Pray, Love. LOL! The one thing about The Book Thief that bothers me is the intended audience. I really see it is an adult read appropriate for a YA audience rather than a YA read appropriate for an adult audience. Maybe that's splitting hairs? Thanks so much for stopping by!
Water for Elephants. I really don't get what people see in that book. It's an interesting idea, unique, but the writing was weak and most of the characters were wooden.
(Bryce didn't like Room, but I LOVED that book. Yes, it was difficult at first to get into a five-year-old's head, but once I did, I didn't want it to end.)
Nancy - I've started Water for Elephants twice, and haven't been able to get into it. Don't know if it's me or the book, but I intend to give it another try when I'm in the right mood - whatever that may be. :)
Heya Viv! Funny I should be harping on "best sellers" today and hadn't seen this.
Most recently, I thought it was time to see what Joe Konrath's partner, Blake Crouch, was all about. They've got so much mojo going, I thought I ought to know what the hottest thriller writers were doing.
So I looked at the Amazon reviews for Crouch's latest, RUN. An avalanche of 5 stars with superlative adjectives and lots of exclamation points.
I was dismayed. I wrote a review. It wasn't a scathing review, by any means - not the worst, certainly. It was never uploaded. (Okay, it did say "I feel ripped off," but that was by the STORY, not Amazon!)
You know, I don't think I can say as I don't put the time in to finish one that I can't sink into right away so I don't bother remembering them.
It's all subjective though, you're right.
Pete - Not that I trusted Amazon reviews, anyway, but that is all kinds of wrong. I skimmed the RUN preview pages, and… well, I'm not going to review a work I didn't read, but let's just say I wasn't compelled to download the book based on the sample. I'm stunned, not only by the number of five star reviews, but the accompanying hyperbole. In genre fiction, particularly mystery/thrillers, there seems to be a trend toward high concept, with quality of writing somewhere down near irrelevant. While it makes me sad as a writer, it DEVASTATES me as a reader.
Eileen - I agree, there are too many wonderful books out there to waste time on those we don't enjoy or connect with in some way.
I couldn't connect with The Lovely Bones and gave up about a third of the way in.
Ellis- It was a disturbing book. Can't say I enjoyed it, but I made it all the way through.
Okay, here's mine, and don't jump all over me. The Help. I couldn't finish it. I know. I'm one in 10,000, but there it is.
Polly - I thought I'd hate The Help and took great pains to avoid it. Out of curiosity, I checked it out of the library as an audio book to listen to while I painted my house. Well, I loved it. The narrators were outstanding. It was less like listening to a book and more like listening to a play. But honestly? I'm not sure I'd have finished it if I'd "read it with my eyes."
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