Helllllllllllllllllllllo readers, hope you’re well! It’s Tuesday which means it’s time for another TOP TEN TUESDAY post *cheers.* The topic today is around the idea of characters you like but no-one else seems to or vice-versa but I’m sure I covered this subject with characters I love to hate. So, me being me, I’ve tweaked it a little bit and decided to do ‘Popular books that I just didn’t get (to avoid mostly repeating myself.) Some of these may be a little controversial – but we’ll see how it goes!
The time travellers wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Every time I have tried to read this book I’ve failed miserably. There’s something about it that just doesn’t grab me and so I’ve given up on it multiple times now. I SO WANT TO LIKE THIS but so far I just haven’t been able to. #sadface.
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
This one may come as a surprise – I’ve tried to read this book multiple times and I love, love, LOVE it for the first – 4/5 chapters and then I lose interest. I don’t want to say how many times I’ve read the first chapter – but I’ve given this so many go’s and for some reason it just never works.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Right, now, I’ve finally tried to read this (again) and after a couple of re-reads I’ve still failed! I know I don’t really like fantasy books but I think it’s time to put my Hobbit dreams to bed.
Enduring Love by Ian McEwan
Right, so I read this book back at secondary school and I just didn’t really get it; it didn’t really appeal, I think mainly because I was kind of forced to read it. However, recently I tried again and still just couldn’t get into it. There’s just something about it that doesn’t work for me.
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Gaaaaah going really controversial now. This is another book I read for A Level English and I may have disliked this even more than Enduring Love I’m sad to say. Something about the writing and the way we had to pick the book apart completely ruined it for me. Maybe one day I’ll go back but I’m not quite ready to yet.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
I’ve spoken about this before but something about this book just didn’t work for me. I think it might be because it was really hyped up and then I left it too late and it just didn’t appeal as much. I really like a number of other Orwell books but this one is unfortunately my least favourite.
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
Maybe just education enforced reading was bad for me but this one was imposed on me during university and was another terrible struggle. I was supposed to read the entirety of the book at least twice – I think I made it through four chapters. (I didn’t fail the module – just want to point out.)
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Another book I’ve been tempted to try again but every-time I’ve thought about it I just can’t bring myself to do it. There’s something so dull about this book I just can’t, I just can’t.
The Summer of Secrets by
I’ve picked this one because although it’s not a massively spoken about book it’s one that I thought was okay – but appears that most people thought it was utterly awesome. It was a little bit interesting because it felt like a book that would be perfect for me but it didn’t quite work for me.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
It makes me really sad to add this to the list because so many people adore this book but I still can’t get into it. I’ve struggled so much with this and I still can’t get through it. Slowly I’m thinking it will have to be added to the DNF list!
So there you go, ten books I think are mostly loved around the blogosphere that I just didn’t really get. It might be that I enjoyed reading them but something didn’t quite do it for me. Either way let me know what you think and comment me with all your wonderful lists!
mylittlebookblog 
This was fun and shows just how subjective reading is. You had some of my all time favourite books on this list: Time Traveler’s Wife, Nineteen Eighty-four and I Capture the Castle (dull? REALLY???). But at the same time I’m with you on Wolf Hall – I tried so many times! Likewise the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings – I wanted to but fantasy isn’t for everyone. You certainly have a point about education killing books for you – I’ve never been able to touch a Thomas Hardy novel since then. And I’m going to have to check out Summer of Secrets now as it’s the only one on your list I haven’t tried!
I can understand some of the fluff ones – I can’t read them at all. I also understand things like Frankenstein – it is a difficult book and in the sci-fi class I was in where I first read it, everyone, including the instructor, got the meaning totally wrong, they missed the point that he created life, he didn’t reanimate corpses, he created life – the difference is huge, huge. But the Hobbit? Oh no, I can’t understand that one – Maybe you need to be 10 years old again to get it 😉
I’m the same with “The Hobbit.” I tried reading it once and I just couldn’t get into it. That’s why I’ve never been a LOTR fan.
i completely agree with you about Time Traveler’s Wife! My TTT
I like the way you wrote this post for books instead of characters. I am one of the people who loved The Time Travellers Wife though, I loved the book and the film. Differing likes is what makes us bookbloggers interesting though. Nice post.
Amanda.
I have to agree with you on ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘1984’ because I didn’t really enjoy them and I don’t feel like reading them changed my life. I also think that The Hobbit isn’t for everyone, I love it, but I agree its different than what a lot of people look for in Fantasy.
I was so sad when I didn’t like either of them – but then I guess it’s really important to have books that we disagree with and can discuss!
I really wanted to like the Hobbit but it still won’t work 😦
I’m always mistrustful of popular books. I’ve disliked a fair few well rated/famous books, unable to comprehend the hype behind (in my opinion) such crappy novels.
Yes… once more we see how personally a book speaks to someone – I loved ‘Wolf Hall’ so much that I cried over it and even dreamt of it… But there are a load of books other people love that I deeply dislike – I HATE Mark Twain’s writing, for instance. Good for you, putting your all-time hates out there.
Dickens is really tough for me, too. I can’t remember if I’ve read the Bryson book you mentioned, but I know there was one of his that I couldn’t finish. Sometimes he’s hilarious and other times really dry. I’ve still probably never laughed as hard as I did reading A Walk in the Woods. The moose. And the cab drivers. Great moments. 🙂 Here’s my TTT
I haven’t read all the books on your list, but The Hobbit makes me sad, but unfortunately, those kind of books and other fantasy is not for everyone. I get Frankenstein and your reasoning makes me glad that I don’t remember reading in school and glad that I picked it up; same with 1984, which I read while in college. Great list! 🙂