Post your unpopular literature opinions?

[Spinneret]

Shakespeare is overrated
For example

 

[PezRuth]

I disagree on that one. not literature but I thought Eat Pray Love was a horrible book and actually threw it across the room.

 

[Moliphino]

Shakespeare isn't overrated, it's misunderstood. It's supposed to be entertainment for the masses, not high art or literature.

 

[BrianL]

Shakespeare isn't overrated, it's misunderstood. It's supposed to be entertainment for the masses, not high art or literature.

And it is best consumed as a performance, not reading the script.

 

[MrsPete]

- Shakespeare was a wordsmith, an absolute genius.
- Eat, Pray Love sucked.
- There's no creature /monster in Frankenstein. Victor made him up (but is unaware) to avoid marrying Elizabeth.
- Gatsby was black /passing for white. That's why Daisy married Tom instead of Gatsby and why he ghosted his parents. Loads of evidence in the book.
- In contrast, JK Rowling made up the idea of Hermione being black and Dumbledore being gay after the books were published. If she'd intended those things to be true, she'd have written in much more evidence.
- The Mayor of Casterbridge is downright hillarious -- in a dark humor way.
- We should all boycott Patrick Rothfuss until he finishes the Kingkiller series.
- Any self-published Amazon novel described as an "epic", isn't.
- This modern idea that every book idea must be stretched into a trilogy is stupid.

 

[LSUmiss]

Shakespeare is overrated
For example

I respect what he did when he did it, but just not my thing.

Mine: I like Stephen King books & he is a good writer.

 

[LSUmiss]

- Shakespeare was a wordsmith, an absolute genius.
- Eat, Pray Love sucked.
- There's no creature /monster in Frankenstein. Victor made him up (but is unaware) to avoid marrying Elizabeth.
- Gatsby was black /passing for white. That's why Daisy married Tom instead of Gatsby and why he ghosted his parents. Loads of evidence in the book.
- In contrast, JK Rowling made up the idea of Hermione being black and Dumbledore being gay after the books were published. If she'd intended those things to be true, she'd have written in much more evidence.
- The Mayor of Casterbridge is downright hillarious -- in a dark humor way.
- We should all boycott Patrick Rothfuss until he finishes the Kingkiller series.
- Any self-published Amazon novel described as an "epic", isn't.
- This modern idea that every book idea must be stretched into a trilogy is stupid.

Well now I have to go back & read Frankenstein & The Great Gatsby with that in mind. And the Amazon novel .

 

[amylevan]

James Joyce is unreadable. Herman Melville isn’t much better.

 

[disneychrista]

Reading should be fun, an escape. It’s okay to read trashy romance novels

 

[prairie_girl]

I respect what he did when he did it, but just not my thing.

Mine: I like Stephen King books & he is a good writer.

This is an unpopular opinion? He’s my favourite author. Does he have his faults? Sure. Not enough to outweigh the good though.

 

[LSUmiss]

This is an unpopular opinion? He’s my favourite author. Does he have his faults? Sure. Not enough to outweigh the good though.

From a literature standpoint yes, it’s an unpopular opinion.

 

[mjkacmom]

I respect what he did when he did it, but just not my thing.

Mine: I like Stephen King books & he is a good writer.

He’s my favorite author, I’ve read most of his books.

 

[TippyThomas]

I spend all of my time in the non fiction section. I'm not a fan fiction. Not sure if that is exactly unpopular but I do get a lot of weird looks when I mention it.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

Do not attempt to read the unabridged version of Les Miserables. It's...miserable. Just watch the musical and bask in the glorious performances depicting the death and despair. Put the book on your coffee table so people will think you're smart. It makes a good coaster.

 

[MrsPete]

I respect what he did when he did it, but just not my thing.

Every time I read a Shakespearean play I find something I didn't notice in the first dozen times I read it.

He’s my favorite author, I’ve read most of his books.

I've spent most of my life avoiding Stephen King because I'm not-not-not a horror fan. Then I decided to read The Stand. Blew me away! Yes, it contains some horrific elements, but it's not blood and gore from page 1 to page last. Then I found out he wrote Stand By Me. Whaaat? And a couple other things I like! I adore him now, though I will always avoid anything blood and gore -- my youngest daughter, who loves that nasty stuff, is shielding me /directing me to the books she knows I'll like.

SKing didn't earn half a B-B-B-BILLION because he's a poor writer.

