Favorite Poorly Rated Books (1519 books)

Sometimes popular books are downright awful.

And sometimes, because of misdirected marketing, false expectations, authors writing outside their usual genres, kids being forced to read difficult classics in school before they're able to appreciate them, or some other reason, books hated by large numbers of people are actually good.

This is a list where you can vote for your favorite books with poor ratings. Averages below a 3.6 will count as "poor ratings."

NOTE: Books with average ratings of 3.60 or above will be removed.

See also:
Top 100 Highest Rated Books with at least 10000 Ratings (fiction or memoir, one per series)
Average Rating of 4.6 and above with at least 3000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.5 and above with at least 3000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.5 and above with at least 100 ratings
Average Rating of 4.3 and above with at least 1000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.2 and above with at least 1000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.0 and above with at least 30000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.0 and above with at least 1000 ratings
Average Rating of 4.0 and above, 100 to 999 ratings, and published before 2001
Average Rating of 3.99 and below
Average Rating below 3.6
Average Rating of 3.0 and below with at least 100 ratings
Average Rating of 4.5 and above and with 10 to 99 ratings

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.44 avg rating — 915,313 ratings score: 4,605, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Beowulf by Unknown 3.50 avg rating — 344,930 ratings score: 3,816, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 3.53 avg rating — 237,316 ratings score: 3,723, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Moby-Dick or, The Whale by Herman Melville 3.56 avg rating — 613,469 ratings score: 3,235, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 3.43 avg rating — 556,167 ratings score: 2,890, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 3.59 avg rating — 297,957 ratings score: 2,631, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wicked Years, #1) by Gregory Maguire 3.51 avg rating — 681,398 ratings score: 2,568, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller 3.59 avg rating — 257,920 ratings score: 1,980, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling 3.31 avg rating — 336,888 ratings score: 1,672, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Naked Lunch: The Restored Text by William S. Burroughs 3.46 avg rating — 98,357 ratings score: 1,449, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman (Goodreads Author) 3.53 avg rating — 277,808 ratings score: 1,357, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence 3.50 avg rating — 137,301 ratings score: 1,293, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire 3.54 avg rating — 62,282 ratings score: 1,066, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	The Tommyknockers by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.61 avg rating — 164,506 ratings score: 1,045, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 3.55 avg rating — 14,438 ratings score: 1,003, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne 3.45 avg rating — 42,887 ratings score: 995, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton 3.46 avg rating — 137,326 ratings score: 994, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Utopia by Thomas More 3.55 avg rating — 82,666 ratings score: 972, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	A Separate Peace by John Knowles 3.60 avg rating — 231,737 ratings score: 945, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Hard Times by Charles Dickens 3.55 avg rating — 74,211 ratings score: 929, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Turn of the Screw by Henry James 3.38 avg rating — 179,055 ratings score: 887, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	The Red Pony by John Steinbeck 3.50 avg rating — 60,018 ratings score: 680, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Pearl by John Steinbeck 3.56 avg rating — 269,705 ratings score: 660, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Dante Club (The Dante Club, #1) by Matthew Pearl (Goodreads Author) 3.42 avg rating — 42,723 ratings score: 633, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Daisy Miller by Henry James 3.37 avg rating — 37,757 ratings score: 584, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf 3.52 avg rating — 13,495 ratings score: 544, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	Shaman's Crossing (Soldier Son #1) by Robin Hobb (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 25,756 ratings score: 503, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (Goodreads Author) 3.25 avg rating — 68,648 ratings score: 492, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Spirit Gate (Crossroads, #1) by Kate Elliott (Goodreads Author) 3.59 avg rating — 4,028 ratings score: 483, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Titus Alone (Gormenghast, #3) by Mervyn Peake 3.45 avg rating — 6,179 ratings score: 483, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare 3.41 avg rating — 12,526 ratings score: 476, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek 3.61 avg rating — 16,211 ratings score: 469, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Reached (Matched, #3) by Ally Condie (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 177,164 ratings score: 459, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	The Little Friend by Donna Tartt 3.48 avg rating — 81,863 ratings score: 456, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides 3.48 avg rating — 124,321 ratings score: 451, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Moo by Jane Smiley (Goodreads Author) 3.47 avg rating — 8,568 ratings score: 440, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell (Goodreads Author) 3.55 avg rating — 19,378 ratings score: 427, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Rehearsal by Eleanor Catton 3.43 avg rating — 6,546 ratings score: 393, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser 3.59 avg rating — 17,292 ratings score: 391, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories, #1) by Mary Robinette Kowal (Goodreads Author) 3.51 avg rating — 17,964 ratings score: 390, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Son of a Witch (The Wicked Years, #2) by Gregory Maguire 3.51 avg rating — 70,307 ratings score: 386, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Goodreads Author) 3.51 avg rating — 549,026 ratings score: 379, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht (Goodreads Author) 3.42 avg rating — 102,311 ratings score: 377, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (Goodreads Author) 3.57 avg rating — 89,448 ratings score: 374, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 3.30 avg rating — 109,841 ratings score: 359, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge 