Books you dislike, but everyone else likes

[MmeBergerac]

Wow, I was thinking of reading Twilight, too, but you're making me doubt. I think I'll go on looking of an easy-to-carry copy of War and Peace in the library.

[Marina]

Same here with Twilight. A couple of people I know have insisted (on pain of death! ) that I read the series. But from the sounds of it, I don't think it would be worth my time either.

[LBuccalo]

I think Twilight is best read as just a fun story. Its a good book to read if you are just sort of between books and not looking for anything really complicated or in depth. As long as you keep in mind that the writing does not live up to the hype, and just try to enjoy the plot and the romance it is a good read.

I think the problem comes when people read it expecting it to be some great literary work, because it is definitely not that. That doesn't mean it isn't fun though. I liked it alot, but you have to just take it for what it is and not expect too much of the actual writing

[lilyrose]

Originally Posted by Hysteria

Spare yourself the agony.

That sounds ominous enough.. but dont worry, may be I can give you company to rant

[Caliope]

If you can find a way to read it without spending money on it - like going to the library and getting on one of those ridiculously long wait lists - do that. At least then you'll know if you want to invest any more time and effort into the series before shelling out for it.

[kala_way]

Originally Posted by LBuccalo

I think Twilight is best read as just a fun story. Its a good book to read if you are just sort of between books and not looking for anything really complicated or in depth. As long as you keep in mind that the writing does not live up to the hype, and just try to enjoy the plot and the romance it is a good read.

I think the problem comes when people read it expecting it to be some great literary work, because it is definitely not that. That doesn't mean it isn't fun though. I liked it alot, but you have to just take it for what it is and not expect too much of the actual writing

Yep, I'd agree with you there. I'm looking forward to the movie! It's the kind of book that probably will be better as a movie.

[HermioneFan37]

Lol Lord of the rings

[ZoeBlaize]

1. What books do you dislike, but everyone else likes?

Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, The LoTR series, Twilight, Fahrenheit 451, chick-lit in general...

2. Why do you not like the book that everyone likes? What was your opinion on the book?

Catcher in the Rye: Ugh. I have absolutely no patience with the main character. He just floats aimlessly doing stupid things. I cannot express how much I hated this guy.
Lord of the Flies: Well, I'm kind of weird, but this book really freaked me out. It showed how quickly human turn on one another and was just mind-f%ckery and scariness.
LoTR: Eh. I just could never get into them. The movies were okay, but the books...just kind of dragged, I guess.
Twilight: Honestly, I think I would've liked this series if it just didn't have Bella. She seems more like a pointless Mary-Sue than a real character.
Fahrenheit 451: I like some things (like the Seashells and that Luna-esque girl fromt he beginning), but the book itself just seemed like it was trying too hard to be deep and introspective.
chick-lit: Some of it's good, but most of it just seems to be the same girls with different hair colors getting into the same predicaments. I mean, if I want to hear about girls falling for unattainable guys, I call my friends who are still in high school, you know?

3. Can a hyped-up book/series actually nurture that rare breed that you are in not liking it?

Yes, definitely. The hype for the HP series is actually what got me to read them! I read the first book intending to hate it, but that's not what happened... Obviously, book hype makes me suspicious.

4. Have you ever given a previously (or still) disliked book a second chance, lest you missed something or just read too fast to appreciate? Why/why not?

Sometimes, usually if I liked some of the book before. I actually hated The Secret Garden the first time I read it, but now I love it!

5. Do you feel it is worthwhile to give disliked books a second chance?

It depends on why I disliked the book in the first place.

6. Are there any books you have disliked on the first read that you feel you might give a second chance to? Why/why not?

Well, I must admit I give Fahrenheit 451 another chance every few years, but it still sucks...

[DeathlyH]

I can't believe people didn't like Lord of the Rings. IMO it's one of the best stories ever written, I never once found them dull.

[vampiricduck]

Same here DeathlyH!

But I will say that I highly disliked the Georgie Nicholson books, I think mostly because the character drove me insane. I read them about four years ago- just to prove I did- but at the end I felt very unsatisfied that someone would be so entirely selfish and silly. So I can safely say that they did nothing for me.

[janblack]

Originally Posted by DeathlyH

I can't believe people didn't like Lord of the Rings. IMO it's one of the best stories ever written, I never once found them dull.

