Go Fug Yourself Book Club discussion
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Books You DIDN'T Like
I know this book was mentioned much earlier in the thread, but I hated The Discovery of Witches. I wanted to like it, I really did. I read many of the Sookie Stackhouse books and I loved the Anne Rive witch series, so I've experienced a wide range of "paranormal fiction" (not sure the proper name of the genre), but DoW was absolutely terrible. I hated every single character in the book, with the exception of the family house -- that was nice comic relief. The main character changed her attitude 180 degrees in a matter of days, and her "greatest love ever" relationship with the vampire was ridiculous. I refused to read the second book in the trilogy, and I haven't heard or read many positive reviews for the final book, even from one of my best friends who actually did like DoW.
Alicia wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Here it is Alicia, and in post 262 above . I don't know where the Harry Potter one in your post came from .....https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..."
That j..."
Mine is the first, sorry, thought I'd said that that . Here it is anyway.
I want to say I loved this book , but I feel prevented from doing so because it has left me so, well,frankly depressed. Yes, it is wonderful prose and yes, Hannah Kent is amazingly talented but the subject matter and general ambience is so utterly dour, so dismal, so miserably dark and cold I could hardly bear it. Babies die unborn , their mothers in welters of blood and pain, bodies lie unburied due to the frozen ground, stored in sheds on piles of dried fish. People are desperately poor, animals die of cold and starvation -or are hideously trapped or clubbed to death ( the method of catching foxes by maiming the cubs so their cries of agony bring the adults to the trappers is a scene I can never lose. I am sorry if I have put it in someone else's head now)
I saw no evidence of love or sex that was not tainted and damned ,even Margret and Jon's was, if not miserable, certainly not joyful. And anyway, she is dying . No friendship was without guile or betrayal, except perhaps that of the young Reverend.
I don't expect or want all I read to be happy or upbeat or end well, but I have to say, this may be the most depressing book I have ever read. Damn fine debut , but I was not surprised after I read it, I to hear Hannah Kent say she may be haunted by Agnes.............. (
Brooke wrote: "I know this book was mentioned much earlier in the thread, but I hated The Discovery of Witches. I wanted to like it, I really did. I read many of the Sookie Stackhouse books and I loved the Anne..."Discovery of Witches was *terrible* - weirdly, I actually woke up this morning thinking how terrible it was that he shamed her for wanting to have sex with him.
Barbara wrote: "Mine is the first, sorry, thought I'd said that that . Here it is anyway..."I think different reviews show on different people's pages - the first one that showed for me was someone called Chrissy? Anyway, I think that was very well said!
It's similar to how I feel about Annie Proulx's novels - well-written, atmospheric but so, so bleak.
Thank you Alicia, I know what you mean by about Proulx though I do like her . I feel a bit the same, though for different reasons, about the work of Anita Brookner. Do you know her ? An English novelist , few characters and not really a plot or story necessarily , just meticulously described inner journeys etc . Wonderful writing , but I sometimes get so that I want to slap her dour , self absorbed, self effacing people and say oh for Heavens sake get over yourself ....
I know *of* Anita Brookner, but I haven't read any of her novels. I've seen the movie version of Hotel du Lac which certainly conveys that impression!
Seconding (thirding?) The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - This is not a book I would have typically picked out for myself, but a friend wanted me to read the trilogy with her so she would have someone to discuss it with. It was just so, so bad. Every stereotypical vampire/witch trope was met.
Harkness ties the characters to historical events, which is okay except she does it so much that it's just obnoxious.
The main characters, especially Diana, were total dopes.
It's also a rather lengthy novel that has zero resolutions to any of the problems the characters run into.
Just all around bad.
Has anyone said Wolf Hall yet? I feel rather embarrassed to say that I couldn't even finish it and I love the period and the characters and, up to now , everything Hilary Mantel has ever written . But Wolf Hall, soooo boooring . I haven't even tried the sequel - Bringing Out The Bodies is it ?
