frumiousb

In past Sunday Salon entries, I have asked about how often it happens that your favorite book by a writer turns out to be the one considered atypical by serious fans. Last week, I talked about Henry James-- a writer who I love even though it feels quite popular to hate his work at the moment.

This week, I'm continuing this contrarian vein by asking: Which books haven't you liked, even though everyone around you insists that it is a Wonderful Book?

Generally speaking, I find myself reasonably in line with the critics. My blog reading list is full of many readers far more erudite and well-read than I am. I shamelessly mine their recommendations for my wish list, and am very rarely disappointed. But when it does happen that I am out of step, then I am generally very far out of step indeed.

I'll confess, I loathed The Kite Runner. I know all of the reasons why I was supposed to like it. I respect the reasons that other people have for their affection for the novel. I just couldn't stomach it. I found it emotionally dishonest. A pot-boiler dressed up as a history lesson, rather than the other way around. (I've had a series of conversations about this particular taste aversion with bezigebij recently, and why I have such a sore spot about this kind of writing.) I had a very similar reaction to The Bone People, by Keri Hulme. While I admired the prose quality, I found that it made a mythic journey out of child abuse and poverty-- a kind of literary trick that I hate worse than nearly anything.

And now I find that it has happened again.

For some time now, I have heard of a particular writer being lauded to the heavens. Her novels get the highest of praise from many of my most respected online acquaintances. I expected to love the first book in the series. I at least expected to kind of like it.

But I have to confess, I really didn't like Farthing, by Jo Walton. I could barely finish it.

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So there you've heard my dirty secrets about taste lapses. What are yours? Books you couldn't finish that everyone else seemed to adore?