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What is a popular book that you dislike? Why do you dislike it? What could have made it better?
For me, it would be Jane Eyre. I definitely don’t hate Jane Eyre and it’s certainly not the worst book I’ve read, but I also didn’t enjoy it either. Mainly because of the main love interest Mr. Rochester, who seriously creeped me out from the beginning to the end of the novel. (Spoiler warning ahead)
Mr Rochester and Jane Eyre’s relationship is a is a huge part of the plot so I feel it’s fine to criticize it. Jane, (for some reason I’m not totally sure), is infatuated with Mr. Rochester, despite him treating Jane like a slave, manipulating her, tricking her, messing with her for his own enjoyment, and overall being a very rude person. And as the books mentions in just about every chapter, he doesn’t have looks on his side either. He even tries to marry her even though he’s already married to his wife that he locks up in the attic!
Yes, yes, he has his reasons but that is seriously messed up, I don’t think the author ever portrayed how bad it was. The books always pitied Rochester and tried to make you feel sorry for him, instead of accurately showing how terrible his acts were. And of course she still ends up with him in the end. *frustrated sigh*.
Okay, sure. You could argue that Rochester changed by the end, but it was rushed, and mostly happened “off-screen” if you will. And while he did feel bad for what he did, got punished, and was broken at the end, he didn’t make amends and never grew into a good, wholesome guy. So WHY would Jane ever want to marry him??? I just feel like this is sending a bad message overall and gives me bad feelings.
This story is very much a “pity party” for Mr. Rochester, and portraying that kind of character in a good light is not a good thing at all.
But what I do like about this book is Jane’s strength throughout the book, and that she loved Rochester even after his blindness, that was a plot twist I wasn’t expecting. I still very much dislike Rochester, but I thought Jane Eyre had a good bittersweet ending.
What I wish was different, is that the characters were developed more, maybe that Jane explored the spooky house a bit more, and this might be just me, but I kinda wish Jane had a good loyal friend that tagged along with her throughout the story for a sweet-meaningful relationship, and some interesting interactions.
But anyway…. ranting aside. What is a popular book that you dislike, and why?
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
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Fun question! I’m definitely going to have to say Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
I’ve tried to read it multiple times because it seems like EVERYONE has read it and enjoyed it. I really, really wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t get into the story and I really didn’t care for the characters. I found Darcy weird, Mrs. Bennett intolerably annoying (I like annoying characters now and then, but she just felt overdone), and Elizabeth just… meh. Most of the characters I thought were unrelatable and irritating, and some I had no feelings for at all. Like Elizabeth.
No disrespect to Jane Austen. I think books like Pride and Prejudice aren’t the genre I enjoy, that’s probably the main reason I didn’t like it. I like lots of action in novels, and a book filled with conversations about suitors and fancy balls didn’t interest me. That’s just my opinion, though.
My English teacher once saw me reading Pride and Prejudice during lunch and told me, “Each time I read that book, I fall a little less in love with it.” So I guess I might not be alone. But at least he actually made it through the book multiple times, while I couldn’t even finish it.
Odd thing is, I DID enjoy the movie. I saw it when I was seven years old, and, strangely, I paid attention the entire time to the six-hour film. I still remember many of the scenes and that I really loved the movie. So it’s a little strange that I don’t like the book. But oh well *shrugs*
@kathleenramm Do I have to have…finished the book?
I remember starting the Penderwick Papers…I dunno if I ever finished it. Maybe, maybe not. Anyway, I started it right after reading Oliver Twist so I really couldn’t stomach all the rich people and parties and stuff like that…
Okay, as for one I actually read all the way through, I didn’t like Pride and Prejudice.
It was just…extremely dry, the characters weren’t really that interesting, except for probably Mr. Darcy…and most of the stuff going on wasn’t really that interesting to me either. Maybe if I read it when I was younger I would probably find it more interesting, but alas, I read it when I was at an age of being to stomach very little books.
I guess I felt vaguely disappointed after being hyped up about how good it was by other people for several years…? But yeah, I found it quite dry. That’s all.
(The soundtrack for the movie is amazing though…haven’t watched it however.)
