# OVERRATED Books



## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

Due to lots of marketing & propaganda readers are forced to buy books, like "The Secret" & "Da vinci code"​







*The Secret *
You just imagine and believe you have 1000,000 and through universe you will receive a check of 1000,000. You want a ferrari, you sit on the chair and pretend you are driving one and the universe will give you a ferrari! 
But I wanted to change the world! Would I just imagine world is better place and it will be!? I wish Gandi or Che Guevara had the chance to read the book! or Jesus, he wouldn't have been crucified! 
I think people enjoy living in lies, thats why they buy these books!

*This post is about books that sell lies!*


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Fola7 said:


> Due to lots of marketing & propaganda readers are forced to buy books, like "The Secret" & "Da vinci code"​


Sorry, but I've never been forced to buy a book in my life. 

Never read _The Secret_.

_The Da Vinci Code_ is fiction and I read it as such. Great fiction? No. But reasonably enjoyable. I didn't assume that anything in it was fact.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I have visions of authors stalking readers, forcing them at gunpoint to buy their books... Oh, wait, that's kind of what's happening now with all the self-published authors pushing their books.  (Just kidding, just kidding....)

Unfortunately, there actually ARE people who believe what's in _The Da Vinci Code_... I know at least one of them...

Betsy


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

I haven't read it, but I've been hearing a growing backlash against "FIFTY SHADES OF GREY":



It _is _odd to see the polarization of reviews at Amazon (1300 5-star, 800 1-star).

Todd


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I think the term "overrated" is sort of, well, overrated. The fact that you, specifically, do not like a book that many other people liked does not in and of itself mean it is overrated. Empirically, all it means is you did not like it, which can be for many reasons other than the objective quality of the book.

Off hand, I suspect the literary critics who gave _The DiVinci Code_ high marks as a great work of art were few and far between. Some probably said that in spite of its short-comings it was a "fun" read or similar verbiage -- and apparently many people agreed. (I've only read _Angels and Demons_ and found it palatable, but not enough to make me want to read anything else of his.)

Now, as to over-hyped, that's a whole different issue, and it's what the publishers do in any type of media. The really, really good books, movies, TV shows, etc. don't need lots of hype: just enough to let people know about them. It's the mediocre stuff that needs to be over-hyped, and it's up to the consumer to exercise common sense and not fall for the hype. But wait!! For just a $5.00 handling fee, I'll give you a second copy of this review for free!!!


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## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

I have met with people who think "The Secret" really works! 
And they follow the law of attraction! 

What happened to ART? wisdom? Poetry? imagination?


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

See, I would put Wuthering Heights into the over rated catagory. The Da Vinci Code might have been an easy read and not the best written book but it entertained me. Wuthering Heights was painful, annoying, and I wanted to run away from it but couldn't because we were reading it for AP English to prep for the AP exam. I got to spend an entire semester wondering why people thought a book with a large number of characters who were all awful and not worth reading about was a classic.

I believe I am in the minority on this one though...


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## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

Did Any one here read the SECERT??!
no one is mentioning it while its sold millions!

Is good writing not an asset any more??
I believe buy books cause they are famous, it hard to buy unknown books....its a matter of publicity not quality!


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Fola7 said:


> Is good writing not an asset any more??
> I believe buy books cause they are famous, it hard to buy unknown books....its a matter of publicity not quality!


Define good writing. It generally means that someone liked reading the book. I rarely see anyone actually say why they think a book has good writing by any sort of analysis other than "I liked it."

I agree with Nogdog... using the term 'overrated' only means you liked it and few, if any, other did. It doesn't tell us anything about the book.

Mike


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Fola7 said:


> Did Any one here read the SECERT??!
> no one is mentioning it while its sold millions!
> 
> Is good writing not an asset any more??
> I believe buy books cause they are famous, it hard to buy unknown books....its a matter of publicity not quality!


You sound a little obsessed with this book. Why do you care so much?

There are plenty of popular books I haven't liked. Such is life. I write down my feelings on it in a review on Goodreads and I move on.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I have visions of authors stalking readers, forcing them at gunpoint to buy their books... Oh, wait, that's kind of what's happening now with all the self-published authors pushing their books.  (Just kidding, just kidding....)
> 
> Unfortunately, there actually ARE people who believe what's in _The Da Vinci Code_... I know at least one of them...
> 
> Betsy


Good thing I wore a disguise or I might have been turned in, huh. And I wasn't the one using a gun either! I hit the guy from behind, stole his wallet and put the books on his credit card. I mailed the wallet back too (not from my home post office. Too clever for that.) ...

