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Highly regarded but overrated in your opinion....

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    #62
    Monkeybonkers
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭Monkeybonkers


    wilkie2006 wrote: »
    Good idea. I think that "The Third Policeman" is far better than "At Swim..." or "The Various Lives...".

    Maybe I should have started with that one but what's done is done. I'll try not to let the others cloud my judgement


    On the other hand, maybe I was just getting fresh with you. x

    Oooh, Matron! (said in Kenneth Williams nasally whine) and as it's particularly relevant to this topic : :P


    .


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    #63
    FishHook
    Registered Users Posts: 79 ✭✭FishHook


    The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I did not like it at all.


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    #64
    Achillles
    Registered Users Posts: 66 ✭✭Achillles


    FishHook wrote: »
    The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. I did not like it at all.

    Could not agree more. Read four of his books and every plot follows the exact same formula. Easily predictable and poorly written, I should have given up after The Da Vinci Code.


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    #65
    Censorsh!t
    Registered Users Posts: 1,121 ✭✭✭Censorsh!t


    Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
    I just found it really tedious and boring. Everytime I read it I would find that I had taken none of it in and have to reread the passage.

    I was disappointed with Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot. I absolutely loved Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides, and this was just so...meh. Perhaps if I had read books that feature the whole marriage plot thing I would have enjoyed it more and 'got it' more, but I'm not so sure. I didn't really like any of the characters, and not much seemed to happen.


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    #66
    Toby Take a Bow
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Toby Take a Bow


    wilkie2006 wrote: »

    "David Mitchell entices his readers onto a rollercoaster, and at first they wonder if they want to get off. Then - at least in my case - they can't bear the journey to end.' (AS Byatt, Guardian )"

    That IS a good blurb. Very fitting. I remember thinking that at the beginning, but as I had loved his previous books, I was always going to finish it. I know some of my friends gave up during the middle section. By that point I was hooked. I'm kind of wanting to read it again now.


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    #67
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Censorsh!t wrote: »
    Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
    I just found it really tedious and boring. Everytime I read it I would find that I had taken none of it in and have to reread the passage.

    I also detested it, and had the joy of having to do an assignment on it in college.

    For such a short book it felt veeeerrrrryyy long.


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    #68
    meganj
    Registered Users Posts: 424 ✭✭meganj


    Censorsh!t wrote: »
    Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.
    I just found it really tedious and boring. Everytime I read it I would find that I had taken none of it in and have to reread the passage.

    I was disappointed with Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot. I absolutely loved Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides, and this was just so...meh. Perhaps if I had read books that feature the whole marriage plot thing I would have enjoyed it more and 'got it' more, but I'm not so sure. I didn't really like any of the characters, and not much seemed to happen.

    Off TopicI have The Marriage Plot at home, was going to start reading it over the next few weeks, from what I remember of the blurb it's set with the main character writing a thesis or something on the Marriage Plot is Austen's work?

    Do you think having read and studied the likes of Austen, I might enjoy it more?

    Just genuinely curious as there's a lot of books on my list and I could drop it down the list if it wasn't going to be enjoyable.

    On Topic I loved Heart of Darkness, but only after I left college, I reread it without my English tutor breathing down my neck and enjoyed it much much more.


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    #69
    Censorsh!t
    Registered Users Posts: 1,121 ✭✭✭Censorsh!t


    emeraldstar wrote: »
    I also detested it, and had the joy of having to do an assignment on it in college.

    For such a short book it felt veeeerrrrryyy long.

    I also had to write a paper on it for college - funnily enough I didn't mind doing the essay, as I was writing about it negatively :p
    meganj wrote: »
    Off TopicI have The Marriage Plot at home, was going to start reading it over the next few weeks, from what I remember of the blurb it's set with the main character writing a thesis or something on the Marriage Plot is Austen's work?

    Do you think having read and studied the likes of Austen, I might enjoy it more?

    Just genuinely curious as there's a lot of books on my list and I could drop it down the list if it wasn't going to be enjoyable.

    I do think it probably would have been better had I read books with this plot. I think Austen, Eliot, the Bronte sisters etc. Has some here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_plot
    But saying that, I couldn't be too sure that it would be a whole lot better to be honest. It was just nowhere near as good as his other novels, and almost felt like I was reading some chick-lit.

    I think along with the main character writing a thesis on the subject (her thesis topic isn't even discussed very much), the whole plot is supposedly along the same lines as this 'marriage plot'...maybe? I couldn't be too sure.


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    #70
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Censorsh!t wrote: »
    I was disappointed with Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot. I absolutely loved Middlesex and The Virgin Suicides, and this was just so...meh. Perhaps if I had read books that feature the whole marriage plot thing I would have enjoyed it more and 'got it' more, but I'm not so sure. I didn't really like any of the characters, and not much seemed to happen.
    meganj wrote: »
    Off TopicI have The Marriage Plot at home, was going to start reading it over the next few weeks, from what I remember of the blurb it's set with the main character writing a thesis or something on the Marriage Plot is Austen's work?

