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The author that everyone else loves and you can’t abide? Mine is Jane Austen.

The author that everyone else loves and you can’t abide? Mine is Jane Austen.

Mari #questionnaire

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56 answers
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22 answers
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7 answers

633 Answers

Susan

Elizabeth Strout. I’ve tried and tried, but she is just not for me.

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Sonya

I loved Olive Kitteridge and just finished Abide with Me, but can totally see how her style isn’t for everyone. I think Anne Patchett has a similar style in that it’s appreciated by some, but not all.

1
Betsy

Herman Melville. Tried to read his books at different ages. Still can’t get through them.

8
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Janet

I truly love reading Austen but it does take a little time to settle in to her writing style. Once there I find her characters witty and charming.

8
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Janet

I tried to read King Hereafter by Dorothy Dunnett with my book club a few years ago. One page introduced 19 characters. At 50 pages I threw the book across the room and never tried again. Others in the group loved the book but it was very polarizing.

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Jan

Mine are the Brontes. Everyone raves and raves, OOOh Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, but I just want to hide.

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Lori

I’ve read Jane Eyre a few times and I enjoyed the movie, but I just admitted to my mother this week that the book was really boring and I hated Wuthering Heights too.

1
Liz

Herman Melville, Jack London

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Sam

I just attempted Pride and Prejudice again and I just couldn’t. Like… it’s the Real World. That’s it. It’s a shitty reality show with some fancier language. Like 1850s beach reads. All these interesting and spunky female characters and they just sit around talking about how to catch a husband. It drives me up a wall.

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Joy

James Patterson

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Corinna

Hemingway

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Cheryl

Agreed. I haven’t been able to finish a book of his yet.

0
Erin

Yep

0
Kelly

I definitely agree. Hemingway is not for me.

1
Frances

Hemingway’s short stories are his forte. And the influence of his straightforward, clear concise prose is incalculable.

1
Shannon

George Orwell.

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Becky

Dean Koontz

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Mary

Nicholas Sparks

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Joy

Yes I agree

1
Merilee

I finished one. That was enough.

0
Lynn

That was my author too. So schlocky!

0
Juliet

I once said that Nicholas Sparks is the Thomas Kinkade of the literary world. He’s just too fluffy and melodramatic for me.

5
Stephanie

James Patterson

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Rachel

Dickens

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Shannon

Gillian Flynn

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Jayne

Steinbeck. Ugh. I’ve had to read several of his books, but that darn Grapes of Wrath pushed me over the edge. That ending. No more Steinbeck again.

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Jill

Agreed!

0
Dana

You should try East of Eden; it’s weird, but I like some of his more simple and obscure books (with the exception of East of Eden, which is neither simple nor obscure ). The Pearl is simple, but poetic. Hated The Red Pony, but loved Tortilla Flat. Loved his King Arthur pieces. Grapes of Wrath is one of those novels I can appreciate, like The Jungle, but not really enjoy reading.

4
Suzanne

Me too. I feel like Steinbeck shoves the plot into about 5 pages and spends the rest on descriptions and random vignettes.

2
Dana

@Suzanne which is maybe why some of his shorter pieces- Of Mice and Men, The Pearl, Tortilla Flat are easier reads-more character focused with speedier plots! I think East of Eden is more of a true epic novel – maybe less obviously political than Grapes of Wrath.

0
Lynn

I quit reading Steinbeck. The only book I can say I really enjoyed is Travels With Charley, which I’ve read several times. The other ones I’ve read have left me too melancholy afterward.

1
Mary

Oh my! My fav.

0
Stacey

Jack Kerouac…I’ve never been able to make through On the Road

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Deborah

Made it through, but hated it; so badly written.

1
Barbara

I listened to the audiobook on accelerated speed!

2
Cynthia

Stephen King.

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Barbara

Stephen King

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Lori

James Patterson

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Gemma

I tried Before I Fall, I just couldn’t take it anymore after page 50!

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Nancy

Jane Austen for me, too!

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Kevin

When I was looking at YA books to investigate, I wanted to choose one that was popular with regular YA readers and highly rated, to get something truly representative of the genre. I ended up choosing Rainbow Rowell’s “Fangirl” and… what can I say? It was so dull that it was stultifying. I had to take long breaks every 30-40 pages because the writing was causing my eyes to glaze over. The only time I’ve ever felt anything akin to this was watching Catherine Breillat’s pretentious porno “Romance”. After staggering out of the movie theater, I had to sit in my car for thirty minutes in order to be alert enough to drive home. “Fangirl” caused that same feeling of having overdosed on Novocaine. I pushed myself to finish it, but it was very nearly the worst thing I’ve ever read.