3.54 avg rating — 5,932 ratings score: 354, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Billy Budd, Sailor by Herman Melville 3.19 avg rating — 19,550 ratings score: 351, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer 3.60 avg rating — 123,181 ratings score: 348, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Fear of Flying by Erica Jong 3.48 avg rating — 23,394 ratings score: 340, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Tailor of Panama by John le Carré 3.51 avg rating — 10,054 ratings score: 335, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt 3.60 avg rating — 15,933 ratings score: 328, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Three Junes by Julia Glass (Goodreads Author) 3.57 avg rating — 45,254 ratings score: 327, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani (Goodreads Author) 3.35 avg rating — 21,589 ratings score: 320, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Benighted by Kit Whitfield 3.48 avg rating — 1,145 ratings score: 297, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Last of the Templars by William Watson 3.48 avg rating — 91 ratings score: 296, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Technologists by Matthew Pearl (Goodreads Author) 3.52 avg rating — 3,683 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Believers by Zoë Heller 3.38 avg rating — 5,792 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Dying of the Light by George R.R. Martin 3.56 avg rating — 7,773 ratings score: 295, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton 3.52 avg rating — 4,028 ratings score: 287, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Evermore (The Immortals, #1) by Alyson Noel (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 298,351 ratings score: 285, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund 3.40 avg rating — 29,373 ratings score: 284, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	ODY-C, Vol. 1: Off to Far Ithicaa by Matt Fraction 3.25 avg rating — 2,643 ratings score: 280, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Don Karlos: Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller 3.51 avg rating — 2,174 ratings score: 277, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	From a Buick 8 by Stephen King (Goodreads Author) 3.49 avg rating — 74,626 ratings score: 272, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	Manon Lescaut by Antoine François Prévost d'Exiles 3.31 avg rating — 16,802 ratings score: 271, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (Goodreads Author) 3.20 avg rating — 26,794 ratings score: 269, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Vampire Tapestry by Suzy McKee Charnas 3.60 avg rating — 2,511 ratings score: 265, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Murder of the Century: The Gilded Age Crime that Scandalized a City and Sparked the Tabloid Wars by Paul Collins (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 8,759 ratings score: 264, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Macbeth by Jo Nesbø (Goodreads Author) 3.45 avg rating — 18,054 ratings score: 250, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan (Goodreads Author) 3.53 avg rating — 35,357 ratings score: 249, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Population Bomb by Paul R. Ehrlich 3.09 avg rating — 572 ratings score: 247, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Micro by Michael Crichton 3.53 avg rating — 41,036 ratings score: 245, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell 3.29 avg rating — 38,533 ratings score: 241, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (Goodreads Author) 3.27 avg rating — 96,038 ratings score: 232, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (The Twilight Saga, #3.5) by Stephenie Meyer 3.52 avg rating — 241,917 ratings score: 229, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta 3.26 avg rating — 17,633 ratings score: 228, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud 3.31 avg rating — 33,642 ratings score: 227, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	1222 (Hanne Wilhelmsen, #8) by Anne Holt 3.35 avg rating — 6,141 ratings score: 226, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby 3.50 avg rating — 46,788 ratings score: 217, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro (Goodreads Author) 3.54 avg rating — 47,326 ratings score: 214, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis 3.61 avg rating — 98,629 ratings score: 211, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Saturn's Children (Freyaverse #1) by Charles Stross (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 8,142 ratings score: 207, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Napoleon's Pyramids (Ethan Gage, #1) by William Dietrich (Goodreads Author) 3.56 avg rating — 4,748 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Burger's Daughter by Nadine Gordimer 3.49 avg rating — 2,314 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	The Engagement by Chloe Hooper 2.82 avg rating — 1,351 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Hector and the Search for Happiness by François Lelord 3.48 avg rating — 17,513 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Romanitas by Sophia McDougall (Goodreads Author) 3.24 avg rating — 727 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Zone One by Colson Whitehead (Goodreads Author) 3.24 avg rating — 27,217 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt (Goodreads Author) 3.19 avg rating — 15,808 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars 3.60 avg rating — 10,973 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Embers of Heaven (Jin-Shei, #2) by Alma Alexander (Goodreads Author) 3.37 avg rating — 273 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	How Should a Person Be? by Sheila Heti (Goodreads Author) 3.33 avg rating — 17,029 ratings score: 196, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	There but for the by Ali Smith 3.50 avg rating — 10,022 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	N. P by Banana Yoshimoto 3.54 avg rating — 12,768 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Banewreaker (The Sundering, #1) by Jacqueline Carey (Goodreads Author) 3.48 avg rating — 4,563 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke 3.23 avg rating — 16,397 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Ladies' Man by Richard Price 3.51 avg rating — 747 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Medieval Flowers by Miranda Innes 3.65 avg rating — 23 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Net Force (Tom Clancy's Net Force, #1) by Steve Perry 3.56 avg rating — 10,532 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Age of Consent : The Rise of Relativism and the Corruption of Popular Culture by Robert H. Knight 3.53 avg rating — 19 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,519 books · 261 voters · list created August 26th, 2012 by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (votes) .