    Do you think having read and studied the likes of Austen, I might enjoy it more?

    Just genuinely curious as there's a lot of books on my list and I could drop it down the list if it wasn't going to be enjoyable.
    Censorsh!t wrote: »
    I do think it probably would have been better had I read books with this plot. I think Austen, Eliot, the Bronte sisters etc. Has some here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_plot
    But saying that, I couldn't be too sure that it would be a whole lot better to be honest. It was just nowhere near as good as his other novels, and almost felt like I was reading some chick-lit.

    I think along with the main character writing a thesis on the subject (her thesis topic isn't even discussed very much), the whole plot is supposedly along the same lines as this 'marriage plot'...maybe? I couldn't be too sure.

    I wasn't really aware of the existence of this book – thanks guys :D I wasn't very keen on Eugenides' Middlesex though, but The Virgin Suicides was okay. I love novels à la Austen and the likes so I'm going to give The Marriage Plot a try.

    Edit: although if it comes across as very chick-lit like, then it'll be dropped pretty rapidly...


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    #71
    LenaClaire
    Registered Users Posts: 2,129 ✭✭✭LenaClaire


    emeraldstar wrote: »
    I also detested it, and had the joy of having to do an assignment on it in college.

    For such a short book it felt veeeerrrrryyy long.

    That is funny, I loved it and one of my favourite papers I ever wrote was comparing Heart of Darkness with Dante's Inferno :)

    One book I thought was over rated was Walden by Thoreau, I could never get past the first 10 pages without falling asleep. Another one that I just never got into was A Brave New World; for some reason the whole book just made me angry.


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    #72
    apsalar
    Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭apsalar


    jujibee wrote: »
    Another one that I just never got into was A Brave New World; for some reason the whole book just made me angry.

    Someone else finds "Brave new World" a damp squib..yay! I couldn't get past 15 pages...just couldn't. Zero interest, found it very hard going.

    I also tried "The Sound and the Fury" two years ago. I found it very convoluted for no good reason I could see. Someone recommended it with a lot of praise...I just thought Faulkner tried to hard. And the story left me cold.


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    #73
    Aidan_a
    Closed Accounts Posts: 24 ✭Aidan_a


    I found George Orwell's 1984 to be overrated, I also expected more from The Catcher in the Rye. And Wuthering Heights was pretty boring at times too. It's seems that there is infinitely more overrated classics than good ones...IMHO


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    #74
    aegisisc
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 10 ✭aegisisc


    I can not understand the love for Gatsby as I found it a highly tedious read. catcher in the Rye I have been told has to be read during adolescence so perhaps I missed the boat.


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    #75
    Kinski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,555 ✭✭✭Kinski


    Heart of Darkness, Wuthering Heights, 1984, The Sound and the Fury, and The Great Gatsby...in an "overrated" thread? Really?


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    #76
    ViveLaVie
    Registered Users Posts: 984 ✭✭✭ViveLaVie


    Aidan_a wrote: »
    I found George Orwell's 1984 to be overrated, I also expected more from The Catcher in the Rye. And Wuthering Heights was pretty boring at times too. It's seems that there is infinitely more overrated classics than good ones...IMHO

    Wow, I'm really surprised by this. 1984 and Wuthering Heights are two of my favourite books. I agree about Catcher in the Rye falling a little flat. But the other two? Incredibly powerful books with very powerful messages.


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    #77
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Kinski wrote: »
    Heart of Darkness, Wuthering Heights, 1984, The Sound and the Fury, and The Great Gatsby...in an "overrated" thread? Really?
    Why not? Each of the above is highly regarded, and each individual is perfectly entitled to have an opinion that doesn't align with this regard.


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    #78
    Kinski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,555 ✭✭✭Kinski


    emeraldstar wrote: »
    Why not? Each of the above is highly regarded, and each individual is perfectly entitled to have an opinion that doesn't align with this regard.

    Because they're all short and, with the possible exception of the Faulkner, relatively accessible, having memorable characters and/or plots - exactly the qualities typically prized in popular discourse around novels.

    Of course, these sorts of discussions always revolve around subjective assessments, but while I can understand why some find, say, Ulysses too dense, or Pride & Prejudice too dull, or Moby-Dick too long-winded, the above-mentioned works are ones which I'd readily recommend to anyone who enjoys reading fiction.


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    #79
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Kinski wrote: »
    Because they're all short and, with the possible exception of the Faulkner, relatively accessible, having memorable characters and/or plots - exactly the qualities typically prized in popular discourse around novels.

    Of course, these sorts of discussions always revolve around subjective assessments, but while I can understand why some find, say, Ulysses too dense, or Pride & Prejudice too dull, or Moby-Dick too long-winded, the above-mentioned works are ones which I'd readily recommend to anyone who enjoys reading fiction.
    Exactly; it is subjective. If a book is not to your taste (whether that be plot, characters, the author's style, whatever) then you're not going to enjoy it, pure and simple – no matter its extent or its level of accessibility.

