Go Fug Yourself Book Club discussion
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Books You DIDN'T Like
Margaret wrote: "Erin wrote: "Megan wrote: "This might not be a popular opinion, but I really, really did not like GONE GIRL. The first *twist* was interesting, and I think really well done, but it ended up complic..."I disliked both Gone Girl and the Dragon Tattoo books. I thought it was pretty funny that the Dragon Tattoo author was a schlubby guy in real life and hey the author in the book is a schlubby guy, but yet every woman wants to sleep with him? Please. Also found it just too sick/violent/twisted. The Lisbeth character is ridiculous - as a librarian/researcher, it really bugged me how she was supposed to be this expert researcher (I know you can't access the info she had legally) so of course it was all due to hacking. Also all the depictions of their terrible diet (all that detail about microwaved pizza etc.) was odd, can someone eat an apple? It also bothered me when I read that he based the Lisbeth character on his anorexic niece, but then the Lisbeth character slept with schlubby author who was obviouly based on the real life author? Kinda weird. Gone Girl had an interesting twist, but the whole story and ending didn't work for me.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - TOTALLY made me very stabby - another probably very unpopular opinion! But this book would NOT end! Its confusing and jumps around, and you couldn't even skim it very easily, which made me even more stabby! Everybody is awful, with no redeeming qualities at all, awful and stupid, and violent for pathetic reasons. I get this was based on a lot of historical facts that are just as awful and stupid and violent for pathetic reasons, but this book did not make me any more enamored with this period of time!
Bronwen wrote: "Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - TOTALLY made me very stabby - another probably very unpopular opinion! But this book would NOT end! Its confusing and jumps around, and you couldn't even skim it very ..."I agree. I didn't even get all the way through Wolf Hall. Don't really get the hype! Also agree with the people who did not like Gone Girl. But I did love The Goldfinch. So you never know. :-)
I recently read Revenge Wears Prada, the sequel to Devil wears Prada. I actually threw the book away rather than donating it so I could spare another unsuspecting reader
Kim wrote: "I recently read Revenge Wears Prada, the sequel to Devil wears Prada. I actually threw the book away rather than donating it so I could spare another unsuspecting reader"I feel you! I read Lauren Weisberger's 'Everyone worth knowing', and I barely made it to page 100 before I put it away. I think it was the first book I read I was actively angry at, my boyfriend would know whenever I read it cause I made lots of 'UGH' 'argh' noises :D
Janine wrote: "Kim wrote: "I recently read Revenge Wears Prada, the sequel to Devil wears Prada. I actually threw the book away rather than donating it so I could spare another unsuspecting reader"I feel you! ..."
I will second the notion on Revenge Wears Prada. After thoroughly enjoying the Devil Wears Prada, the sequel was an extreme disappointment.
Bonnie wrote: "Lord I loved The Corrections. I feel so alone! :)I also loathe Jodi Picoult, so that brings me a sense of community. And I agree that "creepily prurient" is a perfect description of her work."
I loved The Corrections! There are a lot of us!
Hannah wrote: "I went on a great big superlong road trip and brought a bunch of audiobooks, one of which was Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (who I'd never read before) and it was PAINFULLY boring. I felt like..."As a person who lives a mile from Telegraph Avenue and loves Michael Chabon's books (and our daughters were on the same swim team for a while ;)), I thought I would love Telegraph Avenue. I still haven't been able to finish it. Could not care less about anything that is happening or the way it is being described.
Hannah wrote: "I went on a great big superlong road trip and brought a bunch of audiobooks, one of which was Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (who I'd never read before) and it was PAINFULLY boring. I felt like..."Oh, I beg you to give Chabon another chance and read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. It's one of my favorite books. Telegraph Ave was admittedly written like a modern Middlemarch (I fall asleep just thinking about Middlemarch.)
Erica wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I went on a great big superlong road trip and brought a bunch of audiobooks, one of which was Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (who I'd never read before) and it was PAINFULLY bori..."Really? I LOVE Middlemarch. It's one of the books I reread most often. And I love Michael Chabon too -- especially Mysteries of Pittsburgh and Wonder Boys. But I could not manage TA.
Ashley wrote: "Ooh, this is such a great discussion! I agree with a lot of those listed here - I couldn't get into The Goldfinch (I'm embarrassed to say that it bored me), The Interestings (ditto), Beautiful Rui..."OMG I'm so glad others were bored with The Interestings! I felt like the main character was so childish that maybe had I read it in my teens or early 20s I could have at least *tried* to see her point of view but mostly I just wanted to smack her. I gave up about half way through.
Erica wrote: "I felt like the main character was so childish that maybe had I read it in my teens or early 20s I could have at least *tried* to see her point of view but mostly I just wanted to smack her. I gave up about half way through."Early (mid?) 20s here! I was really looking forward to this one, but gave up after a few chapters.
