Um, Not So Much

I was catching up on my blogroll when I found an intriguing link at Diana’s Diversions to this Publisher’s Weekly post on “The Book Loved by Everyone But You.” Naturally, I had to go and check it out. Amazing! Other people besides me don’t love everything loved by everyone else!

In the spirit of full disclosure, a partial list of books other people adore that I can’t stand:

• A Confederacy of Dunces – overwrought and unfunny. This was a sympathy Pulitzer, methinks.
• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close – nonsensical.
• The Scarlet Letter – okay, that’s stretching the “adoration” point, but English teachers are supposed to at least revere this one, right? Not mimi. Hate it with a Scarlet Passion.
• Twilight – wimpy female leads do nothing for me.
• The Sun Also Rises – you can toss most of Hemingway in with this one, except the short stories. Those are worth keeping.
• Life of Pi – confusing and depressing.
• The Horse Whisperer – “romance” written by men never ends happily. I’m not much into finding the perfect love and then having him/her ripped away so the remaining partner pines until death. There’s enough sorrow in the world without mixing love all into it, thanks.
• A Separate Peace – I’m probably just the wrong gender for this one. Certainly the wrong social class.
• Eragon – Anne McCaffrey did the dragon thing better. Mixing in her mythology with a healthy dose of Tolkein does not a great book make, even if it was written by a 15-year-old homeschooled wunderkind. Color me unimpressed.
• Catcher in the Rye – another one I’m supposed to love because of the teacher thing. I don’t.
• anything by Ayn Rand. – I’ve tried, but I can’t finish anything she’s ever written.
• The Double Bind – clever use of Gatsby, poor way to conceal your plot points. This book was better when it was Robert Cormier’s I Am the Cheese.
• The Accidental Tourist – the character building. I’m all for giving characters quirks to make them realistic and human, but the quirks on top of quirks on top of quirks got to me. Put me off Anne Tyler. And speaking of Annes…
• Interview with the Vampire and all the other Lestat books – Anne Rice. Meh.

Okay, so which ones did I forget? Which ones have bought me a trip to the woodshed? Dish, please!