The Most Overrated Classics

[Annija Marta Meldere]

Have you ever been forced to read a book for school and were left wondering 'why are they making us read this???' Or have you ever stumbled across a classic that has left you reeling with just how good it was?

Classics, of course, are always classics for a reason, and I don't intend to claim that any of the below books should be otherwise. They are all, in their ways, important books that have brought pleasure to many.

Below is my (highly personal!) list of top 5 most OVER- and UNDER- rated literary classics that I've read to date. These are ones that left me either disappointed and underwhelmed, or excited and overwhelmed...

Let me know if you agree or disagree!


OVERRATED:

1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I didn't find this funny, except at rare moments, and I thought it was rambling, over-long and poorly structured.
2. Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. I can see its appeal to teens, with its rebellious undercurrent and angst-ridden anti-hero, but even as a teen I was unimpressed by Holden's repetitive dislikes and vernacular phrases.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. One of the most important books of the 20th C, without a doubt, but I found it hard to get through. I just didn't find the style exciting and I'm not a fan of courtroom scenes...
4. Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Having read any number of essays about it, and picking it apart scene by scene, I still found very little to celebrate. It didn't engage my imagination or emotions.
5. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Another revered author who, I think, is set on too high a pedestal. Though I do enjoy much of Dickens' writing, this is one of my least favourite of his novels - far too sentimental for my taste!


UNDERRATED:

1. Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe. I enjoy Marlowe more than Shakespeare, heresy though that may be... A spine-tingling exploration of a classic legend, with enough ambiguity to keep you rereading for years.
2. The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope. My introduction to this author which sent me on a pilgrimage to read all 40+ of his novels. A gripping, complex plot; a warm, engaging style; a wealth of information on nineteenth-century life.
3. Perfume by Patrick Süskind. This book sucked me in so quickly and didn't let me go until the final page. Such a unique premise and such a unique treatment - a truly one-of-a-kind story.
4. The Woodlanders by Thomas Hardy. A most beautiful, heart-wrenching exploration of nature and love. My personal favourite of Hardy's novels. Not for those who prefer a happy ending, but thankfully I don't...
5. A Little Life by Hanye Yanagihara. Can you qualify such a recent book as a classic? I suppose this is more like a prediction. It is rare for a contemporary book to effect me so deeply. A gut-wrenching, unputdownable story written in hypnotic prose. Again, not for the faint of heart but with a protagonist who will stay with you strongly for - well, at least a year!

To Kill A Mockingbird was indeed a hard read, but, for me personally, it was well worth it.

As for Hamlet, I didn't really get much out of it, either. Although it might have to do with the fact that I'm not really into revenge or ghosts. The main reason I even read it was to compare it to The Lion King.
(My findings were that there were some basic similarities between the two plots, but not too many)

David Copperfield is the only novel from Charles Dickens thta I've read, and I really enjoyed it. We really do have different tastes, as deeply enjoyed the sentimentality. It didn't fail to evoke negative emotions, either, but most of that was at the beginning, in the scenes with the stepfather.

[Annija Marta Meldere]

The Great Gatsby and Romeo & Juliet are extremely overrated in my opinion.

I agree that Romeo & Juliet is overrated - but who am I to judge, I've never been much into romance. However, my dislike for Romeo And Juliet extends beyond the genre.

First of all, I believe that Romeo and Juliet didn't even love each other - by my understanding of love (different from lust, which they had plenty of), at least. If anyone's interested, I'm ready to translate to English and post here my Literature class essay that deals with this very topic.

And, second of all, the book seems to glorify suicide, which I'm afraid might give youth like me the wrong ideas for dealing with problems.

[litcat]

Absolutely loved The Catcher in the Rye, especially as a teenager which is a little angsty and on the nose but what can I say. Still have a soft spot for it to this day, to each their own

[Sampson Mimgba]

Opinions on which classic books are overrated vary widely, and what some consider overrated, others may greatly value. However, a few classic books often receive mixed reviews or criticism for being overhyped or less engaging to modern readers. Some of these books include:

1. "Moby-Dick" by Herman Melville: While it's celebrated for its symbolism and deep themes, some readers find the extensive descriptions of whaling technicalities and long chapters on seemingly unrelated topics to be a bit tedious.

2. "Ulysses" by James Joyce: This novel is often praised for its innovation and complexity, but it's also known for its challenging writing style and dense stream-of-consciousness narrative, making it a difficult read for many.

3. "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand: This novel is a polarizing work, with some readers admiring its philosophy of Objectivism, while others criticize it for its lengthy monologues and one-dimensional characters.

4. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger: Although widely studied in schools, some readers find the novel's protagonist, Holden Caulfield, to be an unsympathetic character, making it a divisive book.

It's essential to keep in mind that what some may find overrated, others may consider a masterpiece. Literary tastes vary, and these books continue to be the subject of extensive critical debate and discussion.

[BigNaz42]

Slaughterhouse Five is a lamentable bore. Kurt Vonnegut is puffed up, rudimentary, and much, much too terse.

[Jabril Miller]

I submit the ticket for Catcher in the Rye being overrated. Despite how the book attempted to convince me that the narrative had something in-depth to say on the level of To Kill a Mockingbird, I couldn't associate with Caulfield's very literal story of running away from home and discovering it was a bad idea enough to connect with the media (on top of the very uncomfortable elements like predatory behavior, abuse, etc.) even as a child.

For underrated, I think Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz are two candidates. For stories that have been done innumerable times already, the original narratives are enjoyable jaunts into worlds that are vastly different in composition and rule than anything that we know of in our world. It's difficult to put them down for immersion and the curious casts that they insert into reader's minds, and the messages that you get reading them now are vastly different than you might have received as a child (I for one got a very different impression of Wonderland's bright and harmless disposition reading through the eyes of Alice as an adult than I did when I was young).

[Onyinyechi Obi]

With The Scarlet Letter, too, I had a lot of trouble. I no longer feel so guilty. Moby Dick is another book that I truly want to adore but can't seem to get into.

[Andrew Darlington]

This book David Copperfield by Charles Dickens makes it to the top when it comes to my most overrated classical.

[Annija Marta Meldere]

This book David Copperfield by Charles Dickens makes it to the top when it comes to my most overrated classical.

I disagree. I enjoyed it throughout, especially the parts that related well to my own life.

Yet, I understand that tastes differ.

[Onyinyechi Obi]

If a book is overrated then I won’t call it a classic. So I’m yet to read an overrated classic.