An overhyped classic you really didn't like

[Sarah Nichols 7]

I’m having trouble finishing Moby Dick. It’s very hyped, but kind of hard to follow.

[Larue2005]

Moby Dick is rife with long-winded explanations of Whaling. Admittedly, when I read it, I skimmed these passages. However, I think Melville’s dive into destructive, obsessive narcissism resonates as a relevant cautionary tale .

[Kaitlin Licato]

A lot of the books some people have mentioned I didn't mind. Then again, I audiobook anything that is excessively long. That's how I got through "War and Peace" and "Les Miserables" among other books. I personally disliked a great deal of Les Mis because it went off on such LONG tangents. I also disliked "The Illiad" for the same reason.

I'd say the classic book I dislike the most that everyone else loves though is "The Great Gatsby." I just couldn't get into it. At all.

[RKeinath]

For me it would be Lord of the Flies, which I had to read in high school and still fail to understand why. It was the first and only book that I threw across the room because it was so frustrating to read and disgusting.

Second is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. Why Romeo and Juliet is so revered is beyond me as the story neither appeals, and the characters lack depth for me. There are much better things written by Shakespeare than this, in my opinion.

Finally, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. While I enjoy it and find it interesting, I feel that it does not warrant being his greatest work, which is mainly what I hear about it. I find Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol to be better character wise and all around story wise.

[Vannaskivt]

Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. We started a work-related book club many years back and the entire group of us dragged through this book. There were moments that were memorable and beautifully written, but, as a whole...yikes.

[amber-yvonne]

Freshman year of high school I was assigned to read and write about the book Great Expectations because my English teacher thought I would be the kind of person to really enjoy it. I don't know if it was because I was young and not accustomed to reading classic literature, but I couldn't understand what made that book qualify as a great classic work. I couldn't find much meaning out of it but I plan to revisit it just to see if my 14-year-old self was right

[EmilyAddi]

For me it was brave new world by aldous Huxley. I found it very hard to follow and get in to.

[DANAWEB]

I was just wondering why we feel some of these classics are over hyped. It may be because, these times we read many action adventures and well researched modern day thrillers that we tend to forget the timeline those classics were written? Just a thought that came to my mind..

[SaraHysaro]

Do classic poems count? Beowulf had a few good moments within it, but the part that sticks out the most is that complete slog near the beginning obsessed with lineage and geographical connections. I had to read sections of Beowulf for high school, and picked up a full copy to see what it was that they left out; it's such a shame that this omitted material was, for the most part, entirely unappealing to me.

In case Beowulf doesn't count, I'd like to echo the sentiment towards LOTR. I can tell from the movies that the source material has a lot to love, but the initial chapters are tricky to stick with and I've yet to manage.

[BellAJoEb]

For me, it was a great drag to read "The Mayor of Casterbridge " by Thomas Hardy. I couldn't find a character in it that I looked forward to knowing what's up with.

[AngelicG]

Catcher In the Rye - how I hated this book. I remember reading it in English class and everyone loving it. I just didn't get it. Holden was the most obnoxious character and the writing style was pedestrian. Usually, even with classics I dislike, I can understand why they reached classic status. But still confused to why this book would ever be classed as one.

The Old Man and the Sea. I don't hate it like I do Catcher In the Rye . I just find it bland and uninteresting.

Grapes of Wrath - I think this book is one of those divided books which you either love or you hate. I certainly have gotten into many heated debates with people about it. I found the characters undeveloped and unlikeable. And the way it ended was unsatisfying. I just think there are so many better books out there that tackle the American Dream.

[zainherb]

I think Great Expectations.
It was quite slow for me and painful to read.
I got to the end though but it could Ve been written better.

[Leigh__k]

I'll have to choose the picture of Dorian gray by Oscar Wilde as much as I tried to read the book still have not finished it and it has been like 6 months just did not see what everyone loves about it.

[sarrod22]

I must agree with Moby Dick, it's such a difficult book to read. But how about Finnegans Wake by James Joyce? I have tried to read it and even though it isn't exactly popular among classic books, it is considered good somehow. It is literally impossible to read. I feel like midway through the book one will get seizures or something. Or develop dyslexia.

[Shieldmaiden88]

A couple of them come to mind straight away. Where the Red Fern Grows and The Yearling. Both of those books were painfully boring to me. To this day I have no idea why they are required reading. I realize tastes very from person to person, and that's just fine. But I distinctly recall nearly the entire class, including those of us who read book extensively on our own time as well, being terribly bored with those titles.