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days@joy-caroline When I posted the above I hadn’t refreshed the page yet. I’m relieved to find out I’m not the only one.
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
Glad to have found someone else who doesn’t like P&P! XD
This is a cool topic!
I have several books that I dislike, and no offense to anyone who loves these books.
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: this book made me so depressed I couldn’t finish it. It was bleak and dwelt on so much of what’s dark and twisted in the world that I felt like it was just not worth my time and emotional state, especially in light of Philippians 4:8.
- Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianna Wynne Jones: I know of some people who do like this book, but i found the lack of morals in the characters depressing. My sister and I had seen the film version by Studio Ghibli (and love it) which, while inaccurate to the book, had more morals than portrayed in the actual story. Surprisingly, I felt like there were remarkably little morals to the story and while I found the middle entertaining, the ending and climax weren’t satisfying to me. Maybe it would’ve been different if I had read the book (or listened to it on audiobook like I did) first? I don’t know. but in general, the presence of deep real morality greatly affects how I feel about a story, and it felt like in Howl’s that the morality and the stakes were rather shallow.
We crazy people are the normal ones.
@joy-caroline @devastate-lasting
I’ve been meaning to read Pride and Prejudice because it’s so popular and, you know, it’s a classic. But my sister has the same opinion as you guys about P&P, so I’m sorta reconsidering my decision to someday read that book. Maybe I’ll read it when I completely run out of books to read. XD
I did watch the movie awhile ago too, and remember enjoying it. I guess some stories are better on screen than on pages. Especially if the characters are somewhat dry in the books. I think if the movie can get good actors they can bring life into dull characters.
I totally get that. If a book just leaves me feeling depressed and empty it’s not worth it. I believe a book can still be emotional and gripping, while still making you feel good inside while you read it. I think the stories that make you feel whole are the one’s with good messages and an underlying theme of hope, and the stories that make you feel empty are the ones that lack that, they lack real sustenance that make a story complete.
Also, I 100% agree with what you said about strong morals in characters. Only just recently have I learned that strong morals in characters are essential to me even remotely connecting to a character. It shows that making good characters is a lot more than just making them “unique” or “interesting”. That good characters need grounding, development, and at least some integrity, even if they are a morally gray character.
- Rank: Eccentric Mentor
- Total Posts: 1379
I like your perspective on Philippians 4:8. I think that’s probably the best verse to keep in heart as we consider books, movies, music, and other entertainment, as well as the content we put in our own stories.
@kathleenramm This was probably a bad idea.
*takes deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating*
I’m just going to ignore what y’all said about P&P and talk about something else… 😆
I don’t know how many of y’all have read the Divergent series, but for me, I couldn’t handle the last two books. I LOVED the first book (because being in Dauntless was my dream for like, FOREVER) and I was sooooo excited to read the last ones.
*a couple of hours later…*
Finished Insurgent: booooo-riiiing… 🥱😴
Finished Allegiant: what the heck just happened????? 😡 *writes furious letter to Veronica Roth* I’m going to go cry in a corner now…
So yeah people. I’d advise you not to read the last two. (Honestly, they didn’t even build that much on the first book.) There are too many annoying/cheesy/overall-ly bad things to say about them… soooo, yeah. Can anyone sympathize?
*reads back over rant and cries again*
Sorry for that! I just want to save you the pain of reading the last two books!! 😂😂
(don’t get me wrong, I respect Veronica Roth and I think her writing style is amazing, i just wish she would’ve given her characters some redemptive qualities 😉 )
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000But no, Sir Starkey, we folk at Kingdom Pen know how to disagree without tearing each other apart, you see. One of the finer attributes of the KeePers.
I have not read that series but I have heard much about it, and they weren’t very good things. XD Fun fact, my older sister and brother actually went to a book signing for Divergent. They got a picture with Veronica Roth and signed book, so… yeah, that’s pretty interesting. XD
oh shoot, I hope they didn’t see that… lol😂
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000That’s very cool though
what we do in life echoes in eternity
-gladiator, 2000@nova21 I read the first two books and have the third one on my shelf but never touched it. XD I think maybe I read them too young, so I didn’t like it very much.
Lately, it's been on my brain
Would you mind letting me know
If hours don't turn into days
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