Tags: 3-6, average-rating, best, best-of, favorite, favorites, fiction, misunderstood, ratings, underrated, unpopular, worst

38 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (261)

Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship 3971 books
172 friends

Becca 2464 books
55 friends

Brian 941 books
15 friends

Chris 649 books
56 friends

Grack21 1552 books
95 friends

Soumya 1374 books
38 friends

Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) 546 books
365 friends

Neil 2554 books
443 friends

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Comments Showing 1-29 of 29 (29 new)

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message 1: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (last edited Aug 28, 2012 02:54AM) (new)

Aug 28, 2012 02:28AM

Great idea for a list, though there already is one with almost the exact same parameters, see "Books That Deserve a Higher Rating (Avg Rating < 3.7)" (http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...) ...

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message 2: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (new)

Aug 28, 2012 08:35PM

Good to know--I poked around a bit before making this list but didn't see that one. I'm going to leave this stand though; about half the books on that one are rated between 3.6 and 3.7, so the apparently small difference in parameters actually has a big impact.

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message 3: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Aug 29, 2012 03:26AM

Wow -- I saw there wasn't a complete overlap, of course, but didn't realize it actually made so much of a difference!

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message 4: by Sarrah (new)

Oct 19, 2012 10:15AM

Guilty ... I gave several of those books a low rating too. What a great idea, though, and you're so right!

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message 5: by Katrina (new)

Nov 25, 2012 10:50PM

Deleted for being 3.60 or above:
Antony and Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (3.60)
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff (3.60)
Hive (Hive, #1) by Tim Curran (3.66)
Ufo's From Behind The Iron Curtain by Ion Hobana (3.62)
History of the Necronomicon by H.P. Lovecraft (3.71)
Changeling the Dreaming by Mark Rein-Hagen (3.67)
Rob Roy by Walter Scott (3.60)
The Trial (Illustrated Classics): A Graphic Novel by David Zane Mairowitz (3.96)

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message 6: by Tamara (new)

Nov 26, 2012 08:05AM

That middle 3 area is where most books seem to cluster. Quite a few of the ones I added were 3.5+, and i've only ever read 15 books rated under 3.3, and NONE rated at under 3. Need to make an opposite list - highly rated books (say, 4.4+ that don't deserve it...)

