Recs that did *not* work for you

[palemantle]

I know what you are thinking - "What an ungrateful a%@!" I'm really not shooting for a 'You guys suck and your recs are worse!' post here. I'm just curious to see how some of the recs worked for different boarders.

I've found atleast a dozen good books/series thanks to the wonderful folks here. There's really only been one that didn't do it for me - Tales of the Dying Earth. Here's why:

- I stupidly - yeah I'm stupid on top of being ungrateful - assumed that 'The Dying Earth' (first section) was a novel(la) rather than a series of shorts. The first story sort of led to the second and then the rest seemed to involve random fatastical things, creatures and places. It took me a while before I realized that I was being a retard.

- Cugel the Clever is thoroughly undeserving of his epithet in 'The Eyes of the Overworld'. He isn't a badass (cue the killing of a poor helpless mollusc-thingy for having squirted him), nor is he anything approaching clever. He seems to stumble into random situations that bring him either ill-luck or good fortune. Not the most appealing of protagonists that I've ever come across 'Cugel's Saga' does show him in a more sympathetic light (rather abruptly so). It also showcases Cugel's smarts at times.

- The idea of the dying earth is nothing more than a harmless backdrop. It could've been so much more

* It doesn't explain why the world is the way it is - with magic rife everywhere, and fantastical creatures and plants wherever one might look

* It doesn't seem to affect the actions of anyone at all to a significant degree. If the world is about to be snuffed out in a few years, I reckon I'd start behaving slightly differently!

- Perhaps the picaresque tale just isn't my thing!

[Guest Ro_]

I loathed, and still loathe, Bakker. Hated Mary Gentle too. Reading about raping children, or rape in general doesn't work for me.

Glad I listened to? Jason, rec'ing Abercrombe. I was like, its about what? Sounds like Bakker. I have to order it from the UK? Jesus J. Then I got drunk and did it anyway, and another fan was created. :P

Also Rothfus. I said, wtFUCK is up with that cover? Will not. Then Race got me a signed copy of the not ugly cover :kiss: and I read it in one sitting. Quite pleased - Rothfus' blogs are hilarious too.

Just thought of tonnes other books I was rec'd. Two duds out of the hundreds is not bad at all. Thanks everyone!!!

[Zach H]

While I didn't hate the following, I was disappointed with:

- The Shadow of the Wind: great first hundred pages or so. After that the mysterious atmosphere seemed to be ditched in favor of a type of melodrama I was less than enthralled with. Likely won't read anything else by Zafon in the future.

- One Hundred Years of Solitude: Objectively I can't help but describe the line by line level prose as beautifully composed. Overall, though, the novel was too scattershot and absurd for my liking. I'll probably try Marquez again in the future, but I'll never read 100 years again.

- The First Law trilogy: based on the praise these books get around here I was expecting something that might rival my favorite "gritty" epic/heroic works. Not even close. I'll read the Abercrombie short in the upcoming Sword and Sorcery anthology, though. I get the feeling I'd be more into the First Law world if the tales were kept to novella length. Kind of like the Elric pulps.

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

I'd heard the Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe widely praised, and I got it on sale at Half-Price Books. Read the first of the four, thought it was interesting but really weird. Started the second one and just couldn't get into it... it was more of the same, but less interesting.

[Datepalm]

While I didn't hate the following, I was disappointed with:

- The Shadow of the Wind: great first hundred pages or so. After that the mysterious atmosphere seemed to be ditched in favor of a type of melodrama I was less than enthralled with. Likely won't read anything else by Zafon in the future.

Exactly, thank you. Also the character everything revolves around is an asshat.

I can't stand Bakker, and I've head trouble getting into Wolfe (The Knight/Wizard, though I haven't given up on reading some of his other books if they come my way) and didn't like Morgans Altered Carbon at all. (but then loved Market Forces.)

Tats all I can think of in terms of Board recs where I was scratching my head and trying to figure out why everyone likes this. I've disliked other books, but I could figure out where they were simply a poor intersection with my personal tastes there.

[delete this account pls]

Heaps and heaps, though I don't hold it against anyone. There's no single person on the board that has 100% identical tastes to me, and it never hurts to try something new. The big three that come to mind;

- The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington. Dylanfanatic posted an excerpt which I found intriguing, and then a flood of positive reviews followed. The only person I can remember who disliked it was Bellis (that should have set off some alarm bells I guess, since I've found her to be a good indicator for my own tastes, but on the other hand Bellis reads, like, a squillion books a month, including tons I'd probably never ever pick up) For me, the most enjoyable part of the book was the cool cover.

- Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. I could certainly appreciate it on one level, but I didn't enjoy it at all. Or rather, I stopped enjoying it about halfway through the first book.

- Anathem by Neal Stephenson. So many people whose opinions I respect love Stephenson, but I struggled like hell to get 3/4 of the way through this, before finally giving up. I think I'm too dumb for Stephenson, because I just didn't get it.

On the flipside, I've discovered some of my favourite authors thanks to this board, or people I know because of this board, including; R Scott Bakker, Steven Erikson (he makes the list on the back of Deadhouse Gates, Dust of Dreams and Memories of Ice) John Steinbeck, Charlie Huston, Richard Morgan, Joe Abercrombie, China Mieville, Tom Holland and Richard Price.

