Everyone has their own opinions when it comes to books, it’s only natural. Even the most famous and loved books have readers that just didn’t enjoy them. So that’s what I wanted to talk about today – my own controversial book opinions.
The word ‘controversial’ might be a bit of an exaggeration here, but what I mean is books that the majority of people I know (or even just the reviews on Goodreads) have enjoyed them, or I saw a large buzz about these books on social media and gave me high hopes as I set out to read them. But for some reason, I just haven’t had the same reaction as the vast majority of people. Hopefully, this doesn’t damage my reviewing reputation…
Opinion 1 – The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
I picked up this book a few months ago, mainly because one of my friends had said it was one of her favourite books of all time and I saw that a film was being made about it, so surely it would be something up my street. But for some reason, I just couldn’t get into it. I think I read about 24% of it before I gave up, which is quite rare for me as I’m usually good at forcing myself to finish books. I thought that apart from the initial scene in the museum, not much actually happened. I tried to keep pushing, but at times I found myself not wanting to read because I just wasn’t involved in the story. Maybe I should give it another go and force myself to finish, maybe I gave up too soon, who knows. I was so disappointed because I’ve heard so many good things about The Goldfinch, but today it remains an unfinished read on my bookshelf.
Opinion 2 – Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Another hugely popular book with a film based on it. My family raved about this book non-stop, so I eventually decided to pick it up a few years ago. But again, I wasn’t gripped. I think I tried restarting the book a few times, but each time I’d get to the same point and give up. I’m not sure what it was, but I just thought the characters were completely emotionless. Maybe that was the entire point, but I couldn’t get my head around it, and that impacted the way I read and sympathised with the characters. I’ve seen the film and I enjoyed it, so I clearly liked the plot. Plus it’s rare that I actually prefer the film to the book. Maybe one day I’ll give it another go, but as of now, it deserves a spot on my controversial opinion list.
Opinion 3 – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood
This is probably the most controversial opinion on this list. The Handmaid’s Tale is seen as the modern-day classic, and after the release of The Testaments, I thought I absolutely had to read it. Now, before I get completely judged for this, I just want to say – I thought the overall theme and plot of the story were really interesting, and that’s what kept me reading and completing the book. It was the narration that confused me. The flashbacks didn’t include speech marks, and sometimes these flashbacks weren’t very clear, so I’d end up going back a few pages and re-reading things that I hadn’t understood. During my work experience, I mentioned to some girls that I wasn’t sure if I was enjoying the book, and the death stares I was given meant that I knew this wasn’t the right thing to say. I mean, I enjoyed it enough to finish the book, but I haven’t raved about it like other people. I was going to post a separate review on it, but I thought it would be fun to include it in this list. I think I’ll still read The Testaments, and hopefully, it’ll convert me.
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Has this changed your opinion of me? I desperately wanted to enjoy these books, but they just weren’t my cup of tea. Maybe if you let me know your thoughts, you can try and change my mind!
Do you have any controversial book opinions? Let me know, I love a good book debate!