Name a book you hated or stopped reading?

[_Just_A_girl_]

[LiterarySeas]

The Great Gatsby. Never understood the hype over the story after reading the book.

I hated everyone in that book so much. I figured Gatsby would be the one likable character, but I didn't even like him that much... I know the whole point was that they were rich and lived lavish lives, but when I came to hate everyone in the novel for being snobby and narcissistic, I just looked forward to getting to the end.

I've read a lot of books where many of the characters were dislikable. Often times I even root for the villains. But in The Great Gatsby, I didn't find there was a single character (or motive that the characters had) to root for, and it caused me to become less invested in the story. Often times I'll despise a character, and it can get me worked up in the plot wanting to see them either fall or change their ways, but in this particular novel I couldn't get as invested into the story.

[markml]

Well, it's been a long time since I read it, but The Great Gatsby ranks as one of my favorite stories.

It's not really a character study, but a statement about society and how the game makes you hollow and shallow. It's a parable. Gatsby is not a hero but rather a tragic anti-hero. And the other characters aren't really heroes or villains either. The real villain is the system that is oppressing everyone, and keeping them from being genuine.

Everybody is playing their part like a cog in the machine, but nobody is happy. Nobody is winning. The machine isn't helping anyone, and Gatsby has a greater awareness of that but remains unable to break free.

[markml]

You probably don't find the characters likable because they aren't evolving. The story is telling the opposite. Everyone has been corrupted, and you have to look backward at their past reflections, to see glimpses of their true selves and what they could have been. Focus on those reflections and try to imagine how they got to where they are now, and why they're shells of their former selves.

It's about regret. From the beginning, Gatsby is doomed because he made all the wrong choices in life. This is not about playing the cards you were dealt. No blaming Fate. Gatsby is the definition of a self-made man, someone who was smart enough to beat the game and choose his own fate. Gatsby is not a contradiction to the American idea of self-determination, but rather a reinforcement of it. You know, that whole thing they tell little kids about how "you can be whatever you want to be when you grow up". What if that's all true, but is dangerous because it misses the bigger point. Gatsby beat the game, but still played the wrong cards, and is now living with the consequences. He chose success over happiness, thinking that success would lead to happiness. And so now, Gatsby has what everyone else wants, but he can never get what he really wants.

So in essence, he has checkmated himself. And so the whole story is to convince you that is the case. Doom is inevitable, and it's just seeing how it plays out.

The ending was a little over the top. That's my biggest criticism.

[AmandaYVR]

Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren.
So annoying.

[DJB72]

I didn't hate it, but I've been challenged too much by a book called "Way of the Wild Heart" by John Eldredge. He challenges the way I live my life, how my Faith is changing me. I've started it at least 5 times.

[humanearth]

This book was a waste of money and a joke

Pretty much vomit from the internet in 2005

[WVRLXCK]

Don't know if reading manga counts, but I stopped reading "one piece"

[_Just_A_girl_]

Why so many give praise to this show I don't know why lool
Manga is cool you got a webtoonz acc?

[WVRLXCK]

It's not really my type of manga, it got boring around chapter 10.
I don't have a webtoon account

[Little_Bumblebee]

Though it hasn't been dropped, I haven't continued reading this book for... almost a year or so. It's Lord of the Flies.
It's not even long...

[Jlegacy]

Mary K Baxter's book on her trip to Heaven. Couldn't read it. won't say I hate it or her but I dropped it and though it has been in my shelf, I have not opened it since.

[Agape93]

The book thief. Holy shit it’s long, it’s boring and overall unenjoyable.

[I_want_a_moustache]

Black butler, the show was good but I didn’t even finish volume 1 of the manga because I already watched the show.

[legalboxers]

A users manual to understand women.. 1000000000 Pages...

[_Just_A_girl_]

Lol
Hm😂🙄😤

[Gwenhwyfar]

American Psycho

[_Just_A_girl_]

The movie ok?

[Gwenhwyfar]

The movie is better and Christian Bale is hot but the book is awful

[Anonymous]

Organic Chemistry lol

[Starwitch23]

I can understand your pain

[OddBeMe]

anything victorian... just can't take it.

[CubaPirate]

TBH I don't read books these days

[_Just_A_girl_]

😟😟