    Plus, the "hype" (not exactly the word I'm looking for but it's late and I can't think) that can surround a book by virtue of its being highly regarded can lead to false expectations, which adds an extra element of disappointment when someone gets around to reading for themselves when it doesn't live up to this perceived impression of how they expect it to be.


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    #80
    PurpleBee
    Registered Users Posts: 274 ✭✭PurpleBee


    Yeah speaking of Pride and Prejudice, a classics sections that is constituted mainly of Jane Austen books does not make a classics section, someone should make the likes of Easons aware of that fact. I thought Bridget Jones's Diary was way better than Pride and Prejudice.


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    #81
    Kinski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,555 ✭✭✭Kinski


    emeraldstar wrote: »
    Exactly; it is subjective. If a book is not to your taste (whether that be plot, characters, the author's style, whatever) then you're not going to enjoy it, pure and simple – no matter its extent or its level of accessibility.

    You're now casting it in purely subjective terms; saying you didn't enjoy a book is not the same as saying it's overrated.


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    #82
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Kinski wrote: »
    You're now casting it in purely subjective terms; saying you didn't enjoy a book is not the same as saying it's overrated.
    But you don't read a book purely in objective terms either. Your own enjoyment of it cannot but come into play. Yes, it's entirely possible to objectively appreciate individual aspects of a book and to understand why other people may value it, but if a person doesn't enjoy the experience of reading the book one's self then they're just not going to number among those who rate it highly.


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    #83
    Kinski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,555 ✭✭✭Kinski


    emeraldstar wrote: »
    But you don't read a book purely in objective terms either. Your own enjoyment of it cannot but come into play. Yes, it's entirely possible to objectively appreciate individual aspects of a book and to understand why other people may value it, but if a person doesn't enjoy the experience of reading the book one's self then they're just not going to number among those who rate it highly.

    Most people would probably prefer to listen to The Beatles than J. S. Bach; does it follow that they think Magical Mystery Tour should be more highly-regarded than The Goldberg Variations? It would be pretty solipsistic to dismiss the reputation of any artwork generally considered to be "great" solely on the basis of how much you personally enjoyed it.


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    #84
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Kinski wrote: »
    It would be pretty solipsistic to dismiss the reputation of any artwork generally considered to be "great" solely on the basis of how much you personally enjoyed it.
    I agree. But considering a work overrated does not have to mean dismissing it entirely. In fact, it's possible to enjoy a work and still think it overrated.


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    #85
    Monkeybonkers
    Registered Users Posts: 1,784 ✭✭✭Monkeybonkers


    Was going to thank all emraldstars posts until I realised that you two had continued arguing ad infinitum.

    The thread title contains the words '....in your opinion...' so no matter what anyone else thinks of the works or of your opinion of the works the fact that it's your opinion means no one can ever tell you that you're wrong. (I confused myself a little bit there but I think you get the jist)


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    #86
    mountaingoats
    Registered Users Posts: 10 ✭mountaingoats


    I dont want to sound like a book snob but... is dan brown regarded highly by anyone? like dont get me wrong I've read two of his books but as an example of good writing?
    I'm a big Vonnegut fan so maybe against the grain here as he seems an unpopular choice. Catch-22, within a few chapters i had got the jist of it, seemed to be hitting me over the head with the concept (though quite enjoyable for a while).
    In Irish terms I'm going to go with John McGahern, not a fan.
    A Confederacy of Dunces is going to top my list. I generally don't like "funny" books but HATED this.


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    #87
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    mountaingoats wrote: »
    I dont want to sound like a book snob but... is dan brown regarded highly by anyone? like dont get me wrong I've read two of his books but as an example of good writing?

    God, no. He's a pretty terrible writer, but I think (hope?!) most people recognise this.


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    #88
    Isard
    Registered Users Posts: 104 ✭✭Isard


    emeraldstar wrote: »
    God, no. He's a pretty terrible writer, but I think (hope?!) most people recognise this.
    Well, he's a commercial writer, not a genius of course, but I think some of his ideas are not uninteresting...


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    #89
    emeraldstar
    Registered Users Posts: 5,383 ✭✭✭emeraldstar


    Isard wrote: »
    Well, he's a commercial writer, not a genius of course, but I think some of his ideas are not uninteresting...
    As do I – but it's his prose not his ideas that I was referring to.


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    #90
    PurpleBee
    Registered Users Posts: 274 ✭✭PurpleBee


    Monkeybonkers wrote: »
    The thread title contains the words '....in your opinion...' so no matter what anyone else thinks of the works or of your opinion of the works the fact that it's your opinion means no one can ever tell you that you're wrong. (I confused myself a little bit there but I think you get the jist)

    In my opinion I can tell you that you're wrong in my opinion. We're talking about highly regarded here anyway which necessitates a certain disregard for the sanctity of personal "opinion."


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    #91
    68508224
    Registered Users Posts: 147 ✭✭68508224


    Anyone here ever read William Burroughs? I tried to read Naked Lunch but couldn't get into it at all. Forced myself through about ninety pages before admitting defeat. Anyone else baffled by it?


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