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Kelly

Her book Eleanor and Park is very good though.

1
Stephanie

I didn’t finish Fangirl either. But Eleanor and Park is amazing!

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Kevin

Kelly Holland Cecil Well, since it was Rowell’s prose that I found to be the major stumbling block, I don’t really see how it’s possible for her to write better in a novel that was published in the exact same year as “Fangirl”. Given that fact, I doubt I’ll like it. At best, I might loathe it slightly less intensely.

I think it’s me, rather than the genre. Plenty of people obviously enjoy it. But to me, the main drawback of writing for an audience of pre-teens and teenagers is that everything has to pitched at their level of understanding. My own preferred reading consists mostly of classics and contemporary literary fiction as well as technical nonfiction (especially on science, mathematics, and philosophy). It’s very difficult for me to appreciate something that’s written at a much lower reading level. Also, misused words, grammatical errors, and other stylistic flaws pull me straight out of the narrative and I found a lot of those reading “Fangirl”. Even when I read genre fiction, I can’t get into it if it’s not well-written, which is why my favorite genre writers are great stylists like Patrick O’Brian, P. G. Wodehouse, John le Carré, Larry McMurtry, etc.

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Erica

I’ve gotta agree with you–just can’t seem to get in to Austen.

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Sharon

Tolkien

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Ryan

Jane Austen is horrible in my opinion, too.

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Becky

I always found the Little House on the Prairie books to be a huge snooze.

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Dana

You are breaking my heart!

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Cathi

Ach me too. My mom and sisters raved over them. I thought Pa was a lazy lout that kept moving his family around instead of doing real work

1
Jennie

I can’t make it through one page of any Stephen King book without rolling my eyes. ? Jane Austen isn’t my cup of tea either.

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Lindsey

Agreed. I keep trying though! Her and the Bronte sisters, I’m not sure why.

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Erin

Whoever wrote 50 Shades of Grey

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Merilee

Thank you!

0
Denise

Amen to that.

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Cathi

Exactly. If it was set in a trailer park it would be a Law and Order episode

4
Merilee

I love the way you think, Cathi Hess!

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Cathi

@Merilee thank you dear ?

1
Erin

@Cathi ???

0
Melissa

John Steinbeck & E.L. James–not that they should be mentioned in the same sentence!

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Melissa

Shannon Ellis E.L. James should never have had any kind of book deal. She’s a literature whore.

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Melissa

I consider it a flaw of mine that I’m not really a Steinbeck fan.
A good friend of mine has her doctorate based on Steinbeck. I admire that.

1
Dana

Mark Twain & Steinbeck ugh

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Lynn

Yes. Mark Twain. Everyone says they are so funny. I could not get into anything.

0
Bree

Hemingway. I’ve tried multiple books multiple times. And Sophie Kinsella and the Bridget Jones books.

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Mallory

Nicholas Sparks

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Melissa

Thank you for saying that!

0
Cathy

Harry Potter …

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Deborah

Author?

0
Cathy

Rowling

0
David

Grisham — I shut the one book of his I tried to read after a passage describing someone “bounding down the stairs with two cups of coffee”.

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Dana

Not a big fan

0
Melissa

I really liked A Painted House. But others, not so much.

1
Steph

Barbara Kingsolver

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Christa

Noooooo

1
Diana

I love Kingsolver! Fell in love with The Bean Trees when I was in high school.

4
Melissa

I really liked Flight Behavior, although I had to work hard. Once I got about half way, I fell in love.

0
Barbara

Hunter S. Thompson

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Christa

Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness). Tried multiple times….

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Deborah

Had to read in college,HATE it!! The Horror!!!

2
Dana

I liked Chinua Achebe’s response to Heart of Darkness much better

1
Frances

I had a hard time understanding Heart of Darkness in college.

2
Cindy

Mostly with you on Austen. I also cannot stand Dickens. JUST GET TO THE POINT! Though my HS English teacher was correct – Dickens writes exceptionally memorable characters.

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David

Break House is one of my favorite novels!

0
David

“Bleak” ?

1
Cindy

Maybe I’ll have to try that one. I’ve read several for various classes and while I appreciate his character development, I find his overall style just not for me.

0
Denise

Most of his novels were published as serials and he was paid by the word. Kind of explains it, huh?

