Overrated Books

[hedgeknight]

EVERYTHING (books, music, art, food, movies, clothes, etc) is a matter of taste, and each of us has a different pallette. I may not like what you like and vice versa, but that's okay. I just like the freedom to choose (in this case) what I read and whether I appreciate it.
And I like discussing and agreeing or disagreeing in this forum. Nice place.

And...we're sure gonna miss Brys and other heretics once the ground opens up and swallows them for their blasphemous words.
-g-

 

[the_faery_queen]

i agree everythin gis taste and i have to say, i really like the fact i can say, i dont' like goodkind or jordan without being harrassed! recently, in another place, i was giving my opinion on something and got attacked for it. but that website had been suffering an influx of people attakcing others for their opinion over the last few months because they all seem to think that everything is personal, that for me to say, i dislike goodkind, is a personal attack on them. its nice to be able to talk to people, to find people who agree and disagree, but can say it without feeling as though its a personal attack!

i also like hearing other peoples opinions on things, seeing their side, and things they see in stuff that i may have missed. which is usually alot!

 

[Shoegaze99]

Tolkien's LotR may be good - but it's not a masterpiece, and certainly not the only, or best, work of speculative fiction available.

Not being speculative fiction and all, I'd say it's safe to say that The Lord of the Rings is not the best work of speculative fiction available.

I happen to like the WOT books and Robert Jordan, you have to catch all the intricasies and little things in them to truly appreciate them.

If by "intricasies" you mean "bloat and 'details' repeated so often as to drive them into the ground," I'd say that those aspects of Jordan's story did less to make me appreciate them and more to drive me away.

 

[the_faery_queen]

me too. the thing is, with martin, there are lots of little things going on that i have missed totally, but i still enjoy reading them. i love everything about his stuff (well nearly) but jordan, well, you shouldnt have to see lots of little details to appreciate a book. with martin, its an added factor, with jordan, well, it seems to be the ONLY factor that makes him readable, and if like me, you miss them, it makes him totally unreadable! i think a writer needs to have a lot more going for them than sneaky things that people miss out on. *shrug*

 

[HieroGlyph]

How does anyone define overrated?

 

[Thadlerian]

How does anyone define overrated?

Good question. I would guess it means books that are more popular, or get higher ratings, or are attached greater literary significance, than we think they deserve (judged either by the taste of each and one uf us as individuals, or perhaps by some consentaneous criteria).

There, that was what I had to add. As for the thread question, nothing new from me, I guess I'll just repeat what's been said before: Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings.

 

[HieroGlyph]

I did mean to elaborate on that question at the time. Few have stated that X has a favourite that, in your opinion, is a poorer read. What makes that book, that X so likes, overrated in your own view, after both having read other books that you think of as a more worthy read? Hence, how far are you willing to go? As far as to say that "X is entirely wrong and you would be wasting your time reading so-and-so before you read this other book"? Person 1 prefers, say, A Song of Fire and Ice over and above The Malazan Book of the Fallen. And person 1's plight appears to be to tell others that if you only make the time to read one series or book in the near future, pray be it that persons favourite over another that you might find a far better read! But say you know another person that would enjoy ASoFaI over the Malazan at this moment in their lives, even though it will take them a while before they could move on to the series or book that you rate better. Or possibly not at all, and theyve lost the chance of what you thought of as a wonderful experience.
So is the issue of overrating to you one of preference with some individuals that dont appreciate what you appreciate? In this case: a one on one discussion between the rating of two books or series to each other, with your preference above anothers preference.
Are we talking of ratings comparing books that we've both read or one of the better suggestion to another who has read neither?

 

[HieroGlyph]

Are we saying "hey, hear me please, I have a list as long as my arm that is/was a greater pleasure to me, or are far more thought provoking than your reading so-and-so"?
Do you wish to rate 'War of Light and Shadow' by Janny Wurts above many another series? I would. But I know many others simply would not enjoy it as much as I did and in no way be as eagre as me for the next in the series...
Yes, as others have stated here, its a question of taste and preference. I really like to be drawn along by well thought out stories and moving writing. Others dont like it too deep. Others wish to have stopped at 'The Hobbit'. I wish that there were 50 more 'Unfinished Tales'...
So is it what we suggest to others to read? Of books they havent read? Or is it still a comparison of what we have read and what we would like to read more of, in preference to something else?

