Under/over rated books

[Liamum]

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becke_davis wrote:

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joeamerlot wrote:
Harry Potter IS overated but it represents the most fantastic marketing and literary P.R. of the 21st century.

I also hate bestellers allowed to be published under the name of deceased writers (ex: Robert Ludlum) by the hungry estates of the dead authors.

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I'll second that -- not just the faux-Ludlums, but also those so-called Agatha Christie books written by another author who is not remotely as good a writer as she was.

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Oh I dislike this as well!

[Liamum]

Sorry to post twice in a row, but I forgot to reply to this post:

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jjane617 wrote:
The Secret History is seriously overrated. I found out about this author because another book - the Little Friend (or something similar) was being released and I figured it would be a good idea to read her first book. Let me just say The Secret History was horrible and extremely anti-climactic. I think the author was trying to fit an entire television series concept into a novel, details and all, it was just boring! Anyone else read this book and feel the same way?

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I agree completely. I thought the ending was plain awful!

Two others that are/were very popular but I did not like were The Lovely Bones and The Red Tent.

[ABI]

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RyanEBack wrote:
I am curious to see what you guys think to be some of the most under rated books out there and furthermore, which titles you feel are OVER rated. and, of course, why.

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underrated:
Emerald by Elizabeth Luard---I'd never heard of it, found it on my mom's bookshelf a few months ago, really enjoyed it; i found it pleasing and very interesting. I like books that span over someone's lifetime---or nearly so. You see how their views change or remain over the passage of time.

overrated:

Sorry if i'm offending any diehard fans but, Little Women---it's not exactly a triumph in literature, i don't think, the writing's not superb or anythign. Personally, I could never get into it, even when i was younger I was convinced the characters were too unrealistic and so unworth my time; i think I attempted this book both in first and again in sixth grade quitting half way through with the same immediate impression.
Although i found it inspiring (for some reason it sparked my interest in a lasting love for art history), The Da Vinci Code is overrated as for Dan Brown's actual writing, I think. It's appealing because of the intriguing subject and the thriller-approach to the idea. But again, not exactly the best written book in a few years.

[jmanrique]

Underrated: it's quirky and you can read it in about three hours, but the Locklear Letters by Michael Kun is one of the funniest, quirky and original titles around. Great satire on celebrity worship, though you don't hear much about it.

As for overrated, I need to step up on my soap-box for a moment. Generally, books like The Emperor's Children get overrated because critics and readers are lazy. Call me cynical, but once one of the big names (NYT, Washington Post, etc) comes out and anoints a title as sacred brilliance, it's like all the penguins fall in line behind, waddling about with gush. For the most part, we readers are no different, allowing the hallowed opinions of experts to predispose us to further gushing. I mean, how else do you explain every other book out there being a NYT best seller?

And please note that since my first book is just about to come out, this opinion is not born of past disappointment or bitterness ... though in the near future it may be fermented by it ;-)

[IBIS]

I diagree totally with your comments re Claire Messud's THE EMPEROR's CHILDREN.
I just finished reading it, and I found her writing very elegant, subtly nuanced, and very sophisticated. The story is not so much plot-driven as they are peopled with intelligent characters who feel deeply; her writing is excellent.

I was so taken with her writing that I am now reading her earlier novel WHEN THE EARTH WAS STILL.

[jmanrique]

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IBIS wrote:
I diagree totally with your comments re Claire Messud's THE EMPEROR's CHILDREN.
I just finished reading it, and I found her writing very elegant, subtly nuanced, and very sophisticated. The story is not so much plot-driven as they are peopled with intelligent characters who feel deeply; her writing is excellent.

I was so taken with her writing that I am now reading her earlier novel WHEN THE EARTH WAS STILL.

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I respectfully have to disagree. The characters are unlikeable and Messud's comma-crazy fascination with very long sentences cause many sections to be cumbersome and difficult to read. More than once I had to go back and read a passage two or three times to understand what she was saying - too elegant, subtly nuanced and sophisticated for this reader. Finally, the self-absorbed use of 9/11 was less than satisfactory.

[IBIS]

It will be interesting to read other readers' take on Claire Messud's THE EMPEROR'S CHILDREN since it will be discussed on this B&N bookclub site in October. The author will available for the discussion.

Hope to see you there, and find out more about your thoughts.

Message Edited by IBIS on 09-14-2007 09:31 AM

[suea46]

IMO...;-)

Overrated..."The Mermaid's Chair" Sue Monk Kidd

After Secret Live of Bees I was horridly disappointed though everyone else seemed to love this one.

Overrated..."The DaVinci Code" Dan Brown

I never did figure out what all the 'hoo-hah' was about. It was just a rather tame murder mystery I thought.


Underrated...Sandra Dallas books. I think she deserves a spot on the best seller list!

