Popular authors or books you don't read or like

V

Victor

Senior Member
Location
midwest USA
I cannot understand the interest and fascination with Jane Austen. Bronte. Emily Dickinson. Women like them but men? Nor do I know why The Great Gatsby is highly esteemed but I cant read it. Hemingway. His minimalist style bores me and is so overrated IMO. No one has told me why he is so great, literally, pointing to paragraphs

What popular authors you won't read? And why? Stephen King is another one for me
 

I just listened to Stephen King’s Dolores Clairbourne on audio. I watched movie and wanted to see if there was more details in book. I really enjoyed it. I’ve tried his other books and just couldn’t get into them.

Dean Koontz has some books I really enjoy but then again some are too far out for me to get into.
 
Victor said:
I cannot understand the interest and fascination with Jane Austen. Bronte. Emily Dickinson. Women like them but men? Nor do I know why The Great Gatsby is highly esteemed but I cant read it. Hemingway. His minimalist style bores me and is so overrated IMO. No one has told me why he is so great, literally, pointing to paragraphs

What popular authors you won't read? And why?
Click to expand...
Can;t read any of the above...or any Chic-lit authors at all..

Absolutely cannot bear works from Jackie Collins, or Jilly Cooper...
 

eii said:
What is there to understand?

Read what you like. Don't read what you don't like.
Click to expand...
You're very new to this forum, and in this time I've noticed you're not used to discussion forums are you ?

I've noticed that you always have to try and bring any discussion to an end before it even starts... this is not what discussions forums are about,
if you have nothing to add to a discussion.. then feel free to move to another topic..
 
StillLearning said:
I just listened to Stephen King’s Dolores Clairbourne on audio. I watched movie and wanted to see if there was more details in book. I really enjoyed it. I’ve tried his other books and just couldn’t get into them.

Dean Koontz has some books I really enjoy but then again some are too far out for me to get into.
Click to expand...
I'm not keen on Koontz...tbf I don't like fiction at all now...

I used to like it when I was younger but not for years now.....

My Dd was a big fan of Koontz & Dan Brown and she always took their books with her on the cruises..
 
hollydolly said:
I'm not keen on Koontz...tbf I don't like fiction at all now...
Click to expand...
I’m interested. Name a couple non-fiction books you’ve enjoyed. I’ve started a couple but lost interest because I thought the person writing was a little bias.

Are you interested in historical people or present day people?
 
StillLearning said:
I’m interested. Name a couple non-fiction books you’ve enjoyed. I’ve started a couple but lost interest because I thought the person writing was a little bias.

Are you interested in historical people or present day people?
Click to expand...
they were mainly crime fiction... Agatha Christie... Conan Doyle...I've read every book written by those 2 authors..in my young days

James Herbert horror books ''Rats , The Fog, Lair , Fluke ''..etc
 
Victor said:
What popular authors you won't read? And why? Stephen King is another one for me
Click to expand...
I had liked King until I read one that scared me so much, I never picked up another. Wish I could remember which it was... and I still think of Christine when I see car lights in the middle of the night. 🤭 I also vowed never to read a Clive Barker (and I haven't!) from the moment I heard Stephen King say that Barker is the only writer who could scare HIM. That's saying a lot! :eek:
 
I love the Bronte sisters and have read all of their books and everything I can get my hands on about their lives. I especially loved “Wuthering Heights.”
My favorite author as of late is Elizabeth Strout. She wrote Olive Kitteridge and a movie was made. After I read that, I devoured all of her books. I loved them all and am awaiting her next which is due out in September. I have pre-ordered it; I am so excited to get it immediately upon release!
 
Victor said:
I cannot understand the interest and fascination with Jane Austen. Bronte. Emily Dickinson. Women like them but men? Nor do I know why The Great Gatsby is highly esteemed but I cant read it. Hemingway. His minimalist style bores me and is so overrated IMO. No one has told me why he is so great, literally, pointing to paragraphs
Click to expand...
It's true... people have differing interests and tastes. I may be peculiar in my personal interests & tastes. What I'll say is I've read some authors of novels because experts have deemed them to have a place in the evolution of English literature. This sort of thing used to be part of school for kids from about 12-17.

