Unpopular Opinions

[galax-arena]

You know how this thread is supposed to go, lol.

 

I'll start...

 

1. John Green is not the savior of YA lit. He isn't writing anything that a million other YA authors haven't already done, he just gets more credit for it because he's Writing While Male. He is YA's version of Nicholas Sparks, only with added pretension. 

 

2. While I like Something Wicked This Way Comes, for the most part I think Ray Bradbury's novels are completely overrated. Love his short stories, but his writing style gets tiresome when stretched out over a full-length book. 

 

3. I was always more of a Sweet Valley Twins instead of a Sweet Valley High sort of kid. Heh. 

 

[Crim]

1. Nothing and no one can save YA. It will always be filled with awful "romance" that would be dysfunctional and/or creepy in real life. And that shit will sell, so more people will write it.

 

2. The Hunger Games is awful on all levels. Suzanne Collins' writing made me wish I was reading a translation instead.

 

3. Games of Thrones is not the best book series ever.

[galax-arena]

Well, 99% of YA is crap because of the aforementioned creepy romances, but 99% of any genre is crap, albeit for different reasons.

[Joe]

 

Games of Thrones is not the best book series ever.

I agree with you there, but I've certainly read a lot of stuff worse than it. Not the best, but certainly good.

[psychoticstate]

I freaking hated The Time Traveler's Wife with the passion of a thousands suns and wanted to beat my own head in for reading it.  Blergh.

[Pickles Aplenty]

 

I freaking hated The Time Traveler's Wife with the passion of a thousands suns and wanted to beat my own head in for reading it.  Blergh.

Same here.  I thought the author was trying way too hard, and made every character completely unlikable as a result.  Not that I need likable characters to enjoy a book, but when they are supposed to be likable and relatable and instead make you want to claw your face in frustration, that's a problem.  Eff that book.

 

Some UO's of mine...

 

1. Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl was boring and overrated.

 

2. Amy and Laurie made more sense than Jo and Laurie, and totally belonged together.

 

3. Holden Caulfield is a great character and shouldn't be dismissed as a whiny teenager. 

 

4. Pride & Prejudice is boring.  Great novel, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean it isn't boring.  I would much rather read the Bronte sisters than Jane Austen.

 

5. Most of the books you're assigned to read in high school are great.

[ikmccall]

I freaking hated The Time Traveler's Wife with the passion of a thousands suns and wanted to beat my own head in for reading it.  Blergh.

 

 

I didn't like the characters and I didn't like the fact that he only time travelled within his own life.  I wanted time travel back to medieval times or the Roaring Twenties. 

[ilovethedark]

Wildly unpopular...I don't think Harry Potter are that great of books and they could have used another run over by J.K. Rowling's editor. I've read all seven and they're like those movies you see and think are great once you leave; but once you start thinking about the plot you go, "really?". By the end of the night, you poke so many holes in the plot you can drive a truck through them. As a book lover I am happy they got kids to read, but they aren't as good as people make then out to be and I hate that labels me a "hater" since I can make critical points about the plot.

[galax-arena]

5. Most of the books you're assigned to read in high school are great.

The problem for me was that my English teachers had a way of sucking the life out of all of them. I think it wasn't until college that I didn't end up hating a book that was assigned reading. 

[geekamonggeeks]

Definitely agree with the unpopular opinion about John Green. Maybe it's because I'm in my early twenties, but I could never get into any of his works. I find myself mentally cringing whenever The Fault of Our Stars trailer plays, or whenever somebody uses the interent as a means to gush about how awesome and inspiring it is. The entire thing just seems so cliche to me.

[psychoticstate]

I didn't like the characters and I didn't like the fact that he only time travelled within his own life.  I wanted time travel back to medieval times or the Roaring Twenties. 

That would have been interesting.  I personally love the concept of time travel and will read anything on the subject - - which is why I picked up the book.  I was very, very disappointed.

 

I thought the author was trying way too hard, and made every character completely unlikable as a result.  Not that I need likable characters to enjoy a book, but when they are supposed to be likable and relatable and instead make you want to claw your face in frustration, that's a problem.  Eff that book.

