Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat.
This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
Have you ever been disappointed by a book everyone else seemed to love?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
Short answer YES. If we are all honest there will be books that others rave about that we don’t like or are not for us. I just have to think anything Jane Austen or Gone With The Wind. But as this is a forum for Christian books I instantly think of one book. I will not name it but the year I read it so many had it as their top read or high in their top ten reads for the year. If I had a bottom five reads this still would have been my bottom read.
Why you ask because I could not relate to the hero. It was back in the chick-lit era where if you are single at 30 there is something wrong with you. This heroine was turning 30 and as far as she was concerned her life was over cos she was single. Being single myself books like this really frustrate me as they just petulated what we as singles learn in church. Your goal in life is to be married and the earlier the better. If you are still single at 30 then there is something wrong with your.
Many authors who write these books were happily married with children and often early 20’s which makes it worse. I am sure if the focus wasn’t here desperation to be married I could have coped better. Kaye Darcus wrote heroines in their 30’s single never had a boyfriend and no thought of being married. This I could identify with more as it is a positive message for singles. Even around 12+ years since reading this book it still evokes a reaction.
Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group.
This will be controversial, but I don’t like any of Francine Rivers books. I would not read past the first few pages of Redeeming Love, but everyone else seems to think it’s wonderful.
Someone on the FB group said the same thing. I haven’t read it as I am not sure I would have liked it. I also sometimes find when there is a lot of hype and everyone raves about something I often think can it really be that good. I have seen films everyone raved about and I was really disappointed so often won’t watch til its free. Just the adds for this as a film told me I Probably wouldn’t like it.
So you are not controversial.
The book I struggled was Never the Bride
Hi Jenny, Yes! I can relate and sometimes I think I’m disappointed because I’m not in the right mood to read it. The more hype a book has been given, the more skeptical I’ll become that I’ll actually like it. let alone love it. I prefer to start reading a book with low expectations and then I’m not disappointed if I don’t read past the sample early chapters.