Authors you wanted to like, but didnt

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Sat January 17th, 2009, 5:21 pm

Henry James is hit or miss for me (and very dependent on my mood). I love The Turn of the Screw and The Beast in the Jungle. I haven't been able to stick with any of his others, though.

Thomas Hardy is an author I feel I should like (or at least be able to read), but I haven't been able to finish a single novel of his. I threw Jude the Obscure at the wall about half way through.

Kveto from Prague · Post by **Kveto from Prague** » Sat January 17th, 2009, 5:45 pm

[quote=""alice""]Poor old Scott can't take the blame for Kidnapped, that's R.L.Stevenson

.[/quote]

whoops. meant to say the tailsman there. dont know how i mixed those up. maybe referencing rob roy threw me off there

thnx for correcting

Volgadon · Post by **Volgadon** » Sat January 17th, 2009, 6:43 pm

[quote=""Alaric""]Patrick O'Brian.[/quote]

That is exactly what I wanted to say!

gyrehead · Post by **gyrehead** » Sat January 17th, 2009, 7:50 pm

Henry James almost makes the list in this category. I find something about the overall structure of his novels to be onerous and feel like an imposition. Yet I can respond to a passage of his with incredible awe as well. And I love his plots. Two huge saving graces. But I always feel like I'm making fresh squeeze orange juice by hand when I read his stuff. Lots and lots of effort and I feel like I ended up with a rather small amount of usable material compared to the pile of detrius that sits on the counter.

Dickens is an author I can appreciate certain value in some instances but also think is hugely overrated in other regards. I definitely don't find him as definitive an author as some of his adherents try to browbeat me into accepting.

Jane Austen is another one in that area. And author that I "get" (at least I'd like to think so), but remain unimpressed by. No an active dislike but just nothing read that grabbed hold and opened any inner doors like some others have.

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Sat January 17th, 2009, 8:47 pm

Phillippa Gregory. I've tried about four of her books. They always sound interesting in the blurb, but I can never get past the first chapter.

Henry James is not easy to like, but I can appreciate him if I'm in the mood! Colm Toibin's The Master is a really fascinating novel about him. He was a bit of a git.

Madeleine · Post by **Madeleine** » Sun January 18th, 2009, 1:41 pm

keny, I was hugely disappointed by The Castle of Otranto too.

Re Henry James - I enjoyed Turn of the Screw and The Aspern Papers, but haven't tried any of his others, I've heard he's quite "heavygoing"!

Must try some Dickens though, I read Oliver Twist years ago and quite liked it (very diff from the film versions), have several others on tbr shelf but will really have to be in the right mood to try one.

MrsMorland · Post by **MrsMorland** » Sun January 18th, 2009, 4:13 pm

Phillipa Gregory for me too.

Julianne Douglas · Post by **Julianne Douglas** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 12:03 am

Glad to see someone else hates Jane Austen. I can't stand her!

Tanzanite · Post by **Tanzanite** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 12:06 am

I am sure that I will be in the minority here but I can't read Dorothy Dunnett. I slogged my way through one of her books and started on the second but after 100 pages, just couldn't make myself do it anymore. I really don't want to have to work that hard when I read.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Mon January 19th, 2009, 12:34 am

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]Hard Times isn't Dickens at his best, IMO. Try Bleak House sometime.[/quote]

Hard Times didn't do much fore me but Bleak House! Although one should take notes, there are so many layers to the characters and Dickens takes his sweet time unraveling them.