San Antonio Public Library discussion

Have you ever read one of those books that your friends or the critics have built up to legendary or mythic status, where you read it and you think: "what the heck?!" For me, much to the chagrin of my fellow fantasy fans, that's Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Despite the fact that this series is considered canonical in the epic fantasy genre, I just cannot get into it... believe me, I've tried. How about you? What book has disappointed you profoundly despite the fact that everyone else seems to think it's the best thing since sliced bread? Discuss.

I really do not have one that falls into this exact category, I tend to be pretty easily entertained. Its the classics that I have a problem with: Of Mice and Men, Madame Bovary, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Metamorphosis, Heart of Darkness, Lord of the Flies, and the list goes on and on....

and a not so classic but in he "must read" category: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,. Did not like this at all! And of course the famous: A Child Called "It". I mean seriously, how can you like this?

and of course there is the 50 Shades series, especially the last one...literally one of the worst book series I have ever read. And unfortunately the problem is not so much the storyline but the writing, a really good editor was needed to work on the use of word variation!

Not really a "classic" but fresh in my memory, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe got a low rating from me because the great reviews and blurbs made it sound like a totally different book than it was. I probably would have "enjoyed" the book more if I my expectations had been more realistic, but instead I felt tricked and disappointed. Maybe that should be another topic...when the blurb lies.

Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Book Thief and Counting by Sevens were, imo, awful. And everybody but me seems to love all three of them.

The Bridges of Madison County. Everyone was raving about how romantic it was, such an epic romance. Yuck. The woman was (view spoiler)[cheating on her husband (hide spoiler)]!!! I don't get it at all.

The Reapers Are the Angels, it was well reviewed on goodreads, and even recommended by an author I greatly enjoy. I really wanted to like the book, but could not get past how the protagonist had survived as long as she had.

When you say "recommended by...", Servando, do you mean like a blurb? Blurbs can be an entire separate discussion... I've been deceived by blurbs my entire reading life... Servando wrote: "The Reapers Are the Angels, it was well reviewed on goodreads, and even recommended by an author I greatly enjoy. I really wanted to like the book, but could not get past how the protagonist had s..."

It had appeared ona few lists for must read zombie books. Also was recommended by Joe McKinney while discussing zombies stories.

I kept seeing Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore on my recommended list and it sounded pretty awesome; a 24-hour bookstore with a secret society/bookclub? Yes, please. But I started reading and just could not get into it. I hate doing this, but I actually stopped reading it.

Leigh wrote: "Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Book Thief and Counting by Sevens were, imo, awful. And everybody but me seems to love all three of them."

Most of the time the book is better than the movie, right? Not the case with The Perks of Being a Wallflower; I liked the movie better.

Several years ago, I tried to read Linda Park's Newbery Award winning A Single Shard, but was so bored with it, I stopped reading it and went on to something else.

Nothing like a bit of necromancy to start the day...

For me, it was Little Women. Perhaps it was my own age when I read it, but I found it boring... the Brady Bunch in the 19th century, where every chapter had a problem that was solved by the end of the chapter, usually with a lesson from Marmee. The girls talking about how virtuous they were in their poverty, while employing a full-time servant and giving their leftovers to ,another family who couldn't afford a doctor for their plague-stricken.

Simply could not stand it.

The Alchemist was not my rodeo and that’s okay but disappointing. I had to ask myself if I was not the right reader or if I missed the point. Maybe I’ll give it another go?

I know it was supposed to be a book, but I have never understood the fuss behind Hemingway. I find his books incredibly tedious and full of macho posturing that really does not sell him to me. It might just be that I haven't read the right book of his? I have read the Old Man and the Sea, and most of a Farewell to Arms.

I'm with you on Hemingway; I just could not get into any of his books that I tried.

A recent disappointment for me was a comic: the DC Rebirth run of Birds of Prey was just not great. The art did a lot of the old sins of comic art with breaking women's backs for the sake of looking sexy, and the writing was just weak.

The Dutch House was a disappointment after all it's buildup. Kept waiting for something to happen, some breakthrough or something. Never happened.

I've tried to like Hemingway but c'mon...the guy is awful and his books are stinkers. :)

Shannan wrote: "I'm with you on Hemingway; I just could not get into any of his books that I tried.

A recent disappointment for me was a comic: the DC Rebirth run of Birds of Prey was just not great. The art did..."
That's really disappointing to hear. The Gail Simone run of Bird's of Prey is one of my favorites. Yeah I am really tired of comics artwork doing that.

Gail Simone is the best!! If you like horror, she wrote a series called Clean Room. Absolutely terrifying.

Ok I'll have to check that out, thanks for the recommendation!

A big disappointment for me was Love in the Time of Cholera and 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I tried I really did!

Another one to mention: The Malazan Book of the Fallen series. My brothers raved about it, and there were some hints of interesting worldbuilding and metaphysics, but the story was just... blah. Nothing. Too many characters, none of them interesting.

And we could have an entirely different conversation about comic books. I, too, am a devotee of Gail Simone, but I have my axes to grind in comics, too

I was incredibly disappointed in The Lovely Bones. My friend and my Mom went on and on about it and I just hated it.

Oh me too SaraKat! I could not finish the Lovely Bones. It was too incredibly sad and violent.