I often write about my favorite books. But today, for something a little different, I'm going to talk about books that I don't like. (I'm stealing this tag from Cait over at Paper Fury.) Sometimes it's oddly enjoyable to discuss books that you dislike. :) Of course, everyone has different opinions so please don't be offended if one of your favorite books makes the list.
For as many of the books as possible, I linked to my Goodreads reviews so you can read more of an explanation, if you're interested.
1. A popular book or series you didn't like. Wuthering Heights. (I know it's considered a classic, but it's so depressing and features some of the most unlikable characters ever.) The Casual Vacancy. (I'm not too sure how well-liked it is, but it was a huge disappointment for me.) I was also really disappointed with Divergent and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, given how popular they've been over the past few years.
2. A popular book or series that everyone hates but you love. The only thing I can think of is The Giver Quartet by Lois Lowry. I know that a lot of people love The Giver but don't enjoy the other three books. Son especially seems to get very mixed reactions, but I loved it. It was probably my favorite of the series.
3. A love triangle where the protagonist ended up with the person you didn't want them to be with. If I'm remembering correctly, Cassia in the Matched trilogy didn't end up with the guy I preferred. But to be honest, I didn't like either guy too much so it didn't exactly bother me. (Add the Matched trilogy to my list of literary disappointments.)
4. Popular genre you hardly read. I don't read much contemporary. Also, I rarely read fantasy. And I've never read any of that vampire/paranormal/etc. YA that was so popular several years ago. :)
5. A popular or beloved character that you dislike. Heathcliff! That guy is a nutcase (see the link above in the first question). Also, I know I've said this before, but I don't like Frodo. At least, I don't like movie-Frodo...it's been a long time since I read LOTR so book-Frodo might not be quite as bad. Bilbo Baggins is a hero. Sam is a hero. Movie-Frodo is a complete wimp.
6. A popular author you can't seem to get into. I had heard such good things about Sophie Kinsella, so last year I read one of her books. It was kind of dull and there was a ridiculous amount of profanity. (Do people seriously talk like that?) Then there's Neil Gaiman. I want to love his books because I love the idea of them. And maybe he doesn't count because I haven't read any of his adult books yet. (I really want to try Stardust.) I've read Coraline and Fortunately, the Milk and while they were both cute, I wasn't blown away. But I will give him another try.
Also, I know I'm in the minority here, but I don't like John Green. I liked The Fault in Our Stars when I first read it several years ago, but looking back, I think that my favorable reaction was because of how emotional the book made me. Plus maybe I was riding the hype that the book was getting at the time. (And both of those are not good reasons for supposedly liking a book. I need to read it again sometime to decide what I really think.) I've read more from him since then and didn't like it. I know that so many people love the VlogBrothers, but there is just something about John and Hank Green that irritates me. They are always preaching tolerance and thinking for yourself, but they don't seem very understanding towards people who don't have the same beliefs as them.
7. A popular trope you're tired of reading. Love triangles. Also, characters always being beautiful. This seems especially common in Christian historical fiction, strangely enough. The female character is always described as being stunningly pretty, thin, small, and elegant. As someone who is none of those things, it makes me roll my eyes. (Alas, few authors write about awkward female leads.) The only exception to this I can think of is A Distant Melody, by Sarah Sundin. Both of the main characters are described as being rather plain, which was refreshing. (That whole series is pretty amazing, by the way.)
8. A popular series you have no interest in reading. The Outlander series. Game of Thrones. The second and third books in the Divergent trilogy.
9. A show or movie adaptation you liked better than the book. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, just because it is so difficult for me to get through those books! I appreciate Tolkien's imagination and attention to detail, but goodness. The Princess Bride (the book didn't make me laugh...those lines are just so much funnier coming from the actors). I like the Cranford and North and South mini-series better than Gaskell's books. I didn't enjoying reading Divergent, but I was surprised by how much I liked the film. And one of the biggest examples of a film being so much better than the book: The Thin Man. Unfortunately, book-Nick Charles is not very charming.
What are some popular books that you don't like? Also, I'd love to hear about any movies you prefer to the book...
I so agree about John Green! Although I do love Wuthering Heights. North and South is my favourite of all the BBC adaptations - loved it. I have never read The Giver series; must try it some day. Popular books I do not like would have to be contemporary romance that are too explicit, murder mysteries and crime thrillers. I just don't see the point in reading (or watching all those TV series) about horrific crimes. Another great book post. I love to read all about your reading.