Oh I don't know... I practically forced myself to read it just because I kinda liked the movies... I skipped chapters in between to get through it.. And normally I don't do that... just like Hysteria pointed out... It really is an acquired taste..

[MC2456]

Originally Posted by Hysteria

I think The Hobbit and LotR are really an acquired taste. I pretty much forced myself to read them because I enjoyed the movies so much. I read then when I was about... 14 or 15 I guess and struggled a lot but in the end enjoyed them. I can understand why people may not like them but I think they are written beautifully.

I plan on buying LoTR for Xmas (I'm going to pray hard that the local bookstores has them, I will comb the whole country for LoTR!), even though I've read it more than twenty times. (the librarian is like "Don't tell me, Lord of the Rings again, right?" everytime I go to the library) I am on a LoTR craze right now, and it ain't gonna die down that soon! I think LoTR is one of the classics you either love or hate!

Originally Posted by Marina

Same here with Twilight. A couple of people I know have insisted (on pain of death! ) that I read the series. But from the sounds of it, I don't think it would be worth my time either.

If you're not a romance novel lover, take it from me, DO NOT READ TWILIGHT! I read it for the vamps, and now whenever I see a romance book...

[Lucybird]

Twilight reminds me of (passable) fanfic. The writing is pretty awful, and there's something very cliched about it, but it's addicting, I couldn't put it down even though I knew it was bad all the way through

[potterposse]

I can't stand the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. A lot of people like it, but I found it incredibly boring and sort of offensive.

Oh and don't get me started on Harry Potter.

*Just kidding! *

[Lucybird]

Originally Posted by potterposse

I can't stand the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. A lot of people like it, but I found it incredibly boring and sort of offensive.

Oh and don't get me started on Harry Potter.

*Just kidding! *

I know, those Harry Potter books are totally over-rated

His Dark Materials is a favourite of mine actually, or at least The Northern lights anyway, but I can see why people wouldn't like it

[Electricfeel]

Oh I don't know... I practically forced myself to read it just because I kinda liked the movies... I skipped chapters in between to get through it.. And normally I don't do that... just like Hysteria pointed out... It really is an acquired taste..

I have Lord of the Rings at home. I've tried many times to read them and I always fail. I'm not sure I would call them boring, it's just...they take a lot of concentration to keep going with. They're just not want I would call easy reading which is what a simple person like me likes.

[vampiricduck]

No, you're right and they're not easy reading. It does take a huge amount of time and effort to read them. I did it when I was nine and the books really suited me. I loved that detail and the attention it required- but I know that my brother, currently 22, is unable to read them precisely for the same reason! I think that LotR is destined to sit forever in that no go area of "details" either making or breaking the story for a person.

[LoveWeasleys]

Originally Posted by Electricfeel

have Lord of the Rings at home. I've tried many times to read them and I always fail. I'm not sure I would call them boring, it's just...they take a lot of concentration to keep going with. They're just not want I would call easy reading which is what a simple person like me likes.

I was going to say Lord of the Rings as well. I don't mind complicated books. In fact, I just finished the fourth book in a really good and sometimes complicated fantasy series called A Song of Ice and Fire. It can be complicated in some ways with characters and locations, but it doesn't take the author two pages to describe the bark on a tree like in Lord of the Rings. Of course that was an exaggeration, but that is one trouble I have with the books. There is just SO much description and some of it pointless that by the time it is over, I forgot the point of what was happening in the story.

I soldiered through the first book, but had to stop half way through Two Towers. I love the movies though.

[kala_way]

Originally Posted by Electricfeel

I have Lord of the Rings at home. I've tried many times to read them and I always fail. I'm not sure I would call them boring, it's just...they take a lot of concentration to keep going with. They're just not want I would call easy reading which is what a simple person like me likes.

That's true, I don't think I could have gotten through the physical books. I listened to them all on CD. The BBC production of them is absolutely amazing! Full cast with sound effects and everything. It was easy to get through all the books that way.

I do that a lot with books that I know are good but I have a hard time making it through, something about the steadiness of the audio format makes it easier for me to focus (even without full cast recordings).

[Rush]

I tried reading Tom Clancy's The Hunt for Red October but I had to quit after about 120 pages. Everyone I've talked to who has read the book thought it was great. I personally greatly disliked it, I thought much of the descriptions were irrelevant and awfully confusing. I'm more of a fantasy person, but I was hoping that The Hunt for Red October would be terrific nonetheless. I think the novel was written well, but I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea.