What is all the fuss about? This is a stupid novel

[raybear]

First off, big ups to dommeyourass for her assistance in walking my love- pup, as it's freed up much time for me this evening to get things done. Though several of my errands will end up benefitting her later, but I can say no more.

I'm online looking for the info on a specific edition of a book and this list on amazon.com catches my eye: Books I Hated. It was so fcking funny. Mostly "classic" books (with the exception of Stephan King's Pet Semetary and some posthumous Tolkien book) and the commentary is extremely involved like "I hated this book" or "I couldn't get past page two" or my favorite "I hated the movie too". Anyway, it made me think of my own lists, so I decide to create my own damn meme.

Books I Hated But Didn't Own Up To Hating at the Time I Read Them; OR, Books I Hated But I've Forgotten That Fact:
1. Meridian -- Alice Walker
2. Les Miserables -- Victor Hugo
3. Cavedweller -- Dorothy Allison
4. White Teeth -- Zadie Smith
5. Catcher in the Rye -- J.D. Salinger (well, maybe not hate, but I certainly don't quite 'get' it)


Books I Unexpectedly Loved After Having Low Expectations:
1. Tess of the D'Ubervilles -- Thomas Hardy
2. The Last Temptation of Christ -- Kazantzakis
3. Empire Falls -- Richard Russo
4. The Martian Chronicles -- Ray Bradbury
5. White Noise -- Dom Delillo


Books I Wanted to Love But Couldn't Get Into:
1. Lullaby -- Chuck Palahniuk
2. A Heartbreaking Work... -- Dave Eggers (maybe I shouldn't count this as I've never finished it)
2a. Infinite Jest -- David Foster Wallace (again, I got close to page 100 out of 700, but didn't finish)
3. Crime and Punishment -- Dostoevksy (I love his others)
4. The Waves -- Virginia Woolf (same as above)
5. anything by Jane Austen. Now I don't really care that I don't love her, but I went through a phase where I tried really hard.

Comments

[cocolola.livejournal.com]

you sicko that you loved white noise but not white teeth.

Re:

[raybear.livejournal.com]

i didn't completely hate white teeth, it's just.....i read it in preparation for introducing her reading at Feminist Bookstore in the midst of the hype. remind me to tell you my Zadie stories sometime in person.

Re:

[cocolola.livejournal.com]

i'm interested. it is sad if circumstances ruined the book for you- sometimes that happens, no? still, i think that book is so funny and so well written.

Re:

[raybear.livejournal.com]

meeting authors through working in bookstores (and now through grad school) definitely offers amazing perspective on craft and personality. writers who are kind and grateful but mediocre in talent, others who are pompous and narcissistic but mediocre in talent, etc. etc. Zadie was definitely one of the more fascinating experiences. Oh, and remind me to tell you about Rosellen Brown....and Sara Paretsky....and Amber Hollibaugh....maybe I should write a series of bookstore chronicles in my journal.