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message 7: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (new)

Nov 26, 2012 02:40PM

It seems to me (from spending too much time on Goodreads) that generally well-received books tend to have an average rating in the 3.7-4.1 range. Over 4.1 and the book is beloved by its readers, and quite possibly overrated.* Below 3.5 and there's definitely a problem, either with the book or with the readers. Between 3.5 and 3.7 is a gray area where opinions are mixed (this is where widely loathed bestsellers like Twilight, Eragon and Fifty Shades fall). So I decided to split that down the middle for the list, but it makes sense that the best-liked books in that range will be the ones between 3.5 and 3.6.

I have actually read two books with averages below a 3--neither is much good, although the 2.76-er I didn't find quite that awful. But it looks like publishers must do a better job than I give them credit for--just about anything they put out finds some fans, or we'd see a lot more 1s and 2s.

* @Tamara: I went to vote on your 4.4+ list, and then realized I'd only read a few books with such high averages and didn't really dislike any of them. Although I do think The Hunger Games is overrated.

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message 8: by Tamara (new)

Nov 26, 2012 04:14PM

Yeah, I think I might lower it a bit. I could only turn up 3 books, and I feel rather bad about tossing poor Harry Potter on there (only those slightly wonky later ones!) I really just made it for for Way of Kings, which is the single most highly rated book i've ever read, apparently, which drives me nuts, (it beats all of GRRM, Abercrombie, Abrahams, etc, not to mention every other author I HAVE EVER READ.) NUTS!

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message 9: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (new)

Nov 28, 2012 08:57AM

I don't understand the Way of Kings thing at all either--from what I've heard about it and from reading other Sanderson books, I imagine it's okay (although not something I intend to read), but not by any stretch something that should be rated higher than literally every book I have ever read!

But then, I don't understand a lot of the really high ratings. It makes sense for sequels where there's a lot of selection bias in who even bothers to read the books, but something like Game of Thrones will always be niche to me--I think it's an excellent piece of epic fantasy, but have plenty of friends on GR and in real life who either disliked it, or considered it entertaining but not particularly well-written. And somehow it's one of the highest-rated books I've read.

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message 10: by Grack21 (new)

Nov 28, 2012 08:22PM

I bought WoK on day 1 in hardcover and still have not read it. Thing is a beast.

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message 11: by Luke (new)

Jan 20, 2013 06:45PM

Removed for having a rating of 3.60+:

The Mystery of Edwin Drood - 3.60
The Last of Her Kind - 3.60
A Covert Agenda - 3.80
The Berlin-Baghdad Express: The Ottoman Empire and Germany's Bid for World Power - 3.64
Terminal World - 3.60
The Priest They Called Him: The Life and Legacy of William Burroughs - 3.60
Hay Fever - 3.60

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message 12: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (new)

Jan 20, 2013 07:05PM

Hey, the ratings of some of my books have gone up! Nice!

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message 13: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jul 10, 2013 03:46PM

Removed, for having a rating above 3.6:

Isn't It Pretty To Think So? (3.93)

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message 14: by [deleted user] (new)

Dec 12, 2013 10:17PM

Not a single one of these is rated poorly. In fact, every single one of these books is either a classic; held in high regards by scholars; or a super-popular book in the fantasy genre, which is slowly growing to be come a vastly popular genre. So, I can't help but voice confusion. And not to mention each of them has at least an average of 3.5 stars here on Goodreads. So I have no idea who made this list or why.

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message 15: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (new)

Dec 13, 2013 06:45AM

Well, I created the list, as you can see at the bottom, for the reasons in the list description. Also, you know, because this is Listopia and it's fun to create lists and see how people vote on them. Not everything here is a classic or fantasy (though I'm not sure why that matters?), but the way Listopia works is that if enough people vote on a list, the most popular items on it will rise to the top. As for the cut-off, when I see a book rated below around 3.6, that's when I start to wonder what the problem is.

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message 16: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Dec 13, 2013 08:47AM

As for "who made it": Emma created it, and 98 of us (so far) have voted on it. We are who have made it. Anyone who chooses to add to it can do so, and help make it.

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message 17: by sologdin (new)

Dec 13, 2013 06:59PM

why 3.6, incidentally? is rating inflation that bad?

