Name a book critic favorite that you didn’t like

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

And yes, I feel guilty for not liking it.

I disliked it too. I didn’t find the writing to be as compelling as “The Warmth of Other Suns,” which I absolutely loved.

My pick is Lessons in Chemistry. Utter drivel.

[Anonymous]

The 11 Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Ugh, so boring.

Mad Honey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Goldfinch

I bought it and couldn't get into it. I was the. On vacation a few years later and bought it again. Forgetting completely that I hated it. Started it and was so irritated. The reviews and back cover are so good. When it came out as a movie I was floored. Movie is terrible too!

I listened to it on audiobook. It was something like 30 hours. I drove to Pittsburgh. I drove back. I started questioning the role an editor plays.

Me too! I don't know if it's the current role of the editor, profile of the author, or what, but there are plenty of books, like the Goldfinch, wondering what happened (or didn't!) in the editing process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Visit From the Good squad

Yeah, this sucked. Im a young gen x who was familiar with the punk scene the boom purported to describe. It bore no resemblence.

[Anonymous]

I am a big thumbs down on A Little Life. I have a lot of anger toward that book.

[Anonymous]

I think I’ve found my people here. I’m always the one in my book club that dislikes the critic favorites.

Some of my recent dislikes:
Mad honey
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Lessons in chemistry

[Anonymous]

Totally agree on Crawdads. VC Andrews tries to win a literary prize. And same on Bewilderment; the characters felt like caricatures. And when they stayed in a Comfort Inn in Georgetown I felt entitled to give up because that’s just shoddy research.

My high literary flop is Wolf Hall. I want to like it but I’ve started it twice and can’t manage to care enough to finish.

On the other hand I love the deeeeeeeply sad stuff. Shuggie Bain was my top read that year.

[Anonymous]

The Overstory!!!

It won a flipping Pulitzer Prize!! Ugh. So tedious.

[Anonymous]

The Vanishing Half
Burnt Sugar

[Anonymous]

The Maid by Nita Prose

Horrible treatment of a neurodivergent person. They are set up as the hero, but then are the depraved murderer at the end.

Also, it's set in present day, but the police investigation into the murder is pathetic. No evidence, rushed conclusions, etc.

There's a sequel coming out.

[Anonymous]

I agree with so much of what's been mentioned. A lot of people seem to think that trauma and darkness is "deep" and "important." Good for them, but I read for escapism and to feel uplifted. Not saying I need "and they lived happily ever after" at the end of every book, but I like it when everyone is at least on a path to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Maid by Nita Prose

Horrible treatment of a neurodivergent person. They are set up as the hero, but then are the depraved murderer at the end.

Also, it's set in present day, but the police investigation into the murder is pathetic. No evidence, rushed conclusions, etc.

There's a sequel coming out.

Agreed. This book was terrible. I don't understand the hype at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Maid by Nita Prose

Horrible treatment of a neurodivergent person. They are set up as the hero, but then are the depraved murderer at the end.

Also, it's set in present day, but the police investigation into the murder is pathetic. No evidence, rushed conclusions, etc.

There's a sequel coming out.

Agreed. This book was terrible. I don't understand the hype at all.

Yeah, I feel like people were so busy applauding the neurodivergent representation that they missed that the author made her a murderer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Overstory!!!

It won a flipping Pulitzer Prize!! Ugh. So tedious.

np And depressing as hell

[Anonymous]

Confederacy of Dunces (did anyone else hate this one?)

Agee about previous post above about the Devil in the White City - what a weird combination. I would have been fine with just the World Fair part.

We Were the Mulvaneys

The Corrections