 

 

I didn't dislike the characters but I just didn't care.  Maybe indifference is worse because I felt there was nothing driving me to pick up the book and continue.  I did because I kept hoping the story would get better and then I just wanted to run screaming into traffic when it ended. 

 

4. Pride & Prejudice is boring.  Great novel, don't get me wrong, but that doesn't mean it isn't boring.  I would much rather read the Bronte sisters than Jane Austen.

 

 

I love P&P and Jane Austen but I will admit that for a lot of people, it's an acquired taste.  I didn't care for JA or P&P when I was in school.  Only once I started reading on my own, with no assigned books, did I appreciate the wit.  I will admit that I have yet to appreciate Mansfield Park, which to me is more tedious than her other works.

[Bastet]

I was always more of a Sweet Valley Twins instead of a Sweet Valley High sort of kid. Heh.

 

Me too. 

 

Another UO: Trixie Belden made for a far better series of books than did Nancy Drew.

[wanderingstar]

I know it's supposed to be great, but I really disliked A Prayer for Owen Meany. I particularly disliked the obnoxiousness of how Owen's voice was rendered. Just didn't get what was so awesome about this novel.

[Etta Place]

I've read 3 Jane Austens - Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion. I liked P&P when I read it, but didn't enjoy either of the other two. I can understand the appeal for other people, to a degree, but she is clearly not for me.

 

 

Another UO: Trixie Belden made for a far better series of books than did Nancy Drew.

Who on earth would say Nancy Drew was better?!

 

As for A Prayer for Owen Meany, it's one of my favorite books. I don't generally like all-caps text, but I felt like it really worked for Owen's voice; it was supposed to set your teeth on edge. When I've recommended it to people, though, I suggest skipping/skimming all the modern-day Anglicanism chapters because they aren't really necessary to the story and are easy to get bogged down in.

[psychoticstate]

Not sure if this would be unpopular or not but I was a fan of Danielle Steel's back in her heyday (80s) - - until I read Lightening.  What a piece of shit! 

 

If you haven't read it, it goes a little something like this.  Heroine is unbelievably beautiful but doesn't know it.  Of course.  She finds out she has cancer so her husband, being the douchebag he is, bails.  Because HE can't take it.  Heroine is an attorney and a younger associate in her office who lost a sister to cancer steps in to provide her with support, take her to chemo, etc.  A romantic relationship develops.  Yay, Heroine.  Heroine kicks cancer in the ass.  You go, Heroine.  Heroine is in remission.  Douchebag husband decides that he no longer wants to bang his girlfriend and wants Heroine back.  Because she's healthy and all now.  Heroine kicks sweet, compassionate and supportive Younger Associate to the curb to take cheating, deserting Douchebag back.  What the what?   Heroine and Danielle Steel can both miss me with that kind of codependent, stand by your man b.s.

 

I love books.  The thought of throwing a book away makes me shake.  I threw Lightening away.  After I threw it across the room in disgust.

[Bastet]

In reading that description, I automatically made the younger associate a woman, so when the romantic relationship developed I was impressed with Danielle Steele writing a lesbian romance - and even more pissed off about the message sent by Heroine going back to her husband.

[psychoticstate]

I guess I should have clarified - - Younger Associate was an incredibly caring and hot man.  Who Heroine threw away because, well, who wouldn't to take back a lying, cheating, older Douchebag of a husband?  Isn't that what we all want?  I guess according to Danielle Steel, it is. 

[Sir RaiderDuck OMS]

I HATED Huckleberry Finn when I had to read it in high school, mostly because of the Jim character. All of his dialogue is written in this "fo sho" style that forced me to read those sections aloud so I could figure out what the hell he was saying. It was one of the few times I went out and bought the Cliff's Notes for a book so I could do my assignments.

Edited June 18, 2014 by Sir RaiderDuck OMS

[Athena]

You know how this thread is supposed to go, lol.

 

I'll start...

 

1. John Green is not the savior of YA lit. He isn't writing anything that a million other YA authors haven't already done, he just gets more credit for it because he's Writing While Male. He is YA's version of Nicholas Sparks, only with added pretension. 

 

2. While I like Something Wicked This Way Comes, for the most part I think Ray Bradbury's novels are completely overrated. Love his short stories, but his writing style gets tiresome when stretched out over a full-length book. 