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message 18: by Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship (last edited Dec 13, 2013 07:22PM) (new)

Dec 13, 2013 07:21PM

Susanna's right, there are now 100 people who've made the list, and anybody who thinks different books should be on it, can and should vote for them.

As for the 3.6, it's a bit arbitrary, and I talked about why in comment #7 above. Basically, yeah, the way Goodreads averages go, below 3.6 tells me there's an unusual amount of dislike for the book. Right now, out of 539 books on my "read" shelf, only 55 have averages of 3.59 or below. If we were to go for truly low ratings, there wouldn't be much to vote for: I currently only have 4 books with averages below 3.0, and didn't particularly like any of them.

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message 19: by John (new)

Jan 16, 2014 09:27AM

Removed The Awakening

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message 20: by Luke (new)

Apr 09, 2014 04:38PM

Deleted for having a rating of 3.60+:

Lord of the Flies
Cleopatra: A Life
Coriolanus
Black Skies : an Inspector Erlendur Novel
The Watchers
Two Plays: juno and the Paycock, The Shadow of A Gunman

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message 21: by Mike Briggs (new)

Apr 02, 2015 08:28AM

Removed for having a rating higher than 3.60:
Learning to Kiss in the Snow - by D.B. Tarpley - 4.24 avg rating — 17 ratings
Lick the Razor - by D.B. Tarpley - 3.79 avg rating — 29 ratings
The Night's Night - by D.B. Tarpley - 4.20 avg rating — 5 ratings
Leviathan - by Thomas Hobbes - 3.62 avg rating — 20,881 ratings
The History of Witchcraft and Demonology by Montague Summers - 3.62 277
Promises to Keep: African-Americans and the Constitutional Order, 1776 to the Present by Donald G. Nieman - 3.64 avg rating — 11 ratings

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message 22: by Mike Briggs (new)

Apr 02, 2015 08:30AM

"NOTE: Books with average ratings of 3.60 or above will be removed."

Removed for having a rating of exactly 3.60:
Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann - 3.60 avg rating — 6,433 ratings
Osman's Dream: The History of the Ottoman Empire - by Caroline Finkel - 3.60 avg rating — 411 ratings
Darwin for Beginners by Jonathan Miller - 3.60 avg rating — 205 ratings
In the Forest - by Edna O'Brien - 3.60 avg rating — 810 ratings
Raffles: The Amateur Cracksman (A.J. Raffles, The Gentleman Thief #1) - by E.W. Hornung - 3.60 avg rating — 990 ratings

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message 23: by amaldae (new)

Oct 09, 2015 02:43PM

Removed for having an avg. rating of 3.6:
The Werewolf of Paris
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

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message 24: by Mike Briggs (last edited Jan 27, 2017 02:04PM) (new)

Jan 27, 2017 01:56PM

as per:
'3.60 or above will be removed.'

Removed for having a too high rating:

Things Fall Apart (The African Trilogy, #1)
by Chinua Achebe
3.60 avg rating — 200,592 ratings

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
by Barbara Ehrenreich
3.60 avg rating — 155,406 ratings

A Son of the Circus
by John Irving (Goodreads Author)
3.60 avg rating — 16,024 ratings

Hunter's Run
by George R.R. Martin
3.60 avg rating — 2,224 ratings

Beauty Queens
by Libba Bray (Goodreads Author)
3.60 avg rating — 39,889 ratings

The Quiet War (The Quiet War #1)
by Paul McAuley (Goodreads Author)
3.60 avg rating — 1,687 ratings

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
by Amy Chua
3.60 avg rating — 37,449 ratings

The Europeans
by Henry James
3.60 avg rating — 2,989 ratings

Fallen Angels
by Noël Coward
3.64 avg rating — 76 ratings

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message 25: by Jane (new)

Oct 23, 2017 11:56PM

Removed due to ratings > 3.60
Gold Boy, Emerald Girl
Evenfall
By Sword and Fire
Savages and Civilization

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message 26: by Elyse (new)

Oct 19, 2018 02:19PM

Congratulations to #92 Driven, #133 Obasan, #152 All Cheeses Great and Small, and #189 Esther's Inheritance. They have risen above 3.60 and were deleted.

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message 27: by Mitchell (new)

Dec 25, 2020 06:56PM