1
Pamela

Neil Gaiman

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Shannon

Him too. I like him as a person and I love the ideas, but I just dont like his writing.

0
Marda

0
Pat

Gillian Flynn, but I love Austen!❤️

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Deborah

Same here…

1
Stacie

And me too. OMG I *hated* Gone Girl.

2
Frances

Very unlikeable characters.

0
Stacie

@Frances Right! They deserved each other. We, however, did not deserve to spend time with them. I’m ok with flawed characters but there has to be *some* redeeming quality.

1
Katie

Nicholas Sparks

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Deborah

Dan Brown! I hate to even refer to him as an author- soooo bad!

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Shannon

I forgot about him. I get why people like him, but hes definitely one where I go, “wait, what did i just read”.

0
Eileen

see, I love Dan Brown’s novels. Very interesting.

4
Deborah

The stories aren’t bad, but the writing isn’t good. But, pleasure is subjective. If you enjoy it, who cares what others think!♡

3
Kim

I’m actually in the middle of his latest novel now. I’ve found them to be kind of hit and miss. Loved DaVinci Code but was kind of “meh” about Angels and Demons. I hated Inferno but couldn’t stop reading The Lost Symbol.

1
Carrie

Stephen King

6
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Jodi

Stephen King

5
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Barbara

Margaret Atwood

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Megan

Who writes the Shades of crap?

16
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Kathy

E.L. James, and I agree it’s crap.

1
Kelly

James Patterson

1
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Kelly

Cormac McCarthy

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Dana

With you on this one!

1
Nancy

James Joyce

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Stephanie

Mine’s Jane Austen, too! Kindred spirits!

2
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Amy

Charles dickens

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Deborah

Love…

0
Kenneth

James Patterson

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Trina

Nicholas Sparks.

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Kathleen

E. ALL OF THE ABOVE. And, I AM a READER!!!

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Beverly

Pat Conroy!

1
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Kristin

Stephen King

5
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Darlene

Stephen King

2
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Kimberly

Edgar Allan Poe

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Kimberly

And all the Bronte sisters

0
Claire

I dont like Jane Austen eithet

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Prudence

Ann Patchett

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Carrie

Nooooo lol. I love her.

0
Mindy

I can’t get through Salman Rushdie

7
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Beth

Charles Dickens

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Marda

I agree with Jane Austen….not a fan

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Cinda

Faulkner ??

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Deborah

One of my very favorites

1
Dana

Agree-though a big fan of A Rose for Emily.

2
Cinda

I had to read him a LOT for school as an English major. Just wasn’t my thing.

0
Lacey

My least favorite author. Ever.

1
Frances

I have unsuccessfully.tried to read Light in August several times.

1
Frances

But The Sound and the Fury is so so wonderful. Best read under a teacher’s tutelage though.

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Dana

@Frances And honestly that may be the difference in your experience- a teacher passionate and knowledgeable about a book can make it so much more meaningful.

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Kimbra

That’s mine too. Totally not feeling the Austen love. Pride & Prejudice in undergrad English major days was torture. Ugh.

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Judy

WHAT MAKES YOU HAVE SUCH STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT JANE AUSTEN. VEEY INTERESTING, MARI.

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Cathy

Love Jane Austen!

9
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Judy

Me too. I had other authors in Brit Lit I disliked.

0
Kimberly

I do not care for the Brontes

0
Jj

Me too I hate her books

0
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Anne

Jane Austen, Margaret Atwood, Elizabeth Strout, Elizabeth LeBan, Fredrik Bachman, Donna Tartt

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Anne

Heathery Lynne I am halfway through The Goldfinch and I just can’t take any more!

1
Cindyanne

I tried an Emily Giffin book since she seemed popular while I worked at a bookstore, but didn’t live up to the hype.

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Judy

Danielle Steele.

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Carla

Stephen King

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Jj

Mary Higgins Clark

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Merilee

Noooo. I love her books! 🙂

0
Suzanne

Ayn Rand, Steinbeck and Dickens

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Francine

Steinbeck?? Say it is’t so:)

0
Christi

Definitely Steinbeck. The only Steinbeck I’ve read is Red Pony as a child, and it is *really* not a children’s book.

1
Cinda

Yes!! That poor pony was stuck in my mind forever! And that poor baby from The Pearl ?

0
Susan

@Christi, oh but The Grapes of Wrath is phenomenal.