ReplyDeleteNorth and South is such a beautiful adaptation! I probably prefer it to Cranford (though Cranford is much more amusing). I highly recommend The Giver series...I feel like a lot of people stop after the first book, but the series really comes full circle in a satisfying way!
DeleteI also don't read romance. Lots of the books I read do involve a romance in some way, but I never read what I think of as a typical "romance novel." I have to admit that I love mysteries, though! Not specifically murder mysteries, though those do seem to be more common. I love "cozy mysteries"...those where the detective is not someone you'd expect and that focus more on the intelligent piecing together of clues than a graphic, violent death. (Think Miss Marple rather than CSI, ha.)
Well, I pretty much agree with you on everything here. Especially Wuthering Heights. AND THE THIN MAN OH MY GOODNESS. The movies are sooo much better. (as is the case with the book/movie of The Princess Bride)
ReplyDeleteI've never read anything by John Green, but given that I don't like contemporary books (especially those about teenagers, haha) I've never really had much of a desire to.
Yes, I was so disappointed with The Thin Man book. The films are so funny and lovely, and Nick and Nora are two of my favorite characters. But the book...ugh.
DeleteI'm not too crazy about contemporary YA, either. Usually, I didn't even like reading about teenagers when I was one, so why would I want to now? :)
I so agree about John Green. He seems to be a sell out. You can't stand for something if you don't stand for anything! His videos annoy me. I watched a few of them and felt sorry for him, since I was excited since I heard he was a Christian. I can't tell he is a Christian. And I hated his book...I read Coraline and it SCARED THE LIVING CRAP out of me. Like, that was one scary book that literally gave me nightmares. I don't like his style of writing. I've tried a few of his adult books and they are boring. He uses sentences all weird and it just does not work for me. Two books I hated were The Heart of Darkness and Moby Dick. Utter dislike for both of those. I did like the matched trilogy through, I mean it wasn't amazing but I didn't hate it. Just your generic dystopian literature in my mind, but it was okay. I loved this list of yours :)
ReplyDeleteoh, I switched from talking about john green to talking about gaimen without stating the name. It sounds like I think Green wrote Coraline, and I know he didn't. I just fail at typing :P
DeleteI'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way about John Green. Hank Green's videos annoying me slightly more than John's, though. I don't know whether he's a Christian or not, but to me, he seems cynical about religion in general.
DeleteHa, Coraline didn't really scare me, though it was creepy! I read most of it in one setting and with the way it was written, it was sort of like waking up from a nightmare. Neil Gaiman does seem to have an unusual writing style, but I guess I won't be able to decide how I feel about it until after I read one of his adult books.
Generic is a very good word to describe the Matched trilogy. :) It was so dull, especially the second book.
It was actually really fun and interesting to hear about your "unpopular" opinions! Some of them I can agree with, or at least understand where you're coming from.
ReplyDelete(I like the LOTR movies better than the books, too) (that's a secret though) (shhhh)
Thanks! :) Ha, don't worry...I won't tell anyone.
DeleteWhat fun! This tag is cool, I must say. :D I liked John Green's "Stars" book "well enough." It wasn't as emotional as I anticipated, but then, that could just be me since I'm not a big crier with books. I will sometimes in movies (as I did in this adaptation), but normally, I don't get visibly emotional. I really liked the Divergent movie, but am so-so about reading the book. In all likelihood I *will* at least try the book... someday. Yay for Elizabeth Gaskell miniseries. They are amazing.
ReplyDeleteCurious as I am about the main story of Outlander, I've read too much "bad" about the books content to attempt it. It's sad because it does sound good.
I had the opposite experience with The Fault in Our Stars...the book made me cry but the film made me feel oddly unemotional, ha. I also liked the Divergent film, but while the book was a page-turner (though I imagine it wouldn't be that way if you saw the film first), I felt so unattached and unconcerned for all of the characters. Not sure why! Yeah, Outlander does seem to have lots of content issues.
DeleteI also don't like John Green. I am tried of Love triangles. I also don't plan on reading Outlander or Game of thrones. I prefer the movies of LOTR and The Princess Bride to the books. I also don't like Healthcliff or Wuthering Heights.
ReplyDeleteSounds like we agree about lots of things! :) Love triangles are done way too often. And the worst part is, most of the time I'm not rooting for either guy. It's like the author has to spread the character development thin since there are two potential love interests, so it makes me not care about either one. Even with the Hunger Games, I didn't decide who I was rooting for until the last book...
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