 

3. I was always more of a Sweet Valley Twins instead of a Sweet Valley High sort of kid. Heh.

  

Well, 99% of YA is crap because of the aforementioned creepy romances, but 99% of any genre is crap, albeit for different reasons.

YA gets a bad rap. I think there are lots of books marketed at this age demographic that is fine, but because it's for teens, they get overlooked. I do believe there is a lot of crappy romances but there are for adults too. Not saying it is better than other genres, but the public over looks it since YA is one big group.

I like John Green but I do not understand the hype. His books are decent but not revolutionary. I understand that his personality and web celebrity status does help.

[Kalliste]

1. John Green is not the savior of YA lit. He isn't writing anything that a million other YA authors haven't already done, he just gets more credit for it because he's Writing While Male. He is YA's version of Nicholas Sparks, only with added pretension. 

 

Agreed, I've read a few of his books and have finished them feeling a bit 'eh'. 

 

My UO is that The Fault in our Stars isn't a good book, it isn't original, it didn't make me cry and it is very predictable.

 

I'm not sure if this is an UO or not but, Stephanie Meyer ruined YA.

 

I prefer to read YA over adult 'womens' fiction as "chick-lit" is far too predictable and cliche.

[radishcake]

Me too. 

 

Another UO: Trixie Belden made for a far better series of books than did Nancy Drew.

Hugh Five!! Trixie is my jam!! I'm rereading them this summer and it's making me want my own bobwhites clubhouse!

My UO is no I have not read Infinite Jest, it's bullshit, pretentious twaddle that should have been EDITED. DFW (May he rest in peace) was a fantastic writer and I love several of his books. But I am not an idiot because I don't want to read 500 pages of footnotes. *eyeroll

[Demented Daisy]

The only YA I read is by Rick Riordan, Darren Shan, Eoin Colfer, and Michael Scott.  So, IMO, supernatural/magical/mythical/whatever YA is awesome.

 

Meanwhile, Katniss Everdeen is a despicable character suffering from some serious PTSD and abandonment issues.

[Hybridcookie]

I'm guessing this is an unpopular opinion around these parts so: I really like Cassandra Clare, and The Mortal Instruments series are some of my favourite books

 

Order of the Phoenix is my favourite Harry Potter book

Edited June 21, 2014 by Hybridcookie

[Pickles Aplenty]

 

Order of the Phoenix is my favourite Harry Potter book

"Half-Blood Prince" is mine, which seems to be unpopular among the people I know.  I just love it, though.  Huge Snape fan, and I love the Voldemort backstory.

[ybrik]

Both Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire are both overhyped. They aren't bad but having read both after they got really popular, I don't really see the hype.

 

A Song of Ice and Fire series is good but the series has started to drag on. The continual expanding universe seems to get further and further from the main point. I only hope that the Martin is able to end it. I can't understand the overblown reaction to any changes the show makes to the story.

 

Harry Potter series as mentioned above has a few plot holes. Also to me the HBP suffered from the whole teenage love garbage that took away from the main plot. I wasn't a fan of any of the 'romantic' relationships in the whole series especially with the main trio. My favorite book was OofTP however, I enjoyed HBP movie version more than the Order of the Phoenix movie. I also found that a change made in the movie worked a lot better than what Rowlings wrote in HBP: the scene where Harry gets the memory Slughorn. Also Deathly Hallows is a hot mess of plot holes and unnecessary deaths.

[merylinkid]

Bob-bob-white.    Yeah I tried to whistle like that.    Hell choosing between Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, I chose Hardy Boys, until I discovered Trixie and co.   

[Minneapple]

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt is seriously overhyped. A Pulitzer? Were they giving out awards for Most Unnecessary Words Used By An Author? Because the thing seriously dragged and could have been cut by a good 200 pages and the plot would not have suffered at all. In fact it might have improved it a bit.

[BlackberryJam]

Gone, Girl is a stinking piece of obvious shit and if I have to read that inane "cool girl" paragraph one more time, I might become a sociopath myself.  It's a stupid women who hate women book and

who the flying fuck didn't know the diary was faked?

  Poorly written, simplistic, drivel.