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This is good to hear. I love Chabon. Kavelier & Clay is in my top 10 favorite books ever and I don't think I have ever read a book of his I did not enjoy (even Gentlemen of the Road, which a lot of people did not like)....until Telegraph Avenue. I did not even finish it, which is rare for me. I had thought I would try again at some point, but these comments are making me think I will just put that off for a good long while. Thanks. Also I am jealous of your hometown Nora. I was actually just talking to someone yesterday about a job in Oakland. I love it there so much. I dream of having avocado and fig and apricot trees in my yard.
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50 and I loved it. One of the best of the year for me. So its not an age thing. I was talking to my sister about it, and she felt that the book was resonant for us because our experience of adolescence and growing up was so much like that of most of the books characters. Maybe it is one of those things with a limited audience.
Kim wrote: "I recently read Revenge Wears Prada, the sequel to Devil wears Prada. I actually threw the book away rather than donating it so I could spare another unsuspecting reader"I only made it a chapter into Devil Wears Prada, so I can't even imagine how bad the sequel must be.
I think i'm the only person I know that couldn't make it through Cold Mountain...and I normally finish every book I start.
Erica wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I went on a great big superlong road trip and brought a bunch of audiobooks, one of which was Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (who I'd never read before) and it was PAINFULLY bori..."
I do have a copy of the yiddish policeman's union floating around here someplace and that cover is too pretty to be ignored (the reason i bought it, i think, because that is where my priorities lie when it comes to book buying) so maybe i'll give that a try. (i just discovered i have a copy of k&c also, apparently, so i'll give it a shot!)
I do have a copy of the yiddish policeman's union floating around here someplace and that cover is too pretty to be ignored (the reason i bought it, i think, because that is where my priorities lie when it comes to book buying) so maybe i'll give that a try. (i just discovered i have a copy of k&c also, apparently, so i'll give it a shot!)
The only book I remember not finishing lately is Never Let Me Go. The idea had me so intrigued, but actually reading the story just made me physically nauseous.That could also have been that I was newly pregnant at the time. But still, the association is there.
I know I'm likely to get flamed for this, but I HAAAAAAAAATED To Kill a Mockingbird and I absolutely don't understand the undying love a lot of people have for it. I thought maybe it was because I read it as a high school freshman with a jerk of an English teacher and so maybe I would try again at some point as an adult because I would better understand the nuances or the story or something, but I saw the Gregory Peck movie a couple years ago (which I understand to be relatively true to the book) and I hated that as much as I hated the book 15 years ago, so I don't know if I will bother. I also have 2 half finished books on my Kindle - "The Mill on the Floss" by George Eliot, which I keep trying to go back and finish because the only reason I stopped was that my interest flagged, and "A Dead Man in Deptford" by Anthony Burgess, which I will NEVER finish. It is much too graphic for my tastes, which I probably should have known since I could only watch like 15 minutes of A Clockwork Orange (book also by Anthony Burgess) before I had to leave the room.
Katie wrote: "I know I'm likely to get flamed for this, but I HAAAAAAAAATED To Kill a Mockingbird and I absolutely don't understand the undying love a lot of people have for it ..."I don't understand "undying love" for it. I thought it was beautifully written (the image at the beginning of southern ladies drooping like frosted teacakes in the afternoon has stuck with me for 25+ years), and a powerful story that needed to be told, but not enjoyable as such. Not a pleasurable read.
I loathed Mill on the floss. I am starting to marvel that I passed my degree since I apparently didn't finish so many of the assigned texts.
Jenn wrote: "The only book I remember not finishing lately is Never Let Me Go. The idea had me so intrigued, but actually reading the story just made me physically nauseous.That could also have be..."
I have found that pregnancy and motherhood affect what I can read, at least at the margins. I'm glad I read The Sweet Hereafter before I had children. It's a great book and I'm sure I could never manage to get through it now.
I think when it comes to the undying love for To Kill A Mockingbird, for many there is an acceptable distance between "pleasurable read" and "something I learned from this book," that, when topped off with that gorgeous writing, makes it sort of indelible, especially when read at an age when you are just figuring out all of the things a book can do. It was also, for me, one of the first times I felt in the same position as the narrator w/r/t understanding all of the complicated adult things that happen in the world. It never would have been "pleasurable" given the subject it is tackling, and I think that is pretty important.
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You are not the only person. I hated Cold Mountain and did not finish it. So dull!
Hannah wrote: "Erica wrote: "Hannah wrote: "I went on a great big superlong road trip and brought a bunch of audiobooks, one of which was Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (who I'd never read before) and it was ..."Haven't read Telegraph Avenue yet, but Kavalier & Clay is one of my favorites. I read the first 250 pages on a plane trip and then didn't want to do anything at my destination until I'd finished it! I'm reading Manhood for Amateurs right now (a non-fiction book of essays) and I really like his writing style and insights. I LOVED Yiddish Policeman's Union but I'm not sure it's for everyone. It's a sort of film noir Sam Spade novel set in an alternate reality with offbeat subtle humor -- I think you have to be in the right mood to read it.