0
Christi

@Cinda It’s not just the first pony, it’s that he doubled down with the foaling scene, and then never mentioned that foal at all in the last section of the book. (Found out it was written as 4 short stories, and stuck together as a book, but still. )

0
Christi

@Susan I’ve considered trying Grapes of Wrath, since I managed to not read it in high school. And I actually do own a copy of Red Pony – vintage 1944 hardback with Wesley Dennis illustrations.

0
Kathy

Ayn Rand. Bleh.

2
Chris

@Ray your thoughts on this?

0
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Sandy

Yep.

0
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Dana

Edith Wharton, Kate Chopin

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Korin

Robert Jordan

1
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Arwen

Nicholas Sparks and Rainbow Rowell

1
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Jennifer

Dan Brown

3
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Cathy

Nora Roberts

6
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Patti

YES!!!

1
Dana

Paulo Coelho

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Dayna

J.K. Rowling ?

5
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Heather

I’ve tried Harry Potter 3 times. I always give up around page 100.

4
Heather

They take so long in that dang bank. Just get on with it!?

1
Lori

I started on book 4…and fell in love, then I went back to 1, 2 and 3.

1
Dayna

Nope. Just not a fan of her work. I think she’s a cool person and I’m thrilled at the number of people who got into reading because of her, HP just isn’t for me. ?

1
Sara

Steven King

3
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Leeanna

EL James

4
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Tanya

Dean koontz…it’s just the same stuff over and over but people seem to love him….

5
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Susan

You are right. I no longer read him for this reason, but Watchers remains a favorite. I also thought Intensity was great.

0
Dana

I am a fan of Austen, but can totally understand why she would not be someone’s favorite writer.

1
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Carolyn

Danielle Steele

12
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Lori

same

2
Lacey

William Faulkner ?

5
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Barb

Janet Evanovich

3
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Elaine

Nicholas Sparks

2
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Vivi

Faulkner. Yeah, I said it.

4
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Lacey

Definitely my least favorite

1
Jane

Same

1
Heather

Alexander McCall Smith. Tried 3x to start that series.

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Lynn

I gave up on The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series half way thru first book, but
I loved 44 Scotland Street series. I saw him speak, too. He is a fun speaker.

1
Lori

Hemingway and Dickens. Also, forgive me, but does William Shakespeare count?

0
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Katrina

This almost makes me unAmerican and definitely makes me uncool, but Ken Kesey.

0
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April

Lee Child, James Patterson, dean Koontz.

2
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Lois

Ernest Hemingway.

3
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Andrea

Steven King

3
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Megan

Lee child’s, Nicholas sparks, James Paterson

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Sara

Nicholas Sparks yes! And also Ayn Rand.

4
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Deena

Dean Koontz, Ann Rice, Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts

0
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Amy

Shakespeare

5
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Erin

Yes!

0
Betsy

Double yes

0
Brenden

so many no’s

1
Dana

In all fairness, he was a playwright and his works meant to be performed. And anything 400 years old can be a challenge…

2
Erin

True. Still never enjoyed reading any of it from high school to college, except Taming of the Shrew.

0
Kim

A lot of the authors who wrote about “manly men” do nothing for me… James Fenimore Cooper, Hemingway, Melville, etc. But, by far, the one I absolutely can’t stand is James Joyce. Can’t follow his stream of consciousness style and fail to see what was so great about his work.

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Brenden

what is it you dont like about jane austen?

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Andrea

Ernest Hemingway makes a better character (The Paris Wife) than writer.

2
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Denise

Asimov.

2
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Angela

Virginia Woolf

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Angelique

Mine is also Jane Austin. I was so ashamed when I bought the cliff notes to “Pride and Prejudice” but I just couldn’t read her anymore, not even for class. Many years (and classes) have past & I never bought cliff notes again.

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Basia

Ugh, I just forced myself to finish reading “Emma”.
The plot itself wasn’t bad, but the story could’ve been told in 150 pages.

1
Dana

The first time I read a Jane Austen novel in hs, I struggled with it. For some reason I now have forgotten, I took it up again in my late 20’s and got addicted and ended up reading all her novels.

2
Sharon

Cliff Notes saved me from Moby Dick, and I have an English degree. lol

1
Cate

Nicholas Sparks

2
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Denise

Technically not fiction, but I’ve never cared for Robert Frost’s poetry.

0
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Darby

Love who you love , let others love others .