[TheEvilKing]

I'll venture Peter V. Brett and Sapowski, and second Gene Wolfe's The Knight.

[The Pita]

I read The Shadow of the Wind before I read recommendations, but it was an airplane novel. A well written one, but forgettable in a major way.

[Jerec]

I had a number of people recommend I read Dune. But I just couldn't get into it. Every page felt like a chore. I got about half way through, realised it wasn't getting any better, and gave up. The prose is so clunky and tiring to read that I could only read a few pages at a time.

[Nerdanel]

Tales of the Dying Earth It reads like a D&D solo campaign because D&D is heavily inspired by it, but the thing is, it reads like a bad D&D campaign where Cugel's player wrote "Chaotic Neutral" on his character sheet (since the DM forbids Evil alignments for the PCs) but plays as Chaotic Evil as the DM lets him, and the DM is heavily into railroading, making up contrived adventures that make little sense, and making the plot arbitrarily take away Cugel's ill-gotten treasure. I've read Forgotten Realms novels that were more fun. I did somewhat like maybe two non-Cugel stories though.

The First Law I've written before why this didn't work for me. It reminds me, I promised to write about why I think Bakker's Prince of Nothing has much stronger female characters than The First Law, but then the thread in question fell of the page and I forgot. Maybe I should resurrect the thread. Anyway, if you think characters that grow and change and events that change the status quo are overdone clichés, then this is a series for you.

The Lies of Locke Lamora This one wasn't terrible as much as overhyped and mediocre. I thought the flashbacks disrupted the flow of the plot and the main villain appeared out of practical nowhere far too late in the story for it not to be jarring. A special note goes to the whore union non-flashback which was just pointless and reminded me too much of Sin City.

[Stego]

- The Shadow of the Wind

- One Hundred Years of Solitude

- The First Law trilogy:

I'd like to know what exactly you like to read if this is the stuff you trash.

[MinDonner]

I'd like to know what exactly you like to read if this is the stuff you trash.

Dude, people have different tastes. Is there really any need to call them out on it in such a hostile manner?

[Alexia]

The Malazan books. Oof. I bought the first two because of how much everyone on the board seemed to love them. I fought my way through the first and just will not force myself to read the second. Not my taste.

I like classic literature but I still don't like One Hundred Years of Solitude. I think you have to be familiar with Colombian history (which I am not) to like that book. I love Márquez' works but that one never did it for me - it was too slow and I didn't see a plot anywhere. Beautifully written but where was the story?

[Krafus]

I bought Walter Jon Williams' Dread Empire's Fall trilogy because GRRM recommended it. What a disappointment that series turned out to be. The two main characters are made out to be military geniuses, but that's not difficult (or enjoyable to read, at least for me) when everyone else is a retarded fossil when it comes to tactics and strategy.

[Stego]

Dude, people have different tastes. Is there really any need to call them out on it in such a hostile manner?

How was that sentence hostile? You are projecting. I was giggling as I wrote it.

[Zach H]

I'd like to know what exactly you like to read if this is the stuff you trash.

I'm not sure I "trashed" the books I talked about because I said I was disappointed with them. In fact, I said I'd most likely read two out of the three authors again.

If you're curious, a handful of favorites that come to mind at the moment include Gene Wolfe, Mervyn Peake, George R.R. Martin, David Mitchell, and China Mieville.

[Datepalm]

I bought Walter Jon Williams' Dread Empire's Fall trilogy because GRRM recommended it. What a disappointment that series turned out to be. The two main characters are made out to be military geniuses, but that's not difficult (or enjoyable to read, at least for me) when everyone else is a retarded fossil when it comes to tactics and strategy.

Agreed, but at the same time I thought there were a few redeeming features, mostly in characterization, some worldbuilding and the subversion of the love story. I was skimming through the battles by the third book though.

[Guinevere Seaworth]

There are only two that I recall that didn't work out for me.

The first one was Bakker's Prince of Nothing trilogy. I recognized the fantastic worldbuilding, but I just couldn't connect with the characters at all, and having zero humour didn't help at all (I need some humour with gritty novels).

The second was Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles. The main character was so bright that I felt dumb, especially with all the classical references, that I lost interest in the story.

[automne]

Couldn't get into Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun.

Wondered why Nicola Griffith's Slow River got a Nebula Award.

Was bored by KJ Parker's Fencer Trilogy.

Anyway it doesn't really matter if some recommendations didn't work for me as I owe to the board so many wonderful reads.

[Bellis]

- The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington. Dylanfanatic posted an excerpt which I found intriguing, and then a flood of positive reviews followed. The only person I can remember who disliked it was Bellis (that should have set off some alarm bells I guess, since I've found her to be a good indicator for my own tastes, but on the other hand Bellis reads, like, a squillion books a month, including tons I'd probably never ever pick up) For me, the most enjoyable part of the book was the cool cover.

Hey, I liked that book overall, I gave it 3 1/2 on LibraryThing. I think some others had harsher reviews, iirc REG? But yeah, the novel was overhyped, and the cover was underhyped. And I only read a deci-DylanFanatic or so books last year.

I agree with these mentioned upthread:

Richard Morgan, Shadow of the Wind, Tales of the Dying Earth, Foundation, Neal Stephenson, and most recently, Gates of Fire.