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Saturday, January 23, 2010

Are best sellers always the best?

Do you ever read a review or many reviews of the same book, then can't wait to get your own hands on a copy and then.... it happens?!? You hate the book.

Everyone you personally know loves it. It's been on all sorts of best seller lists. It's a huge seller and the everyone from Leno to Oprah to your neighbor loved this book but no matter how hard you try, you hate it.

I've had that happen. Actually, it's happening to me right now with a book I'm reading but I'll come back to that. I'm supposed to write a review of something I'm reading so I'll save it for later.

But I find that I'm often a person who just desperately wants to like a book, just like everyone else but I just can't get into it. I was that way with The DaVinci Code. I didn't even finish it, but I really wanted to LIKE it. Everyone, even people who don't read, liked it. And I, who am a complete bibliophile, just couldn't get into it. The same thing with The Shipping News. I wanted to read it and I tried to pick it up several times, to no avail. And now a blogger friend of mine that I really admire, and who's book reading tastes are FANTASTIC, loved it. I want to LOVE it too, but it just isn't working for me. I can also add Angela's Ashes and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to the list. And Three Cups of Tea- I've tried to read this about 100 times but no such luck which makes me question my whole teaching career. And Wicked.

Don't even get me started on books that are considered "classics." I was an English lit. minor in college and taught English for 10 years and the list of "classics" I've read is terribly small. They just don't interest me. I've bought them in hopes they would at some point speak to me but to no avail.

So here I am, in a little club all my own, a person who just doesn't like the IT books. Grrrr!

5 comments:

Bragger said...

Precisely the reason I refuse to read book reviews. Even yours....sorry dear! :) I like to decide for myself. Doesn't much matter, since I apparently forget the book immediately anyway.

Maggie said...

Bragger- that's okay that you don't read my reviews- I completely understand.

I find that I usually read whatever I want, regardless of the reviews (I read "Chasing Harry Winston" and should have LISTENED to the reviews... it was ick.) but when something gets so much great hype, so much love I want to LOVE it, too. Damn that I can't always.

I would still like to read reviews of anything you read lately *ahem* hint, hint!

Wiley said...

I have a similar problem, although I find when a book is hyped I don't want to touch it. I am ridiculously stubborn and contrary (to the point of it being detrimental) and if someone says 'oh you HAVE to try/read/see/do/buy X' then I feel like I'm already doomed to hating it just because others like it.

Bragger said...

Maggie Mae - I'm completely, totally with you on the Harry Winston thing. I wish I could have those hours back! Currently reading The Other Boleyn Girl. THAT will take a while....

Maggie said...

Bragger- The Other Boleyn Girl didn't take me as long as I thought it would to read. It picked up about 100 pages in and I didn't want to put it down. I wont say any more though...

And that Chasing... I can think of three thousand other things I should've done like gone to the dentist, shaved my legs, mowed the lawn with tweezers...

Wiley- i understand that thinking. I still just wish I could like them like everyone else...