Mod
Adored both books, and loved the new perspective on Thomas Moore and Thomas Cromwell, but they are really long.
I loved Wolf Hall but it had a weird thing where she kept using 'he' without an antecedent. You had to really focus. Bring Up The Bodies was better that way.
Barbara wrote: "Has anyone said Wolf Hall yet? I feel rather embarrassed to say that I couldn't even finish it and I love the period and the characters and, up to now , everything Hilary Mantel has ever written..."Me! I brought it up earlier. We made similar comments: love the period and its history yet abandoned the book. I may give Bring Up the Bodies a go.
I read 1 or 2 Nicholas Sparks books that my coworker leant me (for some reason she wants to try to make my cry) and I have a 3rd that I will not be reading any time soon. All the books are the same and boring to boot. My other coworker reads Jodi picoult religiously but I really don't like sentimental stuff so I hate it on principle
I read the first 50 shades in the bookstore and I already knew I would hate it but I actually threw it down a few times in disgust.
I liked divergent when I read it but when I saw the movie, it dawned on me how stupid it was. I read the rest of the series though.
A discovery of witches was a bit too repetitive and kind of twilighty … a witch suppressing her powers finds a magical book and falls in love with a vampire and it's kind of destiny. I read the first 2 and the third is in my shelf.
I read twilight and Harry Potter because everyone loved them but alas, not for me. I could not tell you a single thing that happened in either series.
I recently read caught by Lisa Moore (canadian book) and live by the night by Dennis Lehane and both of them took so long to slog through and I was so annoyed at the endings. Like, you built up the characters and the story and I read 300 pages and THIS is what you leave me with???
Claire-Dee wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Has anyone said Wolf Hall yet? I feel rather embarrassed to say that I couldn't even finish it and I love the period and the characters and, up to now , everything Hilary Mantel ..."Oops, senior moment on my part Claire-Dee. I might try Bring Up the Bodies after all
Katy wrote: "Seconding (thirding?) The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - This is not a book I would have typically picked out for myself, but a friend wanted me to read the trilogy with her so she woul..."Admitting I just officially gave up on The Discovery of Witches myself. One of my friends also wanted to read the trilogy with me. I got about 2/3 of the way through this first book of the three and got exasperated with the female witch being contradicted and ordered about by the male vampire who was unfailingly right as well as powerfully sexy. Of course. (Insert eye roll here.) My friend hasn't mentioned it in a while, so I hope she's forgotten I was going to read it. Instead, I've been listening to the audio book of The Guns of August while knitting Christmas presents, having been reminded by the poppy installation in London that I wanted to reread this. Now that book I CAN recommend to history buffs.
I just finished reading "The Guns of August"! It took me a relatively long time to read (compared with the time I usually take to get through a book) and I had trouble following the strategy but I loved the human drama and, yes, comedy of it all. Who read the audio book?I have a feeling this is going to be an unpopular opinion but I just read "Little Women" for a book club and found it sanctimonious and patronizing. I swear, I wanted to kick Alcott for the infantile portrayals of these girls/women. But damned if I didn't get all verklempt at the end. I'm not made of stone, after all.
I swear, I wanted to kick Alcott for the infantile portrayals of these girls/women. But damned if I didn't get all verklempt at the end. I'm not made of stone, after all. I re-read "Little Women" a couple years ago and had the same reaction to the sanctimony and patronizing. It was incredibly annoying and obvious, and I guess I missed it when I was a teenager. Even so, like you, I got involved in the characters, especially Jo.
The English Patient. Couldn't read the book. Tried twice. Also loathed the movie.
Mod
Lori wrote: "The English Patient. Couldn't read the book. Tried twice. Also loathed the movie."You aren't really Elaine Benes are you Lori ?
I loved the English Patient and hated the movie the first time I saw it because it had the wrong fucking ending. I went to see it again and liked it that time because I was prepared for it not to end the way the book ended.
Mod
You aren't really Elaine Benes are you Lori ?"
Thanks for the laugh.
Bonnie wrote: "Barbara wrote: "Lori wrote: "The English Patient. Couldn't read the book. Tried twice. Also loathed the movie."You aren't really Elaine Benes are you Lori ?"
Thanks for the laugh."
I am not Elaine Benes either, but I also hated them both. Except for when Naveen Andrews unwound his turban...yum
Bonnie wrote: "I don't know if other people think like this, but there are people who if they hate or love a book I know I will have the opposite reaction. There is one in my IRL book club and others online. The..."Definitely. Also restaurant and movie reviewers!
One of the few books I just could not finish was Closing Time, the sequel to Catch 22, which is one of my favorite novels. I just couldn't do it.
Annabel, oh yes, the turban unwinding ,so very sensual, mm. There is a scene in Witness where Harrison Fords character glimpses a woman washing herself which is similarly understated and perfect.
Wendy wrote: "One of the few books I just could not finish was Closing Time, the sequel to Catch 22, which is one of my favorite novels. I just couldn't do it."Agreed, completely. I was so excited to find out there was a sequel and it was just so deflating :/
Mod
Agreed, completely. I was so excite..."
Same here. Despite loving Catch 22 beyond measure, I didn't even try another Heller book for like 20 years after Closing Time. It was just terrible.
Mod
Yes, I have those people too. Food is a big one. I have clients whom I take out and they will ask to go to the Olive Garden. I don't ask for recs from those folks. Related: When I compare books on GR there are certain books I look for and if a reader did not like them (or did like them) I know we don't mesh. Catch 22, The Things They Carried, Oscar Wao...there are more but those come to mind. My litmus tests.
Has anyone here read Karen Russell's Swamplandia!? I was very much looking forward to it, but I absolutely hated it. Russell's writing is really beautiful, but the story was just so boring I couldn't read for more than 30-40 minutes at a time.
Katy wrote: "Has anyone here read Karen Russell's Swamplandia!? I was very much looking forward to it, but I absolutely hated it. Russell's writing is really beautiful, but the story was just so boring I couldn..."I prefer her short story collection. Also she's really sweet and funny in person :D
Robin wrote: "Katy wrote: "Has anyone here read Karen Russell's Swamplandia!? I was very much looking forward to it, but I absolutely hated it. Russell's writing is really beautiful, but the story was just so bo..."Yes! Her short stories are awesome. I honestly feel bad for not liking this book.
Mod
I actually loved Swamplandia. I found it charming, and I fell in love with Ava. I felt that the magical realism blended beautifully with the Southern Gothic style. I am often not a fan of magical realism. For instance I really did not like the Night Circus, which was a much more popular book than Swamplandia. My primary reason for disliking it was that it was a blatant rip off of Something Wicked This Way Comes, and was not nearly as good. But I also thought the use of magical realism was clunky ad a little silly.
Robin wrote: "Katy wrote: "Has anyone here read Karen Russell's Swamplandia!? I was very much looking forward to it, but I absolutely hated it. Russell's writing is really beautiful, but the story was just so bo..."I enjoy her writing and the first part of Swamplandia was wonderful, but about halfway through the storyline took a turn I wish it hadn't (I'm being vague here for spoilers) which pretty much ruined the book for me.
Katy wrote: "Robin wrote: "Katy wrote: "Has anyone here read Karen Russell's Swamplandia!? I was very much looking forward to it, but I absolutely hated it. Russell's writing is really beautiful, but the story ..."I still haven't read Swamplandia but I've heard her read other stories within that "universe" and can't say I was a fan of those :/
Margaret wrote: "Robin wrote: "Katy wrote: "Has anyone here read Karen Russell's Swamplandia!? I was very much looking forward to it, but I absolutely hated it. Russell's writing is really beautiful, but the story ..."I feel the same way. I would have much rather she stayed focused on the failing business/grief than the "supernatural" twist it took. I will say that I liked Kiwi's trajectory and I wish the rest of the story had followed that suit.