2
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Denise

I would say Melville, but I know many other people who also can’t stand him. Same goes for Austin, actually. I like her writing, but know a whole lot of people who don’t.

0
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Katie

Faulkner.

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Jackie

Read a book that Virginia.Woolf,sister wrote.Don’t think like Virginia. Woolf

0
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Sophia

Jodi Picoult

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Dana

Why?

0
Sophia

The few books I made it through of hers were too predictable and slow. Her style of writing isn’t my favorite.

2
Cristina

Robert Louis Stevenson

1
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Brenden

that was the first book i read when i was 5. i liked it a lot!

0
Cristina

@Brenden which?

1
Brenden

oh, sorry. treasure island

0
Cristina

@Brenden ah — not for me, although I read it as a kid because everyone kept telling me it would be exciting

1
Cristina

Joseph Conrad

2
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Michele

GASP!

0
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Cristina

Michele Juza — which are you gasping at?

0
Michele

@Cristina I love Jane Austen!

0
Michele

And for me it’s Dan Brown. And James Patterson.

0
Ami

My response when someone doesn’t love Jane. ?

2
Cristina

@Michele I thought you were gasping that I don’t like Stevenson and Conrad.

0
Tammy

Nicholas Sparks

7
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Geneva

Totally agree. I think he is an awful storyteller and I do not like his books.

1
Shirley

Ditto!

0
Luanne

James Michener

1
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Lauralyn

Oh my goodness, 1000 times yes. Every novel takes about 200 pages to get started and then never really goes anywhere.

1
Lynne

Charles Dickens. I remember in high school my English teacher was so disappointed that I really disliked Dickens. She was so sure I would be the one student she had who would really enjoy him.

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Rosemary

I didn’t in high school. as an adult, I love him

1
Aggie

J.D. Salinger. I despise Catcher in the Rye

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Laurie

Mari Mann you should Google her along with Mark Twain and see what he said about her it’s funny

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Venitra

Jane Austen ??

2
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Roberta

Dan Brown. I found DaVinic Code very predictable.

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Sophia

@Roberta I found it tacky and ludicrous! That de vinvci or any artist hides “codes” in paintings????

0
Roberta

@Sophia you learn in art history that he always used triangles to move your eye around the painting. If you know DaVinic, you know he used mirror writing, I read that “clue” before the characters did!

0
Linda

Douglas Adams

3
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Rena

Dean Koontz.

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Brenden

i like him a lot but he is hit or miss

0
Rena

@Brenden Oh I’m sorry Brenden.

0
Brenden

no worries!

0
Geneva

George Orwell. Ernest Hemingway is also not my favorite.

4
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Sophia

I used to have a hard time with Hemingway, but I’ve “matured” to a point that I can appreciate him nore.

0
Sarah

Ernest Hemingway, Dan Brown, and Charles Dickens. I love Jane Austen and re-read all her books annually. #janeite

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Ami

My response to reports that someone doesn’t love Jane. ?

3
Jeri

My favorite hero! I’m sorry, I really love Henry Tilley.

1
Ami

Jeri #TeamTilney here too!

1
Rosalie

JK Rowling

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Darby

Yes

1
Debborah

Agree also. I am glad she motivated so many students to read long books and stand in line to buy them, but I really don’t care for her writing.

1
Rosalie

@Debborah , I also love that she encouraged so many young readers.

1
Mary

Ernest Hemingway ?

3
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Rick

James Patterson.

1
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Robin

What’s wrong with me?!?!? I agree with so many of you!

3
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Karen

Steven king

3
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Brenda

V C Andrews!

6
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Patty

Nathaniel Hawthorne; why do we still make students read him?

2
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Dana

Said this about Faulkner earlier- I dislike reading his novels, but liked some of his short stories. Same is true about Hawthorne…

0
Sophia

I did it hard to dislike a certain author based on my dislike of a. certain genre.

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Eliz

GASP!…blasphemy! How could anyone dislike Jane Austen? Oh my!

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Judy

Margaret Atwood

2
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Shirley

Danielle Steel, so predicable.

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Bobbie

She is not an authentic author nor is the person who wrote all The Fifty Shades Books.

1
Linda

I would have failed writing class if I had turned in any of her books. Horrible.

0
Arpie

Thomas Hardy.

3
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Bobbie

Wally Lamb and I didn’t know why.

1
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Karen

She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb is a top 5 favorite book of mine but didn’t care for any of his others and finally gave up on him.

0
Jessica

John Green.

1
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Jeri

I don’t hate him but I’ve read two books and don’t see what the hype is.