Being a literature teacher, I also had to learn some things about SKing himself. He's quite fascinating. Possibly insane, but let's put that aside. He and his wife married and had children quite young, and she was at home with the babies while he taught high school. He was offered an "extra" (as teachers so often are) working with the Speech and Debate team. It would've paid $250 for the season, which -- in the 70s -- was real money, and they needed it. His wife asked him, "If you do this, will you still have time to write?" and he said no. She told him to turn it down. She believed in him that much. He jokes that he married her because she owned a typewriter, which he set up on a little table between the washer and dryer. Anyway ... one day she was home with the kids, and he received a telegram -- or maybe it was a registered letter. It offered him $$$$$ for a little story you might've heard of: Carrie. She dressed the children, put them in the stroller and walked to a phone (they were so poor they couldn't afford one in their trailer house). When he heard the announcement, "Mr. King, you have a phone call -- it's your wife", he RAN to the phone because he knew how much effort it would take her to walk to a phone, and he assumed something was really wrong. Nope, something was incredibly right. I've also read his advice to fledgling writers -- talk about hitting the nail on the head. I'm a huge fan now -- just not of blood and gore.

Do not attempt to read the unabridged version of Les Miserables. It's...miserable. Just watch the musical and bask in the glorious performances depicting the death and despair. Put the book on your coffee table so people will think you're smart. It makes a good coaster.

I love-love-love Les Mis, but you could be forgiven for reading the abridged version. The first 30% of that brick of a book is about that priest, who is important ONLY IN THAT he provides the catalyst for JValJ's transformation.

I do loOoOove the musical. Hugh Jackman ... Russell Crow ... Anne Hathaway ... Eddie Redwine.

Coaster? It could be a door stop.

 

[barkley]

it is entirely acceptable to read and immediatly re-read a book (unpopular opinion according to both my high school and college english lit teachers),

the great gatsby and anything written by john steinbeck are horrific reads-too much time wasted describing things. this comes from someone who adored 'in cold blood' by truman capote (one of the books i read cover to cover to cover to cover) which is incredibly descriptive but in capote's case it contributes to the story. for me both steinbeck and fitzgerald's work could be reduced to short stories.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Stephen King isn't scary.

 

[disneychrista]

Stephen King isn't scary.

I haven’t read any of the older books but his newer stuff isn’t. Creepy. Suspenseful. But not scary.

 

[rndmr2]

Do not attempt to read the unabridged version of Les Miserables. It's...miserable. Just watch the musical and bask in the glorious performances depicting the death and despair. Put the book on your coffee table so people will think you're smart. It makes a good coaster.

I have read it. I tried to read it when I was young (High school or college age) and couldn't get through it. I did eventually read it when I was a little older (30 maybe) It's a great story but way long.

it is entirely acceptable to read and immediatly re-read a book (unpopular opinion according to both my high school and college english lit teachers),

I have done this. I actually used to read The Outsiders back to back to back when I first read it in 7th-8th grade (I got it from my brother who is a few years older and had to read it for school) I wore that book out, LOL it was literally falling apart and held together by tape. I have read it a bunch more times since then too. FAVORITE book. I have it in my Kindle now...

 

[TCRAIG]

Every time I read a Shakespearean play I find something I didn't notice in the first dozen times I read it.

I've spent most of my life avoiding Stephen King because I'm not-not-not a horror fan. Then I decided to read The Stand. Blew me away! Yes, it contains some horrific elements, but it's not blood and gore from page 1 to page last. Then I found out he wrote Stand By Me. Whaaat? And a couple other things I like! I adore him now, though I will always avoid anything blood and gore -- my youngest daughter, who loves that nasty stuff, is shielding me /directing me to the books she knows I'll like.

SKing didn't earn half a B-B-B-BILLION because he's a poor writer.

Being a literature teacher, I also had to learn some things about SKing himself. He's quite fascinating. Possibly insane, but let's put that aside. He and his wife married and had children quite young, and she was at home with the babies while he taught high school. He was offered an "extra" (as teachers so often are) working with the Speech and Debate team. It would've paid $250 for the season, which -- in the 70s -- was real money, and they needed it. His wife asked him, "If you do this, will you still have time to write?" and he said no. She told him to turn it down. She believed in him that much. He jokes that he married her because she owned a typewriter, which he set up on a little table between the washer and dryer. Anyway ... one day she was home with the kids, and he received a telegram -- or maybe it was a registered letter. It offered him $$$$$ for a little story you might've heard of: Carrie. She dressed the children, put them in the stroller and walked to a phone (they were so poor they couldn't afford one in their trailer house). When he heard the announcement, "Mr. King, you have a phone call -- it's your wife", he RAN to the phone because he knew how much effort it would take her to walk to a phone, and he assumed something was really wrong. Nope, something was incredibly right. I've also read his advice to fledgling writers -- talk about hitting the nail on the head. I'm a huge fan now -- just not of blood and gore.

I love-love-love Les Mis, but you could be forgiven for reading the abridged version. The first 30% of that brick of a book is about that priest, who is important ONLY IN THAT he provides the catalyst for JValJ's transformation.

I do loOoOove the musical. Hugh Jackman ... Russell Crow ... Anne Hathaway ... Eddie Redwine.

Coaster? It could be a door stop.

I was with you until you mentioned the Les Mis movie - I thought that was awful…