Megan wrote: "I think when it comes to the undying love for To Kill A Mockingbird, for many there is an acceptable distance between "pleasurable read" and "something I learned from this book," that, when topped ..."'"something I learned from this book," that, when topped off with that gorgeous writing, makes it sort of indelible, especially when read at an age when you are just figuring out all of the things a book can do. It was also, for me, one of the first times I felt in the same position as the narrator w/r/t understanding all of the complicated adult things that happen in the world.'
That right there is, perhaps, the key to understanding why so many hold the book so dear to their hearts.
I can honestly say I love the book. For me, it gets better with every reading. I understand it differently now than I did when I was younger. It's certainly not the easiest of topics, but the way each character is written and the intensity of the situation make for a compelling read.
But, the thing is, some books sing for some people and are nothing but nails on a chalkboard for others. That's the beauty of books. We all bring our unique perspectives to what we read, we all interpret what's written differently, and we are all impacted differently by various things.
I'm in camp Undying Love for TKaM - to the point where I purposefully chose my current glasses because they're a modern take on the frames Gregory Peck wore in the movie.I'd have to echo Joanie's comment on understanding it different now vs then. When I first read it in school, it was simply a good book with characters I couldn't stop thinking about (along with some truly gorgeous writing). With each reread I take away something new. The same can be said for other fantastic novels I first read in high school (Gatsby, for example, is a far different story at 16 than it is at 26).
I agree about Wolf Hall. It was SO TEDIOUS, and only really got interesting towards the end when they start killing everyone off. On the plus side, I did a quiz on British history a few days after finishing it, and it totally helped bump up my score. My go to books for awfulness are:
- Wuthering Heights. Terrible. I may have liked it if I'd read it as a melancholy 15 year old, but as an adult I just found them annoying
- The line of beauty. It's about Thatcher's Britain and class divides and homophobia. It's awful.
One that's love and hate is A Fine Balance by Vikram Seth. It was lent to be my a friend, and I think it was revenge for recommending she watch Revolutionary Road while on holiday. It's beautifully written, and a great story but so flipping depressing. I'm still sad about it, over a year later.
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Conversely, I actively wanted all of them to die!!
Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm remembering a bunch of books I hated. Gone Girl, Divergent, and Twilight top the list, but 50 Shades of Grey takes the cake. I made the mistake of having those be the only books I brought on a short vacation. By last one, I actually threw the book across the room, I was so mad. I hate-finished it and feel like I wasted those hours.
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Joanie wrote: "But, the thing is, some books sing for some people and are nothing but nails on a chalkboard for others. That's the beauty of books. We all bring our unique perspectives to what we read, we all interpret what's written differently, and we are all impacted differently by various things."I think this is the key, at least for me WRT TKaM. I keep trying to figure out what it is that I don't like about it, especially since so many people I respect enjoyed it so much, but I think I may have just missed the boat somehow. OTOH, I absolutely adored East of Eden and I know a lot of people who detest that one.
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I don't think I can legitimately say I "hate" this book, but I was not as captivated by it as I thought I would be..."The Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness. I'm the girl who re-read all the Harry Potter books several times, so I thought a book about witches and vampires would create the same attachment. But maybe it's because the vampire thing has been so overdone, but I find it difficult to get very interested or attached to the characters. It also feels a bit predictable--of course the main character (the witch) falls in love with the vampire. But I don't "hate" it, and am only 1/4 in so hope it gets better. :)
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East of Eden is now added to my To-read list. Thanks all!
I LOATHED Wuthering Heights. Hate it with a passion. So you're definitely not alone in that, Michelle!
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Me too, despised it! Also on this list of books that are sacrosanct and which I nonetheless despised, Madam Bovary. I know! Don't hate me.
I was surprised nobody had mentioned Madame Bovary. I felt that the main character was written to be sympathetic, but I found her to be simpering instead.
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Right? I know I am supposed to feel the sisterhood, and I know that women of that era were trapped in ways I can never fully understand. But I just wanted her to get a damn grip and deal with her situation in some constructive way (and she had options.)
Bonnie wrote: "Sneha wrote: "I was surprised nobody had mentioned Madame Bovary. I felt that the main character was written to be sympathetic, but I found her to be simpering instead."Right? I know I am suppos..."
I liked reading Madame Bovary, maybe because I read it for a French class and was focused on Flaubert's writing, which I love. But I couldn't stand Anna Karenina, for the reasons you all mention. So much a man's view of a woman's mind. Maybe it was the translation? But I enjoyed War and Peace, so I don't know.