0
Jessica

Exactly

0
Kathleen

Me too ?

0
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Barbara

Stephen king

5
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Sarah

F. Scott Fitzgerald.

5
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Beverly

Me three?

0
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Lisa

Eckhart Tolle

1
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Jeneane

Stephen King

2
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Amber

Stephen King

2
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Megan

Vonnegut

2
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Niveditha

John Green and Colleen Hoover

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Dana

Why do you hate John Green? I have The Fault In Our Stars on my to-read list for the year but I know nothing about his writing style.

0
Niveditha

@Dana , I don’t hate anyone.. John Green as an author just didn’t appeal to me! That’s all.. ? I read ‘The Fault in our stars’ and ‘Paper Towns’. Nay and Nay! TFIOS had no depth, the characters were annoying.. the ‘okay? okay!’ actually triggered my nerves. And ‘paper towns’ wasn’t exciting as well.
Give it a read and let me know what you think.

0
Niveditha

Heathery Lynne, some authors are hyped. Or may be am too old for such YA novels. I don’t know. Somehow, there was no pulse. I have ‘looking for Alaska’ on my shelf but am dreading to read it. I will just skip it and may be gift it to a young lass/lad. ??

0
Jennifer

Dan Brown

2
Reply
Nicolle

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, sorry, I know it’s sacrilege for a lot of people, but I just can’t.

4
Reply
Margarete

Jodi Picoult, Nicolas Sparks, Robert James Waller

1
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Jody

Yup, me too.

0
Samanta

William Faulkner

2
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Francie

I have to agree with you, @Samanta

1
Maggie

hmm..

0
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Maggie

Yeah, Jane Austen as well

0
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Samanta

@mari mann and others….What is the reason for your dislike of Jane Austen? Is it the hype that drives you crazy or do you truly dislike her writing style and topics? Thank you!

0
Reply
Jennie

I don’t like her themes… marriage, class, reputation, etc.

1
Adelle

Faulkner

2
Reply
Sami

Alice Sebold.

1
Reply
Sami

Jonathan Franzen.

5
Reply
Mindy

I tried 2 of his and just got pissed off at his cynicism

0
Jeri

J.D. Salinger

1
Reply
Janis

William Faulkner

2
Reply
Linda

Hemmingway

1
Reply
Frances

I cannot remember who wrote The Horse Whisperer but I thought it was schlock.

2
Reply
Jannice

Jody picoult

2
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Sara

Yes!

0
Lora

He’s not a novelist, but I cannot stand Walt Whitman. I took a course once that featured only his work and Emily Dickinson’s. The contrast made him seem even worse. Leaves of Grass…yuck!

1
Reply
Marla

Mark Twain

1
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Deborah

Faulkner

2
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Judith

Paulo Coelho. Okay I’ve only read one of his books, The Alchemist so I won’t say I actually hate the author, I hated the book. I just don’t understand what all the to do is over this book, maybe I’m missing something? It seemed simplistic and for me, it didn’t say anything I hadn’t heard a million times and in a much better way…and oh yeah, it was a stupendously boring read. Good thing it was such a short book.

4
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Patricia

I didn’t like it either!

1
Denise

Agree

1
Kat

I’ve loved some of his other books but hated The Alchemist. Veronika Decides to Die is good.

1
Laurie

I didn’t like it either.

1
Allyson

Me too.

1
Kelsey

I hated The Alchemist. It looks like I need to try his other books. I will do this after I read at least two dozen of the books from this list that I have not yet read.

1
Olivia

James Patterson…

6
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Jill

Too many to list. I’m very picky about writing styles!

0
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Amanda

Nicholas Sparks and Rick Riordan. And it’s not that I can’t abide them I just don’t like their characters or, in the case of Sparks, subject matter. I found Percy Jackson to be whiny and annoying after the first book.

5
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Jody

The Brontes, Terry Pratchett (sorry, I know people adore him, I tried, I really did), Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult,

2
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Barbara

LOL at Pratchett. I KNOW he’s beloved. And I typically love that type of book but I tried at least 5 times (twice with Discworld) and I just couldn’t do it.

0
Denise

Hemingway

3
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Laurie

YES!!!

0
Janice

Kurt Vonnegut

4
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Carol

Oh … me too!

1
Janice

@Carol ,I simply can’t stomach his rantings!

1
Barbara

Awwww. A fav for me. On the other hand — I can actually see why he would turn some people off.

