Most overrated novels (1 Viewer)
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Salinger - The Catcher in the Rye.
It is a good book, but you're correct. Over-rated has a colloquial association with being terrible, but something can be good yet over-rated. So much has been said about how great A Confederacy of Dunces is, you'd think it would turn itself into a roast beef sandwich and a six-pack when you're done reading it. I'm here to tell you that this does not in fact happen.
One-hundred years of solitude. Neither that magical nor realistic.
The Lord of the Rings. Cliche, long-winded, and short on good lines.
Agreed. met a university type here in town who swore by McCarthy. did not do anything for me, though.
Agreed. met a university type here in town who swore by McCarthy. did not do anything for me, though.
Someone bought this for me and I've had a couple of other people say that it's the greatest book they've ever read. I felt obliged to finish it because it was a gift and I don't like not finishing a novel once I've started. I fucking hated it though and it's not often I say that about a book. Another book that was hyped (it won the Booker Prize for some reason too) that I just couldn't get along with is Vernon God Little. The ending is particularly abysmal. A lot of people raved about The Alchemist by Paul Coelho too. It's a nice little story that'll kill two hours but that's it.
Gerard K H Love
Appreciate your friends
I didn't read that until about 4 years ago and it's surprising, to me, that it is such a cult hit. Of course it could simply be that I'm out of touch too.
PhillyDave
“The essential doesn't change.” Beckett
Salman Rushdie- "Midnight's Children". It's that writing style that uses 20 words to describe when 7 words would suffice. Ugh.
How do you argue against something being deemed overrated? I'm not sure. On the Road had a huge impact culturally (Stateside at least) and then Kerouac ran counter politically to many who embraced his book. And they still loved the book. Overrated my ass.
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Rekrab
Usually wrong.
You're right Stav -- in terms of cultural impact, On The Road was huge. I meant "overrated" strictly in terms of literary merit. I think it's very good, it's interesting, flashes of genius, etc., but it's not as good as it's cultural significance would suggest. Another novel with huge cultural significance is The Catcher In The Rye. Ask any mass murderer. I haven't reread that in decades and can't say if it's as good as all the hype would suggest.
When I re-read Catcher in the Rye fairly recently I still enjoyed it, but rather than being some character that my young self could relate strongly to, I thought Holden was a bit of a dickhead. Given Salinger was in his 30s when he wrote it, I wonder if that's the point. Or maybe I'm just getting cynical in my old age.
Not all iconic works are "great". Not all great works are iconic. Both Catcher and Road are good books but to me don't transcend their eras. High school reading lists and fauxhemians have elevated them beyond their actual worth.
There's a problem with assessing any work as being 'overrated' or not which you've touched upon right there. When a novel or whatever has a highly elevated status it seems to be a trait in almost everyone to make a comparison against that status as opposed to just rating the book itself. I'm not saying that's right or wrong as I think it's inevitable but it seems a bit unfair either way. I also think there's often a natural instinct to rebel against works which have been canonised in this way.
"Fauxhemians" by the way. I like that.
"Fauxhemians" by the way. I like that.
I want to mention War and Peace. Why does this top the lists? It's too long, it's dull, the characters are forgettable, etc. Anna Karenina was much better, in my opinion.
Well, this is exactly the problem. A work of art that is abstract or complex enough becomes immune to ordinary criticism. mjp summed it up very well here.
Well, this is exactly the problem. A work of art that is abstract or complex enough becomes immune to ordinary criticism. mjp summed it up very well here.
Indeed. And it's then perpetuated by people afraid to admit they didn't get it.
Skygazer
And in the end...
I agree; Catcher In The Rye is overrated, got to be the most anaemic Coming of Age book ever, I just never cared about or got involved with Holden at all. I read it when I was about 19 and had such great expectations about what it would reveal, he just annoyed me, got to be the most insipid anti hero ever.
On the other hand W Somerset Maugham: Of Human Bondage is the best in the genre, read it a long time ago, but you get put through an emotional wringer reading it, but I think I am the only person I know who has read the bloody thing.
On the other hand W Somerset Maugham: Of Human Bondage is the best in the genre, read it a long time ago, but you get put through an emotional wringer reading it, but I think I am the only person I know who has read the bloody thing.
For me The Sun Also Rises is a favorite book. It is obviously melodramatic and totally entrenched
in its era but I have read it maybe four or five times over the years. The thing is Hemingway was
fucking 25!!! when he wrote that and his genius is already apparent (to me at least). Jake Barnes
is a pretty ballsy (haha) character for such a young author. Overrated? No.
in its era but I have read it maybe four or five times over the years. The thing is Hemingway was
fucking 25!!! when he wrote that and his genius is already apparent (to me at least). Jake Barnes
is a pretty ballsy (haha) character for such a young author. Overrated? No.
As much as there are moments of The Sun Also Rises that make me want to pull my hair out, I agree, it will never be overrated.
When I think of overrated, however, I think of something more like, all of the Steven King books. Night Shift was the only good read, but even that one wasn't great. As a "writer" he is way overrated.
When I think of overrated, however, I think of something more like, all of the Steven King books. Night Shift was the only good read, but even that one wasn't great. As a "writer" he is way overrated.
Not sure King is overrated...certainly oversold though. Salem's Lot is a good read as well.
I didn't read that one. I don't think I will though, sorry to say. There are SO MANY great books I have yet to read and I'm pretty certain I wouldn't waste my time on another King book after the handful that I tried back when I did. I was young then, dating someone who was into him, so I tried really hard to like it.
NO! I take that back! I was here to make an edit and was going to erase the whole post, but I won't do that. I'll just say this. I DID read Salem's Lot. It was the first of all the ones I read and I remember it being pretty good, then I read Night Shift, which I liked more. I also read The Stand, Christine, and The Dead Zone.
NO! I take that back! I was here to make an edit and was going to erase the whole post, but I won't do that. I'll just say this. I DID read Salem's Lot. It was the first of all the ones I read and I remember it being pretty good, then I read Night Shift, which I liked more. I also read The Stand, Christine, and The Dead Zone.
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