 

Chelsea Cain's Heartsick series is evidence that the publishing world had done away with editors.  The medical information, and even the type of drugs the hero is addicted to, are wrong.  Even Wikipedia can help with basic drug facts.  Gretchen whatever the fuck is neither a compelling nor interesting villain. Get thee to an editor!  Or even a friend with a brain and internet access before publishing again.

Edited July 1, 2014 by Chip

[Chip]

Even though @BlackberryJam clearly hated Gone Girl, I spoiler-tagged the A-Bomb spoiler so others can still read it without knowing the twists and turns. In open threads about multiple pieces of work, if something is a HUGE spoiler, it should be tagged as such.

[ramble]

Amy and Laurie made more sense than Jo and Laurie, and totally belonged together.

A thousand times yes! Even as a child I understood this & would argue with my sister about it.

I HATED Huckleberry Finn when I had to read it in high school, mostly because of the Jim character. All of his dialogue is written in this "fo sho" style that forced me to read those sections aloud so I could figure out what the hell he was saying.

Seconded! I reignited my hate when my oldest read it for a book report & asked for help because the dialogue was tripping her up. I read a good portion of it aloud to her just to get it over with & I think, largely due to that, she didn't think it was so bad.

The only YA I read is by Rick Riordan

I love Riordan. I've even found myself becoming a pusher of his books. A good friend of mine eventually thanked me, once she gave in.

Staying in the YA area I initially enjoyed Michael Grant's Gone series but after the third book I was worn out & after the fourth book I quit. Apparently it went on until book six. Sometimes it's okay to stop writing! I don't know what happened but I hope everyone died & the world burned. That series is the closest I've come to reading anything horror-ish & I regret it.

Edited July 1, 2014 by ramble

[BlackberryJam]

Even though @BlackberryJam clearly hated Gone Girl, I spoiler-tagged the A-Bomb spoiler so others can still read it without knowing the twists and turns. In open threads about multiple pieces of work, if something is a HUGE spoiler, it should be tagged as such.

 

Sorry.  I suppose I didn't think to spoiler it because it was just so obvious, but some people didn't find it so.  

[annzeepark914]

I had to read Gone Girl for my book club and loathed it from the very first chapter.  Smug, immature characters and the ending reminded me, in a way, of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Also disliked Harry Potter (must confess I only read the first in the series but that was enough for me--the corny names, IMO, were meant to appeal to very young readers only). I'm glad it got lots of kids reading but I don't understand its popularity with adults.

[Jamoche]

Also disliked Harry Potter (must confess I only read the first in the series but that was enough for me--the corny names, IMO, were meant to appeal to very young readers only). I'm glad it got lots of kids reading but I don't understand its popularity with adults.

Most of the adults I know - myself included - didn't really get the appeal of it until the second book. The first just seemed like yet another Roald Dahl-esque bit of fluff.

[millennium]

I read the first Harry Potter book (as an adult) to see what all the fuss was about.   I thought it a piece of shit.

 

My unpopular opinion: Nobody knows how to write horror anymore.   Especially Stephen King.

[lucindabelle]

I actually think until recently (looking at you twilight) most Ya a was BETTER written than many adult books because unlike a lot of literary fiction it had to have a plot as well as good writing. I'll stake Cynthia Vogt and zillha Keatley Snyder and Sasan cooper sentence for sentence against anybody.

I'm in my late 40s and I just can't with novels about women on Cape Cod gloomily looking into the ocean waiting int heir divorces wondering where to go next. Yawn.

I actually think fault in our stars is beautifully written, snarky and funny and engaging but I can see where the film might be cloying. Gus is a little too perfect.

But the YA dystopian trilogies mostly suck. I do like Hunger Games but Divergent, which I read just to keep up with my niece, is beyond silly (apparently the third book explains that away somewhat). Can't make myself read book three of the pretties, the writing is too bland. Etc. this gives YA a bad name. When it wasn't a big moneymaker, editors worked harder and things were better written.

I love Kate Thompson. If you haven't read The New Policeman hand enjoy Irish myth at all, you'll love it.

Ok on to UO: Donna tart is overrated. I'll read The Goldfinch one of these days it all I remember about The secret is that classics majors were never that cool.