About Wuthering Heights: I agree that it's a terrible "romance novel," and it's too bad it's sold as such. But as a novel about crazed obsession, I think it holds its own really well (compared to, say, Gone Girl). I find the Brontes really interesting, but in the Austen vs. Bronte debate, I'm all Austen all the time.
While we're in the 19th century, back to George Eliot. I liked Mill on the Floss--way more than Silas Marner, which was the one we were force fed in high school and which I imagine is much better when you're older and a parent. But Middlemarch is a masterpiece: beautiful and profound and funny and sad. Also very long, but I think it could go on the list of possible GFY discussions, since it's all about how women make their way in the world. And it has some Fug/Fab moments for sure.
ElizabethT
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Right? I k..."
I read Madam Bovary in English, so I may have been cheated out of the beauty of the writing in and of itself. I love the comparison between Gone Girl (which I also did not love) and Wuthering Heights. I am going to need to think on that one.
I really hated Silas Marner. I read it in 12th grade honors Humanities, and though I know I should reread it lo these many years later, I just can't. I have a sense memory of the agony of the first reading. Like literary PTSD.
A side note, I am also all Austen all the time.
Elizabeth wrote: "While we're in the 19th century, back to George Eliot. I liked Mill on the Floss--way more than Silas Marner, which was the one we were force fed in high school and which I imagine is much better when you're older and a parent. But Middlemarch is a masterpiece: beautiful and profound and funny and sad. Also very long, but I think it could go on the list of possible GFY discussions, since it's all about how women make their way in the world. And it has some Fug/Fab moments for sure."Loved Middlemarch, loathed Mill on the Floss so much that I have forgotten precisely why, but mentally it is filed with Tess of the D'Urbervilles under "victim blaming".
And I am also all Austen, all the time.
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After all that reading (and writing), I felt like I never wanted to read another book again. And I think I took a reading break for like 5 years. The most I could manage was a magazine.
All of that is to say that whenever someone in the Book Club wants to read a classic Austin or Bronte, I'm like NOOOOO! DON'T MAKE ME! (Though I will say that I had them read Return of the Native, which still stands as one of my favorite books. I wanted to BE Eustacia Vye.)
In retrospect, I find Vic Lit to be depressing! I tend to remark about how glad I am, as a woman, to live in the 21st century!!
Nora wrote: "I hated Rules of Civility so much I could barely finish it. I think this is partly because so many people recommended it. I found the writing insipid, and the characters were pointlessly unappea..."I agree! This book came recommended to me and it was so terrible. I didn't care about any of the characters.
Heather62981 wrote: "I LOATHED Wuthering Heights. Hate it with a passion. So you're definitely not alone in that, Michelle!"I agree one hundred percent. When I finished the book, I wanted to slap every single character.
Stavra wrote: "The Corrections by Jonathon Franzen. To this day, I can't speak about Franzen without feeling ragey. It was just breathtakingly condescending. I have been a voracious reader all my life and I didn'..."I threw this book across the room on page 8. My BFF told me she had me beat because she did it at page 3.
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YES!!!
I read Atonement in the summer after I finished high school because I was jealous th..."
I loved Atonement, but I get why it did not work for you. If you did not like it because it has little action and is sad you won't like other Ian McEwan either. He has a definite style. Not every writer is for every reader. I can't abide Dostoyevsky, which does not mean he was not a great writer.
I've given myself permission to quit books if they aren't doing it for me, so it's rare I read a book I really hate. But The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman was just detestable. It was one of those big sellers a few years ago that seemed like the perfect combination of popular and literary, plus it was set in a community of expats in Italy--all things I like. But it had the thinnest of plots, not a single likable character, and I think the author really had a lot of cynical contempt for the whole world he depicts. If this is the novel in the drawer that every journalist supposedly has, I hope they keep them locked away far from the light of day!
Sneha wrote: "I was surprised nobody had mentioned Madame Bovary. I felt that the main character was written to be sympathetic, but I found her to be simpering instead."I don't think we're intended to feel so much sympathy for Emma. I've always thought she was Flaubert's symbol of the end result of starving women of education and independent thought. She is vacuous and self-centered.
Go Fug Yourself Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
It Was Me All Along (other topics)Consequences (other topics)
The Girl on the Train (other topics)
The Girl on the Train (other topics)
The Girl on the Train (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Ian McEwan (other topics)Fyodor Dostoevsky (other topics)
Thanks for the input, Allie, I've really been wondering this! It seems to me there are so many anti-heroes out there that other people love and I can't stand, like Hannibal Lecter or Dexter or Tony Soprano (or Lisbeth Salander) or any number of others. The main characters in Gone Girl didn't seem any worse to me than these other anti-heroes. Your explanation is helpful to me.