I've also read some books by nonfiction authors because they have a place in the history of science, or of philosophical or political ideas.
 
hollydolly said:
James Herbert horror books ''Rats , The Fog, Lair , Fluke ''..etc
Click to expand...
Oh my goodness, @hollydolly... I mis-read that author's name at first... I thought you wrote James Herriot!

As to what authors I don't care to read, in the mystery genre (big fan of most), I don't care for Ruth Rendell--either the books or the tv shows. I'm not sure why.

The more recent John Grishams leave me cold... He used to write such great stuff... now it's just Meh
 
Once you realize that there are books that are written to interest men and that the others are of interest to women, it helps to make sense of why so many acclaimed books are of little interest to men.

As for Hemingway, he's definitely a man's author.
I've read A Farewell to Arms and The Sun Also Rises. I enjoyed them both.
I couldn't get through For Whom The Bell Tolls however.

As for women authors, I very much enjoyed reading Willa Cather's OH Pioneers and My Antonia. Also the short story, Paul's Case.
I'm working on Death Comes To The Archbishop currently. Often cited as her best. We'll see.

I'm also working on Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. So far, very early on, it's enjoyable.
 
I can't stand Shakespeare.... ..in the Uk saying that's like saying you don't like Fish & Chips.. and I don't.......but in truth I don't like the works of the Bard in print.. or even on the stage...altho' the stage productions are more watchable so to speak than the books..

It's supposed to be entertainment and the books are not. Who can relate to any of the characters?> most of us can't!
 
hollydolly said:
I can't stand Shakespeare.... ..in the Uk saying that's like saying you don't like Fish & Chips.. and I don't.......but in truth I don't like the works of the Bard in print.. or even on the stage...altho' the stage productions are more watchable so to speak than the books..

It's supposed to be entertainment and the books are not. Who can relate to any of the characters?> most of us can't!
Click to expand...
The Brits are famous for making claims that distinguish themselves from the commoners.

Claiming to appreciate Shakespeare is one. Then there are the titles like Sir or Dame.

It drives me nuts when musicians are knighted. I just watched a video of Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger. The host introduced her as Dame. Seriously? She sings Goldfinger.
 
OldFeller said:
The Brits are famous for making claims that distinguish themselves from the commoners.

Claiming to appreciate Shakespeare is one. Then there are the titles like Sir or Dame.

It drives me nuts when musicians are knighted. I just watched a video of Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger. The host introduced her as Dame. Seriously? She sings Goldfinger.
Click to expand...
Don't think for a second those sorts of knighthoods don't drive Brits nuts as well..but in their defence very often they are getting knighthoods for works behind the scenes with charities..etc...
 
Victor said:
I cannot understand the interest and fascination with Jane Austen. Bronte. Emily Dickinson. Women like them but men? Nor do I know why The Great Gatsby is highly esteemed but I cant read it. Hemingway. His minimalist style bores me and is so overrated IMO. No one has told me why he is so great, literally, pointing to paragraphs

What popular authors you won't read? And why? Stephen King is another one for me
Click to expand...
I thought I had to quit reading b/c I kept forgetting names, when book contained a lot of people's names..other things. I have a Kindle and I googled books with fewer characters and now I'm reading again. I just read To Kill a Mockingbird. WOW
Frieda McFadden books are spellbinding.
 
I never took to Steven King. His plots were Ok, but they were too boring for me. I know, how could you feel this way about the great Steven King? IDK that's just the way it is. :)
 
I used to enjoy Stephen King's books but got turned off when I read Pet Sematery (ugh) and never read any more of his books. I will say one thing about his writing, though: I think he does dialog really well, it sounds to me the people really sound when they talk.

And who else don't I like? Any romance writers; you see, I don't like fantasy and that's all romance is to me.
 
I do not like books written by authors that churn them out like clockwork. Harlequin romances also do not appeal to me. I do like some of the classics. But mainly read nonfiction these days.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top