It's actually not that unpopular an opinion, but g.r.r. Martin is a terrible writer as in full of cliches. Good storyteller but bad writing. The series is better than the books.

The first Harry Potter is my favorite, from the moment I read it in 1998.

I feel like I want to make recommendations but that should be another thread I guess.

I think Fitzgerald is a better writer an Hemingway, there. I've said it.

[Etta Place]

@lucindabelle

 

Good storyteller but bad writing.

This is exactly how I felt about both the Song of Ice and Fire and Harry Potter series. I have read the first 3 Martin books in spite of the writing, because I wanted to know what happened. And I read Harry Potter the same way, although I was reading those out loud to my kids, not for myself. I find those kinds of books frustrating because as much as I'm not enjoying reading them, I still feel compelled to make it to the bitter end to know where the characters end up.

[BlackberryJam]

I think Fitzgerald is a better writer an Hemingway, there. I've said it.

 

 

Yes yes, a thousand times YES.

 

Hemingway is fine in his way, but Fitzgerald creates a much richer story.

[GaT]

But the YA dystopian trilogies mostly suck. I do like Hunger Games but Divergent, which I read just to keep up with my niece, is beyond silly (apparently the third book explains that away somewhat). 

 

 

No, no it doesn't. It rewrites everything in a way that makes you want to stab people. Save yourself, don't read Allegiant. 

[lucindabelle]

LOL Thanks GaT... I thought I heard there was some Christian self-sacrifice thing going on, which I'm also so not interested in. I didn't mind the Christian imagery in Narnia because it just eluded me (which is to say, really, that it was well done).

 

For me Divergent was just a poor man's The Giver. (how are they going to film The Giver? The black and white reveal was just sooooo amazing to me). I never bought that people would divide themselves that way. And knowing that there might be some "explanation" doesn't really make it much better (I've read the explanation but undeerstand it could be a spoiler, so...)

[Skeksi]

Hmmm, OK, unpopular opinions...

 

Well... I love fantasy. Really, it's my favourite genre, as my bookshelves groaning under the weight of a few too many multi-tome series will testify to. And I have great respect for JRR Tolkein as one of the originators, if you will, of high fantasy in the form that we now know it. All that said, I find Lord of the Rings so, so dull. Book and film versions (which is a pity, because I also really, really like Ian McKellen). 

[OakGoblinFly]

It's actually not that unpopular an opinion, but g.r.r. Martin is a terrible writer as in full of cliches. Good storyteller but bad writing. The series is better than the books.

 

 

I can forgive Martin's less than stellar writing because his story-telling is so good .... well at least it was until the last book which I detested.

 

 

I do not like The Great Gatsby at all - I hated every moment that I had to study that book in school.  

 

For me the Divergent series got worse as the series moved on - I was barely able to finish the book it was soon bad.

 

I am still trying to figure out the appeal of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell and anything written by Diana Gabaldon.

I'm guessing this is an unpopular opinion around these parts so: I really like Cassandra Clare, and The Mortal Instruments series are some of my favourite books

 

Order of the Phoenix is my favourite Harry Potter book

 

 

I only like the first three Mortal Instruments books ,.... I prefer The Infernal Devices series - probably because I really like steampunk/clockwork stories.

A Song of Ice and Fire series is good but the series has started to drag on. The continual expanding universe seems to get further and further from the main point. I only hope that the Martin is able to end it. I can't understand the overblown reaction to any changes the show makes to the story.

 

Sadly Martin is at the point now where he can write anything and everything he wants and no editor is going to tell him "no" - which is a shame because the man could do with a strong editor to weed out the 100s of pages describing every bit of food in a 25+ course meal or the banner of Sir Never Hear About You Again or the dress of Lady Who Cares.

[kathyk24]

I love Harry Potter but I have some unpopular opinions. Snape is not a Woobie. I have no sympathy for anyone who is mean to innocent children. I stopped thinking Dumbledore was a good character after he failed to help Sirius Black clear his name. I love Hermionie Granger and think she could do so much better than Ron Weasley. I hated Ron's jealousy over Harry's celebrity. Ron's family might be poor bur they love him. Harry's family hates him.