1
Angie

Lovecraft. I can’t ignore the racism and he never scared me (as a woman, I deal with scarier men on a daily basis; ambiguous many-tentacled monsters made me think about deep-frying because the men I like would totally eat that).

1
Reply
Ronda

John Irving

1
Reply
Eileen

Valdimir Nabokov

1
Reply
Barbara

In English…not his first language!

0
Karen

Try the audio version of Lolita read by Jeremy Irons. Wow!

0
Abhishek

Jerome K Jerome

0
Reply
Eileen

Stephen King

2
Reply
Charlotte

Joyce Carol Oates

7
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Wilma

Exactly, oh, the holes in her storylines! Who edits this stuff?

0
Deb

Toni Morrison

4
Reply
Karen

John Green

0
Reply
Laura

James Patterson

5
Reply
Linda

Toni Morrison

1
Reply
Charlotte

love her!

0
Anne

Dan Brown and Charles Dickens

1
Reply
Nan

Danielle steele

3
Reply
Sarah

Shakespeare. Ugh.

4
Reply
Cheryl

J K Rowling,just don’t get it

1
Reply
Felicia

Janet Evanovich ?

7
Reply
Amanda

I tried reading her Stephanie Plum series, nope. The first book was tolerable, the second book not so much, didn’t read anymore after that.

1
Vicki

James Patterson

0
Reply
Kittie

Ditto on Jane Austen for me

3
Reply
Laurie

Me too.

0
Ann-Marie

Stephen King

3
Reply
Linda

LaCarre

2
Reply
Stacey

Dickens

1
Reply
Marjorie

The Bronte Sisters

1
Reply
Ann

Stephen King

4
Reply
Elizabeth

Dan Brown

2
Reply
Elizabeth

Stephen King

3
Reply
Elizabeth

James Patterson- ugh

4
Reply
Lisa

????? … none.

2
Reply
Carol

Lucky you!

0
Barbara

Janet Evanovich. Just cannot get into her books!!

10
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Pam

Same here. I keep asking myself what they see that I don’t.

2
Laurie

She had me at first …but she needed to retire Stephanie Plum a long time ago.
Also Jean Auel needed to have Ayla calm down after domestication a lion

1
Marty

Totally agree. I have tried 2-3 times, but Lord, I don’t know why she is so successful!

1
Kathleen

I cannot see what people like about her!!

2
Elsie

Me too

1
Amanda

I read the first two Stephanie Plum books, first one was tolerable but I did not care for the second one so I didn’t bother with the rest of the series.

0
Laura

Stephen king

3
Reply
Marty

James Patterson – I run from his books!

4
Reply
Stacy

Yep, James Patterson and Nicholas Sparks.

3
Reply
Carol

John Grisham

1
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Laurie

I loved a Painted House

0
Kathleen

I am a middle school teacher, grades 7/8 in English and French. My students read silently every day at the beginning of class….they really like James Patterson’s books for adolescents!! I don’t like his adult reads, but I give him kudos for the teens who love him!!

5
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Ashley

Roald Dahl

1
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Dana

Like Steinbeck and Faulkner, some of his most digestible writing were his short stories- I taught “ Lamb to the Slaughter” for many years. Great for POV, dramatic irony and imagery.

1
Vicki

I know I’m going to get roasted for this but Hemmingway.

2
Kathleen

No. We all have acquired tastes. Try A MOVEABLE FEAST…it’s PARIS!!!

0
Vicki

@Kathleen ohh now that sounds nice! My friends son took her to Paris for Mothers Day. I’m so excited for her. I barely stepped in France after getting off the chunnel. Travel and read, read and travel! Thank you for the rec. It’s on my list at the top.

0
Kathleen

Pas de quoi!/De rien!

0
Shelly

Nicholas Sparks

5
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Kristen

Same here! All his books are basically the same plot.

1
Shelly

@Kristen exactly! And he kills off characters in every book. Ironically, I do like the movies based on his books.

1
Charlene

Both

0
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Linda

Neil Gaiman

7
Reply
Kathleen

Vonnegut

1
Reply
Mary

I love Jane Austin

2
Reply
Elsie

Jane Austen and Diana Gabaldon

0
Reply
Cathi

??

0
Cathy

So do I!

0
Elsie

They are also favorites of my best friend so I have tried but she doesn’t like Anne Tyler and some of
My favorites lol

0
Cathi

@Elsie everyone likes something and dislikes other things it’s all good

0
Sherrie

Gillian Flynn. I find her books depressing and disturbing.

