Overrated Authors?

[JamesJohnson]

I would have to go with John Green on this one, whilst I wouldn't detract from the success of TFIOS, I just wasn't as captivated by the whole plot as everyone else. Whilst I agree it was rather a sad read, I found it hard to distinguish from other books of its kind.

Likewise I would defend Dan Brown, it's obvious that his books are sometimes littered with flaws but if a book by Dan Brown is so difficult to put down then overrated author or not, it's still going to be up there in my favourite books.

[DickDatchery]

It's hard for me to see Shakespeare on the overrated list. I know that different people bring different likes and dislikes to their reading, however, and there is no universal standard of greatness to which everyone can subscribe. I can understand why some may put Hemingway on the list--for one thing not everyone buys into his "Ernest Hemingway is the coolest human and the center of the universe" worldview. If you can get past that, though, he is one of the finest in the English language at the crafting of fiction.

[allesha]

John Green. I do enjoy his books, but to me they're just okay. I don't understand the cult-ness to The Fault in our Stars.

[ladybug31]

But Hemingway... I know. I had lots of fights with teacher over this in my college years. I was in an honors lit program, and I swear I had a teacher about have a heart attack when I said that. I actually don't like much 19th century lit. And I abhor Jane Austen; I can't take her shallow female drabble, but I suppose that was the time period. With the fire of a welding iron. I know! But you won't change my mind. I've tried- I read and re-read, but it just doesn't light my fire. There are a few more, but they don't come to mind right now.

Complete agreement here. Every few years, I figure I'll re-read Austen but I barely get three pages in before I want to throw up. Hemingway as well. While I enjoyed A Farewell to Arms in high school, it didn't translate well when I read it again in my 20s. I almost felt like Pat does in The Silver Linings Playbook where he finish it and says something along the lines of "Really? That's it?"
Other authors that I used to adore and now can't stand: Charles Dickens: it seems like his books just don't age well
Poe: I used to be a huge Poe fangirl back in the day and got into fights with friends who thought Poe was a waste of time. Now I have to agree
Sylvia Plath: I read The Bell Jar at sixteen and thought "oh! She gets my tortured teenaged soul so well!" Tried to crack it again six months ago and threw the book across the room.

[Allison_Wonderland]

I feel as if people are going to disagree with me on this, but I think John Green os overrated.
I read TFIOS and it was alright, I read the entire book, but the story itself just wasn't as good as I expected it to be.

[ladybug31]

I feel as if people are going to disagree with me on this, but I think John Green os overrated.
I read TFIOS and it was alright, I read the entire book, but the story itself just wasn't as good as I expected it to be.

Oh my gosh! Thank you! I read TFIOS because friends were raving about it. Finished it in two days and kind of put it aside with very few feelings about reading it again or liking it.

[Allison_Wonderland]

I feel as if people are going to disagree with me on this, but I think John Green os overrated.
I read TFIOS and it was alright, I read the entire book, but the story itself just wasn't as good as I expected it to be.

Oh my gosh! Thank you! I read TFIOS because friends were raving about it. Finished it in two days and kind of put it aside with very few feelings about reading it again or liking it.

It just exploded, didn't it? I had never heard of it, and then all of a sudden that's all anyone was reading. So I decided to read it too, because everyone wouldn't be reading a terrible book right? It would have to be pretty darn good to take off.
I thought it was okay, but I doubt I'll read it again, and I wasn't invested in the characters at all.

[mashamashamasha]

I actually quite like Salinger's short stories, but god, Catcher in the Rye was awfuuuuuuuul. And I first read it at age 13 or 14, so you'd think I would have eaten that right up!

I also never liked that Divergent series shtick. I loveeee me some dystopian YA whatever mush, but I just thought that the concept and the execution were pretty "meh." I don't think I got much further than book 1, maybe 2, and that's rare - usually I make a point of finishing a book/series once I start, even if I wasn't thrilled about it.

[mra2014]

Every successful author has a following that appreciates their work, no matter how overated I think they are.
Horses for courses

[ALynnPowers]

I think that Steven King is overrated. I can't get into anything of his.
And Anne Rice. John Grisham. Basically the best selling authors we all know.
They're just not for me.

[bookowlie]

Jodi Picoult. I do think she does tackle important issues in some of her books, but I do think her writing is overrated.

[pretzelsnow]

Roald Dahl
That's all I can think of because I don't like his stories.

[Aspen_Reads]

Stephanie Meyer, for sure. Once Twilight went to the big screen, it was such a huge fad, to be into the series. Really, the writing wasn't that great.

[Munch]

I actually quite like Salinger's short stories, but god, Catcher in the Rye was awfuuuuuuuul. And I first read it at age 13 or 14, so you'd think I would have eaten that right up!

I also never liked that Divergent series shtick. I loveeee me some dystopian YA whatever mush, but I just thought that the concept and the execution were pretty "meh." I don't think I got much further than book 1, maybe 2, and that's rare - usually I make a point of finishing a book/series once I start, even if I wasn't thrilled about it.

I didn't like Catcher in the Rye much either.

I also think E.L James is overrated. I read the series on recommendation however it did not live up to expectation. Even without comparing it to similar works on its own it was just an okay read.

I am learning that marketing has a big effect on a book's popularity, sometimes even more than the quality of the writing.
I used to look at the top/ most popular authors at library sites to decide which book to read next. I mean if they are the most popular authors their books must be good right? I stopped after being burned too many times. I think Richelle Mead and Kristen Ashley are the exceptions that prove the rule.

[CYMH090909]

I honestly think that a lot of authors are overrated but I don't think I should mention any names only because even though I don't personally see why they are so great but other people do and I respect that. It's mostly a lot of the "In" authors that I think are overrated.