[Jazzy24]

I have read GRRM's A Song of. Ice and Fire and I agree with what's been said.

But here's my UO his characters are not likable at all. People praise him for writing grey characters but his characters commit everything from murder, rape, abuse, mass murder, child murder etc and a bunch of other stuff that society would categorize as black/evil.

I love HP always have always will, yeah it's juvenile and could have been written better and characters flushed out but I didn't care about that. I liked a school for witches and wizards and the adventures Harry and his friends found himself in.

I don't like the Hunger Games, Divergent or Twilight series, they annoy me.

I have a strong dislike of Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff and Catherine are two very selfish horrible people, they are some of my most hated fictional characters ever.

[scarynikki12]

 

Snape is not a Woobie

BookSnape is very much not a Woobie.  His horrible personality and actions aren't rewarded by anyone in the story or excused because of ManPain.  The Snape that was played by Alan Rickman is definitely a Woobie, though, but in the eyes of the viewers.  They're the ones who see him as a tortured soul, who was misunderstood, whose True Love was stolen from him by the Evil James Potter and they imagine him stealing her right back when they all meet up in the afterlife.  Thankfully, Rowling does not share this view.  This is a situation where the character in question is both.  

[Minneapple]

I'm guessing this is an unpopular opinion around these parts so: I really like Cassandra Clare, and The Mortal Instruments series are some of my favourite books

I would guess that Cassandra Claire is widely disliked because of her history of plagiarism and antics on the Internet.

 

I am still trying to figure out the appeal of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell

 

Twice I tried to read this. Twice I got about 50 pages in and just couldn't anymore.

[Athena]

I would guess that Cassandra Claire is widely disliked because of her history of plagiarism and antics on the Internet.

 

Yes, and I remember the fallout to this because I was in the HP fandom at the time. She had a lot of haters. I'm a bit neutral to that controversy. I stopped reading her novels because I got bored with the same types of characters. Her HP fanfiction trilogy and her two series have more or less the same protagonists. Sometimes even with the same hair colour and moody behavior. It felt a bit repetitive for me after awhile.

 

I started one chapter of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norell. I'll give it a better shot in the future, but no one really talks about it anymore. It was a hit, but it doesn't seem to be a classic in the way Potter or LOTR. I don't know if it'll hold up over time as a "classic" people want to read again and again.

[AltLivia]

Agreed to other posters' GRRM comments. I enjoyed the series for the first three or four books, but A Dance With Dragons? Terrible. I told a friend "They spend the majority of the book traveling. Everyone's on a boat. I'm bored, angry and a little seasick." Don't get me started on Daenerys Targaryen, either. I may hate that character more than others in the cast who are actively evil. 

Edited July 17, 2014 by ScullyInApt42

[GHScorpiosRule]

Hmmmm...I posted this in favorite authors, but I think it can be posted here as well.

 

I love reading romances. Not talking about the category ones that come out monthly by Harlequins or Silhouette (my personal opinion being the quality of the latter seriously went to crap when my favorite authors who started with them, left them) or the chick lits. Hate those. With a passion. I have no patience for reading books where the heroine is a balls busting bitch and there's no romance.

 

Nora Roberts and Linda Howard are great with their romantic suspense, because I get my romance fix, a great story, murder mystery, whatever, and wonderful characters. The heroines and heroes are, shall we say, not of the past where the hero berates and denigrates the heroine as a sign of his 'loooove', but not power plays. I like that. Alpha male heroes...tortured heroes. My cup of tea.  Strong women who like who they are and are comfortable in their own skin. I like it when they are opposites and when they're not.  It all comes down to the writing.  Sue me.

 

There. I said it.

[angelwoody]

Here is my guilty secret / unpopular opinion:  I detest both The Great Gatsby and Wuthering Heights.  I thought both books were full of horrible people, leaving me with no one to root for at all.  I know both are regarded as the pinnacle of great literature, but I can't love a book if I loathe absolutely every character.

[Athena]

I hate Wuthering Heights. I wish all the characters except maybe Edgar would burn or fall off the moors.

 

I've read many books in my life, and Cathy from that is one of my least favourite characters, followed closely by Catherine from East of Eden. But at least the latter was in an infinitely better book.