Suggested by Janet:
How about, “What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”
Tough question. I like most of the "classics" that I've read, so I can't go that way. You'll never hear me complain about high school required reading! I think the answer for me is probably The Time Traveler's Wife, which is this sci-fi/chick-lit hybrid that I thought was just awful. It's hard to even begin to articulate all the things I didn't like about it- the amateurish writing, the author's habits of dropping brand names and pop culture references instead of actually defining the characters by their behavior, the off-key sexual content, the narcisstic characters, etc. Reading the book's Amazon reviews I know I'm not alone here but I also know I'm in the minority! But you know what? I can live with that.
15 comments:
I have heard enough not so good reviews of this book from people I trust that I have not even tried to read it.
You're the second person today to mention that one as the worst "best" book they've read.
I am hearing more and more people talk about how much they dislike this book.
http://barneysbookblog.blogspot.com/
Second time someone listed this today. I didn't and won't read it.
I don't mind being a minority.. reading should be for fun so read whatever interes you unless it's for work or study..
Now I'm sure I don't want to read it :)
:) I'll go out on a limb here and say I really, really like TTW. It took a while to get into the story, but once I did, I really enjoyed the love story. I'm eager to see how this is interpreted in the movie version, though. Seems like that would be a challenge.
Hehe I remember this book fondly & hope to read again, I think there is a movie coming out too? I wonder what that will be like...
I'll come down on the same side of the fence as Karen H and Alea, I don't remember the book terribly well, but I remember that I liked it. Sometimes I think I have to be in the right mood to really enjoy a book or movie. My "worst" best book is The Life of Pi....I just thought it was awful, and for the life of me, I can't figure out what everybody loved about it. *Shrug...I guess I just didn't get it. Sadly, even my then 17 year old son liked it.
Oh well, different strokes and all that....
I enjoyed some parts of it better than the others. Her new release has stirred up a buzz.
Da Vinci Code for me. It doesn't have any competitor.
Hi,
The Time Traveler's Wife was another novel that turned me off in the first chapter. I am with you on that one. Awful.
Oh god I loved The Time Traveler's Wife. The one for me would be The Secret Life of Bees. It was just blah. I would love to have read that story as written by Harper Lee.
you said the magic word to turn me off - SCI-FI Blech!
My BTT is here
I'm going to make the same comment on your blog that I made on Swapna's: I feel a bit shocked that this book is making it onto people's "worst book" list! I absolutely loved it!
I began reading it ages ago, when it first came out in hardback. I didn't buy it, fortunately. I checked it out of the library.
I couldn't get through it, found it to be a yawn. I didn't finish it.
I agree completely with your choice, I found that book to be very polarizing though, there seem to be no in between opinions on it.
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