I'm reading Middlesex and got stuck somewhere in the first hundred pages and just can't bring myself to go on. I really liked Virgin Suicides! But I can't get into this one? All the characters so far have been really unlikeable, really well-structured, but wholly unlikeable, and I hate not having someone to root for. I don't know if I'll continue with it. Can anyone speak for or against finishing it?
Mod
It is one of my favorite books of all time, but I am not a person who needs to like or root for characters in books in order to love the book. I just want characters to be well drawn and interesting, so we may not approach books the same way. That said, I thought everyone in Middlesex was a sympathetic character.
Hannah wrote: "I'm reading Middlesex and got stuck somewhere in the first hundred pages and just can't bring myself to go on. I really liked Virgin Suicides! But I can't get into this one? All the cha..."I too LOVED Virgin Suicides and it took me a couple of tries to get enough into Middlesex to finish it. I eventually did but I didn't love it like I did Virgin Suicides. I bought Eugenides' most recent book on sale but haven't read it yet.
It's been a few years since I read it, but I recall Middlesex getting better and better as the book went on. I really did not want it to end!!
Hannah wrote: "I'm reading Middlesex and got stuck somewhere in the first hundred pages and just can't bring myself to go on. I really liked Virgin Suicides! But I can't get into this one? All the cha..."It can take awhile to get there with this book. I remember actively being frustrated by some of the characters. HOWEVER by the end, I realized that somewhere along the way I fell in love with this book. I re-read it every few years. I'd vote for you to keep at it.
I found Middlesex good, but much less compelling than The Virgin Suicides, and The Marriage Plot was just overwhelmingly "meh" for me, which really bummed me out.
So a quick update, even though it doesn't follow the theme of this discussion (sorry, moderators): Middlesex was great and thank you all for telling me to finish it!
I love Middlesex! One of my favorite books, and got my copy autographed on National Book Day. It was so hot that day but worth it!
The 2nd Outlander book infuriated me! The first one drew me in but the violent, bloody S and M was a huge turn off. I still wanted to know what would happen so I began the 2nd. The stabby feelings commenced! It didn't start where 1 left off. Oh no! Years had passed! Then the story had to back track in order to fill us in on what had happened in the meantime. As if the time travel wasn't enough. I did not finish it.
Mod
I did finish, but it was a struggle. People say the 3rd is good, and I have considered it, but I did not like the 2nd.
Bonnie wrote: "Julia wrote: "The 2nd Outlander book infuriated me! The first one drew me in but the violent, bloody S and M was a huge turn off. I still wanted to know what would happen so I began the 2nd. The s..."Oh god, the second Outlander book was BORING. I finished it, and I didn't even hate it, but it was such a slog. I would like to read the third one, but it's definitely a pretty low priority for me.
Hannah wrote: "I'm reading Middlesex and got stuck somewhere in the first hundred pages and just can't bring myself to go on. I really liked Virgin Suicides! But I can't get into this one? All the cha..."I really liked Middlesex, but I enjoyed in from the start. I'd recommend sticking with it awhile longer but I'm biased...
A friend insisted I read Susan Howatch's Wheel of Fortune when she found I had not read it before. I can only read it when in the bathroom for a while if you know what I mean . God, I hate everybody in it and am reading it only as a promise. She is a very competent , even exciting writer but .......the rampant sexism, both examined and , I fear, unexamined is so hard to take ...
Hi Barbara --How far are you into WoF? It is one of my favorite books and I reread it every couple of years. I think, what took me by surprise when I first read it, oh so long ago (I think I was a teen when I first read it), was to read Robert's POV and then go on to find out what an unreliable narrator he was. And then to continue reading and recognize that each member of a family has a unique history of the same events. Maybe others have done it better, but it was the first book of that sort that I'd ever read and it will always have a special place in my heart. It is interesting to hear someone else's opinion on it.
Barbara wrote: "A friend insisted I read Susan Howatch's Wheel of Fortune when she found I had not read it before. I can only read it when in the bathroom for a while if you know what I mean . God, I hate..."
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)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..."
That just takes me to all the reviews - and there are 100 pages of them!