Ainulindale
New Member
Any Dan Brown novel, but msot notable the Da Vinci Code
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The Most overrated fiction book ever?
- Thread starter Yossarian89
- Start date
Chixulub
New Member
'Catcher in the Rye.'
I'm convinced that without censors, it would have simply failed to keep enough interest for repeated printings and J.D. Salinger would have had to try an honest trade instead of trying to pass himself off as a writer.
The slams against Dan Brown are understandable, but he's a flavor-of-the-month, he won't be taught in English classes for a generation or more.
The slams against Tolkein are just flat out of line. The movies were very well done and about as faithful to the books as can be expected. This generated a ton of enthusiasm from a lot of people who read these books growing up. This is the equivalent of an ancient Greek being able to actually see Zeus and other Olympian Gods in action, not just dudes in togas on a stage.
And no, I didn't read the books as a kid. I was over 30 when I read the quartet including 'The Hobbit.' A boxed set I bought in Jr. High and had moved with several times without reading. Even then, I read them when I heard the movies were in production, and loved them.
As far as enthusiasm goes, I've seen maybe six or seven movies in the theater in the past seven or eight years. Have babies and that will change your theater going habits.
I've seen: The three LOTR movies, once each, first run (overpriced tickets, popcorn, soda and all); Monster's Inc.; Jimmy Neutron; Cat in the Hat; Passion of the Christ.
The LOTR movies I saw alone. The latter three I took my kiddos to. The last I went to with my wife to appease her. She's an Xtian, so it was important to her. In fairness, it seemed a fairly accurate portrayal of the Roman method of Stalin/Mao/Pol Pot executions, from what history I've read. There's a lot of anti-religious sentiment in America to go along with a lot of heavily religious people, and I think the thing that made people squirm about that movie wasn't the brutality, it was the answers they got if they asked themselves honestly where they would be as an extra in those scenes.
I'm convinced that without censors, it would have simply failed to keep enough interest for repeated printings and J.D. Salinger would have had to try an honest trade instead of trying to pass himself off as a writer.
The slams against Dan Brown are understandable, but he's a flavor-of-the-month, he won't be taught in English classes for a generation or more.
The slams against Tolkein are just flat out of line. The movies were very well done and about as faithful to the books as can be expected. This generated a ton of enthusiasm from a lot of people who read these books growing up. This is the equivalent of an ancient Greek being able to actually see Zeus and other Olympian Gods in action, not just dudes in togas on a stage.
And no, I didn't read the books as a kid. I was over 30 when I read the quartet including 'The Hobbit.' A boxed set I bought in Jr. High and had moved with several times without reading. Even then, I read them when I heard the movies were in production, and loved them.
As far as enthusiasm goes, I've seen maybe six or seven movies in the theater in the past seven or eight years. Have babies and that will change your theater going habits.
I've seen: The three LOTR movies, once each, first run (overpriced tickets, popcorn, soda and all); Monster's Inc.; Jimmy Neutron; Cat in the Hat; Passion of the Christ.
The LOTR movies I saw alone. The latter three I took my kiddos to. The last I went to with my wife to appease her. She's an Xtian, so it was important to her. In fairness, it seemed a fairly accurate portrayal of the Roman method of Stalin/Mao/Pol Pot executions, from what history I've read. There's a lot of anti-religious sentiment in America to go along with a lot of heavily religious people, and I think the thing that made people squirm about that movie wasn't the brutality, it was the answers they got if they asked themselves honestly where they would be as an extra in those scenes.
Stewart
Active Member
Chixulub said:
I'll agree with this.
While it's not taught I've seen a number of people mention they are doing a project on it for their English class.
No, they are not. People are entitled to their opinion and I, like others, think he was good at linguistics but his fiction was mediocre. I read the hobbit and enjoyed it and, on reading The Fellowship of the Ring got bored with pointless characters, songs that served no purpose, and terrible scenes.
I would say it was more a fairly accurate portrayal of the conflicting hearsay documented by the authors of the Gospels between 80 and 200 years after the death of the literary Christ. The historical Christ is a different matter.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 by Sue Townsend
I was forced to read this one in school and it's crap. Making adolescents read books about other adolescents is truely torture.
I had to read Go Ask Alice at school too and I hated it. This wuss kept on whining and taking drugs for about 200 pages. I got really furious and wanted to spank that girl or take drugs myself to get through this book.
Concerning Lord of the Rings I definitely think it's overhyped. I read all the books and the Hobbit after I saw the first movie 'cause I wanted to know how it all ended. The books are good but there is too much crap in it. Most of the scenes are too elaborate and Frodo is another whining wuss who really gets on your nerves after a while.
Furthermore the end was quiet stupid. Obviously Tolkien didn't know how to get Frodo and Sam from the mountain so he just introduced a "deus ex machina" and that's never a pretty sight.
I was forced to read this one in school and it's crap. Making adolescents read books about other adolescents is truely torture.
I had to read Go Ask Alice at school too and I hated it. This wuss kept on whining and taking drugs for about 200 pages. I got really furious and wanted to spank that girl or take drugs myself to get through this book.
Concerning Lord of the Rings I definitely think it's overhyped. I read all the books and the Hobbit after I saw the first movie 'cause I wanted to know how it all ended. The books are good but there is too much crap in it. Most of the scenes are too elaborate and Frodo is another whining wuss who really gets on your nerves after a while.
Furthermore the end was quiet stupid. Obviously Tolkien didn't know how to get Frodo and Sam from the mountain so he just introduced a "deus ex machina" and that's never a pretty sight.
Victorian
New Member
Chixulub said:
<3 <3 <3 I LOVE YOU MARRY ME NOW. Seriously, I HATE Salinger and Catcher and I don't understand why everyone likes it so much. It's really god-awful prose.
Also, I hate the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Hobbit (to a lesser extent), and ESPECIALLY the Silmarillion. Though, the last isn't really hyped up. And, I think Nabokov is a little bit overrated; I know someone who would kick me in the head for saying that, but...
KissingJudas
New Member
YES YES YES!!!! Ohhhh I love you people. I DESPISE CATCHER IN THE RYE. Just got finished with a long post about why in another part of this forum...for the life of me, I already forgot where...anyway it was very heartening to read this. Awful book. Way overdone in high schools. Ahhh. Love you. Love you all!
bobbyburns
New Member
kissingjudas, if you love us so much, then why don't you marry us?
White_Rabbit
New Member
I wasn't dissapointed by either Catcherin the Rye or The Da Vinci Code, however, i was very dissapointed by The Old Man and the Sea.
wilderness
New Member
DaVinci Code
Lani
Lani
Fistandantilus
New Member
Definitely the Da Vinci Code.
stormspirit
New Member
I'd say The great gatsby by fritzgerald! Damn was that a boring book!!!!
I'd also second silas marner...still trying to finish that.
Oh and lord of the flies and the heart of darkness. These books just told me stuff I already new in the most boring way ever!
I'd also second silas marner...still trying to finish that.
Oh and lord of the flies and the heart of darkness. These books just told me stuff I already new in the most boring way ever!
Puddleglum
New Member
conigs25 said:
Each to their own I guess. Though I loved it.
On The Catcher in the Rye front I really enjoyed that as well. Although Franny and Zooey is far better and noone seems to have ever read it. Nine Stories by Salinger is still sittine on my bedside cabinet with only the first 3 read.
Off the top of my head I can't think of any book I'd like to add to the list.