8
Reply
Deena

Agreed…and her characters are so annoying that I don’t care about them

2
Karen

I agree. I find her characters very unlikeable. Though I do think the popularity of her books says something about our culture today.

4
Roz

I heartily disagree. I love them. True, sometimes you hate them all, but still, I read them fast!

0
Angie

Agreed!

0
Estherjane

JK Rowlings

3
Reply
Laurie

Oh no

1
Estherjane

@Laurie I know, I am just not a Harry fan. But I did try. Thank goodness there are so many authors. I really didn’t care for her other books under Robert either?

0
Cathy

I don’t read fantasy but I do find Robert Galbraith books to be adequate.

0
Laurie

@Estherjane no problems. You’re a reader that’s all that counts in my book

1
Lori

@Estherjane I don’t care for her nonHarry Potter books, either. However, I love HP. It’s really not my “thing” but I just really got into those books. I read book 4 first! ha!

0
Sharon

Donna Tartt

0
Reply
Debrah

Stephen King

1
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Caryn

Mark Twain

1
Reply
Laurie

One of my favorites

1
Dana

Yes! They forced us to read Tom Sawyer in either 4th or 5th grade for summer reading. Aka way too young and ever since ive had a vendetta against Twain haha

2
Laurie

@Dana please try Huck Finn now that you’re the right age..it might surprise you

0
Kate

John Green, Shakespeare, James Patterson, dean koontz, danielle steele, nora roberts, the 50 shades of grey lady, cassandra clare, and idk who else

2
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Laurie

Not liking Shakespeare.
….aren’t most plots for everything else based on him?

1
Sophia

@Laurie Good point! Actually many of his plots are modified from ancient Greek drama. He didn’t read Greek, but studied ancient Greek drama and mythology via Latin translations.
When I first taught Macbeth to HS seniors, I was startled to find him borrowing heavily from Oedipus Rex ( in the speech after killing Duncan, where he shocked to see blood on his hands) he says [I paraphrase] “Let me pluck out my eyes, so that I never see the results of my crime.”
Oedipus DOES pluck out his eyes, but Macbeth actually lives to commit other crimes, and suffer a different death than Oedipus.
He did copy in many ways, but actually did dig deep into the human psyche to a similar degree as ancient Greeks.
I disliked Shakespeare when I was in HS, when we were required to memorize chunks of Julius Caesar. But many years later, I realized that there’s so much more to Sh than J.C. I read King Lear, the Tempest (straight out of Greek Myth) and others and he was redeemed.
I should add, however, that I completely understand your dislike. ??

0
Laurie

@Sophia I didn’t say I disliked him.
.I adore him (although he was actually what the 17th Earl of?)

I agree with your other comments.

0
Laurie

When I said not liking Shakespeare I was saying that for other people to not like him was like not giving credit for all those plots

0
Kristen

Hemingway.

6
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Kristen

I do love his short stories, his novels, not so much. I have two English degrees and prefer the magical realism end of the literary spectrum…his sparseness is not my cup of tea, but I respect it was very innovative for his time and that he has influenced many writers.

0
Michelle

Too macho for me.

2
Carrie

Y’all are breaking my English teacher heart!

9
Reply
Laurie

They are rebels Carrie …make them read the Outsiders …lol

4
Reply
Carrie

I’m going to send them all to detention!?

1
Kitti

I think, for me, it’s more a particular book i may dislike. … not necessarily the author. It’s also true some writing styles are “my cup of tea” while others are not. It can make it harder and/or less enjoyable to read, but mostly I’ll like it if the story is good and the characters well-developed.

2
Reply
Randi

Stephen King

3
Reply
Raelene

Jodi Picoult, Daniel Steele.

3
Reply
Renee

Well, I disliked “Gone Girl” so much I’ll probably never pick up another Gillian Flynn title.

9
Reply
Kristen

Me too!

2
Audrey

The only one of hers I truly liked was Dark Places

0
Amy

To each their own. I ❤️ Jane Austen.

9
Reply
LauraEddy

James Patterson

1
Reply
Lanelle

Romance books, James Patterson, John Grisham.

0
Reply
Lise

Even if I can appreciate his artistry, I’m not a Hemingway fan.

4
Reply
Zeanna

I’m really struggling to continue a Tale of Two Cities.

1
Reply
Chris

What are you having trouble with?

0
Zeanna

Chris Graham, while its very