Booking Through Thursday asks...
“What’s the worst ‘best’ book you’ve ever read — the one everyone says is so great, but you can’t figure out why?”
That's easy. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. That books was all over NPR, the book blogs, the internets... everyone loved it. And NPR doesn't usually steer me wrong. But it did. Oh, it did.
I'll admit that the book had its moments, but the main Hamlet plot just annoyed the heck out of me because Wroblewski didn't even try to paraphrase the play, he just picked up pieces and threw them in verbatim even if (when!) they didn't make sense in the context of the parts of the story he wrote. Ugh.
13 comments:
Oh, I just heard this title the other day but I can't remember in what context. Interesting. It was fun to hear your take on it.
Thanks for the warning.
This one intrigued me when I first started seeing it pop up on everyone's book radar last year -- but, honestly, the sheer heft of it was completely intimidating to me. After your post, I'm thinking I was good to stay away! :)
I think that Edgar Sawtelle is definitely one of those love it or hate it books! I loved it but I know plenty of people who definitely didn't!
Some of the members of my book club gave us a similiar warning... thanks!
http://barneysbookblog.blogspot.com/
Again, an Oprah book. That was warning enough for me!
I've got this one on my TBR but wow, it sounds disappointing when you put it that way. I'll be reading it guardedly.
Yeah I know about the Oprah books, and I usually try to steer away from them, I guess I just don't have her tastes in reading ;)
I've heard a lot about this book and was very tempted to try it but now I'm sure that I don't want to waste precious time doing that.. thanks :)
Sorry to hear that a book that has garnered much attention is not lifting up to the hype.
Da Vinci Code for me. It doesn't have any competitor.
The plot of Edgar Sawtelle doesn't really interest me right now, even if Oprah did pick it for her book club lol
I agree! I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it!
luckily for me, one of my friends with similar reading tastes read it and didn't like it. enough warning, never picked it up.
My BTT is here
I disliked it immensely, so, woot!
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