[IBIS]

I agree with Sue Monk Kidd's THE MERMAID CHAIR.

After the Secret Live of Bees, I was excited and dove right into The Mermaid Chair.
But it was very disappointing. The main character was interesting enough, but having her have an affair with a would-be-monk was kinda pathetic.

The idea that intelligent, independent women need to find themselves in the arms of a man is so lame.

[krenea1]

Overrated - The Thirteenth Tale

Overrated - (Ya'll are going to kill me) The Kite Runner

Under rated - I can not bring one to mind at the moment. I have a habit of picking up the books on the best sellers lists. I know they are out there though.

Message Edited by krenea1 on 09-24-2007 10:11 PM

[nycbooks1]

I thought Emperor's Children was terribly overrated. I had heard such good things about it and so when I started reading, I thought that the opening must be an intentionally comic parody of an over-wrought romantic novel. I expected any minute to turn the page and have the game revealed.

[kiakar]

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suea46 wrote:
IMO...;-)

Overrated..."The Mermaid's Chair" Sue Monk Kidd

After Secret Live of Bees I was horridly disappointed though everyone else seemed to love this one.

Overrated..."The DaVinci Code" Dan Brown

I never did figure out what all the 'hoo-hah' was about. It was just a rather tame murder mystery I thought.


Underrated...Sandra Dallas books. I think she deserves a spot on the best seller list!

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The two Sue Monk Kidd books were so entirely different, is the reason for the split of people liking it. I think everyone thought "The Mermaid CHair" was going to be like the Bees" story and it was an entirely different story. But if you completely separate the two and pretend they are by different authors, I think you will like them both. I know I did.

As for the DaVinci Code, I think the contents of the story was a similiar crime novel but the people involved was why the book was so popular.

[tigerlilly]

The Da Vinci Code is so overrated it makes me sick! I can't believe Dan Brown made millions off of that. Same with The Secret. Horrible. I also think Nicholas Sparks' books are overrated. Also any book that Oprah says is amazing is completely overrated.

And I think I just made a lot of enemies.

[thinker]

I cant understand, why are so many saying that the Da Vinci code was overrated, I think it was a great adventure and history piece

now if you say harry potter is overrated i'm totally in agreement with that

[tigerlilly]

A Separate Peace is also overrated.

[chuckwqn]

I just might not be the type of person who appreciates "classic" literature, but I reread a few books that I had to read in school this year, and they still didn't do anything for me. I didn't mind "The Scarlet Letter", but found "The Great Gatsby", and "Of Mice and Men" to be very overrated.

A more recent overrated book, in my humble opinion, is "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. The dialog couldn't have been any more heartless/emotionless, and every scene was pretty much the same. I don't regret reading the book, but I'd never reread it or recommend it to anyone else. Perhaps I just don't get it, which very well could be the case.

[tigerlilly]

Yeah, The Scarlet Letter is terrible. But I liked Of Mice and Men, but it is far from my favorite book. I never read The Road. But wasn't that one of the books Opah endorsed? What a suprise!

[ABI]

Okay, on THE DA VINCI CODE.

great plot. terribly written, but again, catches your attention, and holds it. dan brown can incorporate his history well enough I suppose as well. The down fall of the genius is the above ---the writing is AWFUL.

As for Harry Potter. I don't think it's overrated. Look at what that series has done for this generation. How many people have never picked up a book before HP, and then turned around completely? Besides that, you can scorn Harry Potte for the writing...but that's not, in my opinion, where the greatness, and appela of the series remains.

Besides, Jo got SO much better as she went on.

[kiakar]

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tigerlilly wrote:
The Da Vinci Code is so overrated it makes me sick! I can't believe Dan Brown made millions off of that. Same with The Secret. Horrible. I also think Nicholas Sparks' books are overrated. Also any book that Oprah says is amazing is completely overrated.

And I think I just made a lot of enemies.

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You know Tigerlilly; I think its just the opinion of the reader as to what book is overrated and which one is not overrated. Sometimes subject matter counts alot for the popularity of a book. I think that is true with Da Vinci Code. Everyone can't read a popular book and love it like many others have. We are too different.

[steelmagnolia]

I have to agree with you on the subject of Oprah. I was employed at Wadenbooks when, by putting her "stamp of approval" on EAST OF EDEN, she brought her failing book club back to life. I was offended. There were these little paper banners that were placed over the author's name(!) proudly proclaiming "the book that brought OPAH'S BOOK CLUB BACK." It's a pretty sure bet that John Steinbeck didn't need Oprah in order to compose a piece of classic literature, and I don't need Oprah to tell me what's worth reading.

As for "DaVinci Code,".......I did enjoy the book. I think so much of the hype made the movie seem very lackluster (which I chose not to see)by comparison, but that's a whole other discussion. Like the Mona Lisa herself, the beauty may well be in the eye of the beholder.