 

[HieroGlyph]

Aye, Ive been pondering upon what I have read and at some point will post a list of comparing one series to another: X over Y, Z over *, ^ over V and so on. Then you might be able to say I overrate so-and-so...

 

[Brys]

On this issue, I think we have to see one thing. An overrated book is one which is claimed to be better than all other books, either from the past or more importantly, from the future. No matter how good a book is, I don't think it's possible that it can be better than all other future books, and we simply can't tell. Yet with authors like Tolkien, Martin and Jordan, we often hear something along the lines of - Martin's ruined fantasy for me, there's nothing that will ever compare to ASOIAF, or Tolkien's the best there's ever going to be for fantasy etc. Here it has little to do with the quality of the novels in question, but more that they are being expected to live up to a standard that no novel could ever hope to reach. It's a kind of hype.

 

[HieroGlyph]

Then, Brys, we can but make it our mission to 'enlighten' others as to possible mistakes in their future reading list over others...

...and even then we could be wrong in said recievers future opinion. (Added as edit.)

 

[Brys]

What I was saying was that this has nothing to do with what you should (or should not) read, it is simply that some books cannot live up to their reputation, in the end, because no book could. Something like Lord of the Rings is still definitely worth reading - but readers shouldn't see it as the only thing worth reading in the genre. So if we need a "mission", it is to show people that there is a genre beyond author x.

 

[Shoegaze99]

Something like Lord of the Rings is still definitely worth reading - but readers shouldn't see it as the only thing worth reading in the genre.

 

[HieroGlyph]

Aye, agreed, best sellers are not necessarily the best reads.
It will always remain to individual preference, for whatever reasons only they will themselves know. And then there is the question of how much thought has gone into that impression. Some people still cant make time to read everything they wish to. Nor apply themselves to self critisism of their own views, of what they have read.

 

[HieroGlyph]

Also, Brys, I do agree - we should'nt be making others who have not read a particular book or series, 'expect' anything. Start on a level, no matter how hyped the book you are reading. I listen to suggestions. I dont expect to be blown away while I read it. I just read it, then I might comment on it.

 

[AdzeybuB]

Hi this is my first post on this board as I have been somewhat of a lurker! Have enjoyed reading this thread and thought I would bring it back from the vaults!

Bought the first book of WOT last August when on holiday, got to do about 3/4 of the way through and stopped due to various things including the fact i didnt realise it was part of a massive series! I may pick it up again as what I did read was OK, certainly not setting the world on fire and certainly the guy is no GRRM but he has many followers who keep buying his books despite the series allegedly getting worse.

Last book i read was Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay after reading so many good reviews about it on Amazon UK site. It took me about 2 months to read the first 100 pages it certainly didnt grab me straight away. Anyway once I did get it into it I did find it very good except the random sex scenes that for some reason just seemed to be thrown into the story for the sake of it. So in some Tigana to me is an overrated book but I will certainly be trying more from GKK I just hope he doesnt try to make you feel sorry for a tyrant that despite the despicable things he did too a province he isnt such a bad man.

Thats it for now! ​

 

[GOLLUM]

Welcome Adzeybub...

For me Robin Hobb's books or at least the Liveship Traders series always seemed to be overrated. Whilst the prose is good the story didn't reach any great heights for me. I've started reading the Farseer trilogy and so far it's better than Liveships but still nothing spectacular.

 

[iansales]

If you found the Liveship Traders over-rated, why bother to read the Farseer trilogy? I don't understand. There are far too many books out there and life is way too short to waste time reading books you know you're unlikely to appreciate.

 

[GOLLUM]

If you found the Liveship Traders over-rated, why bother to read the Farseer trilogy? I don't understand. There are far too many books out there and life is way too short to waste time reading books you know you're unlikely to appreciate.

Because I've heard better things about Farseer from people whose opinion I trust, hence my giving Hobb another go. If I find Farseer to be of a similar disinterest then I certainly won't be reading any more Hobb. So far it's better than Liveships so there's still hope. After Farseer and the reamaining Hugo nominees I'm going to get stuck into the numerous novels I've purchased that I know are almost universally regarded quite highly plus appeal to me..... August promises to be a rich month to mine indeed...

 

[iansales]

I hope these weren't the same people who recommended the Liveship Traders trilogy