I have bought bad books. I have bought LOUSY books. I have been steamed over it. Some book descriptions did lie. Some could have saved me a whooooole lot of trouble by just putting "Triple R Rating" on the front. But just because lots of people bought Da Vinci Code that did not force me to buy or read it. I rarely buy or read the popular books because I don't have time in between all the other books I am reading. In the case of Da Vinci, a friend recommended it so I did read it (from the library.) It wasn't a bad book. Nothing terribly wrong with it at all IMO. I think that both Joe Nassise and Katherine Kurtz did a MUCH better job telling the story of/sort of about the Holy Grail and for that matter so did the movie Indiana Jones, but I've read far worse books with the Holy Grail as a theme.


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## Rick Gualtieri (Oct 31, 2011)

Can't recall the last time I was forced to buy a book (unless one counts my wife saying, "While you're out, stop by B&N and pick up XXXX for me  

Marketing is another matter entirely. I think we've all be taken in by the hype behind something and found the end result to be lacking. Personally I picked up James Patterson's Witch and Wizard series after its big media blitz last year...and promptly put it down again quickly.  However, I didn't exactly feel ripped off, more just acknowledging it wasn't for me. We all have opinions...they tend to vary.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

People are going to read what they like, not what you or I think they should like.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

ProfCrash said:


> See, I would put Wuthering Heights into the over rated catagory. I got to spend an entire semester wondering why people thought a book with a large number of characters who were all awful and not worth reading about was a classic.
> 
> I believe I am in the minority on this one though...


You may be in the minority, but you're not alone. I agree with your assessment of "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" - I didn't enjoy spending time with those characters.



Fola7 said:


> Due to lots of marketing & propaganda readers are forced to buy books, like... "Da vinci code"


Once again, I'll step in to defend "THE DA VINCI CODE".

Great book?

Arguably, yes:

- Dan Brown has a talent for writing page-turners - literally making readers want to turn pages _and find out what happens_. This is one viable definition of good writing. He used this talent to noteworthy effect in "ANGELS & DEMONS" and overused it to detrimental effect in "THE LOST SYMBOL" (the first and third books of the Robert Langdon trilogy) _but __hit the sweet spot_ in "THE DA VINCI CODE".

- Any book that gets that many people not only reading but _talking about it afterward_ is something rare and special - *especially a work of fiction*.

- Sales of this magnitude are also rare and special. J.K. Rowling did it - and while I don't consider the "HARRY POTTER" books "literature", I do certainly consider them entertaining. And "great" for what they achieved. It would be hard to believe that so many people were "fooled" into reading them.

So, too, with "THE DA VINCI CODE".

Finally, I sometimes liken "THE DA VINCI CODE" to the presidency of Richard Nixon - not for the reason any haters may be thinking, but because it's odd to me that a book that sells so many copies can be disowned by so many people. It's like trying to find someone who supported Nixon - he was elected by a landslide, but apparently nobody actually voted for him.

Time will tell whether Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling were over-rated...

...but their seminal works were not.

Todd


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

I have not read this book,but it sounds good.I want to go and see.


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## Stan R Mitchell (Feb 26, 2012)

I bought "The Secret." Read the entire thing. Underlined about three places worth remembering. It was a complete waste of money. Buy "Think and Grow Rich" instead. Trust me. 

Got maybe 1/4 or so of the way through the Davinci Code. Hated it. 

Not too odd, though. I've got to be the pickiest, most miserable reader in the world.


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## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

They Hype built around the book, like the secret or Da vinci's Code and many other books...

I think there are so many un-hyped books that hold a lot more value than these hyped ones!


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## CGiovanni (May 5, 2012)

_"I think there are so many un-hyped books that hold a lot more value than these hyped ones!" _

I think this is true, but I have to say even if I don't like something I try to realize that someone does--a lot of people do.
It's a product of marketing that the self-published can't really relish in, but I respect those authors--because at heart I'd like to be as successful as them.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

Fola7 said:


> They Hype built around the book, like the secret or Da vinci's Code and many other books...
> 
> I think there are so many un-hyped books that hold a lot more value than these hyped ones!


I'm not sure I understand your point with this thread other than you dislike those two books. Where are we going with this?


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Geoffrey said:


> I'm not sure I understand your point with this thread other than you dislike those two books. Where are we going with this?


Maybe just generating conversation Hopefully.


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## 90daysnovel (Apr 30, 2012)

I quite liked the Dan Brown books.

The best books are like the best lies - they take a kernel of truth, and wrap it in layers until we forget which way is up. Dan Brown does that brilliantly - How many debunking tv shows and books ensued after his books became big? Quite a few. Not everything is a lie, which is what gives him the grounding to then make the outrageous claims. By combining a few real myths, and some accurate historical and contemperanous data on locations etc, he can get away with selling you the story... and therein lies the real entertainment. He'd make a fantastic lawyer.


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## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

My point is a book like "The Secret" is a nonsense and its the best selling book of all time, i think! 
I am not judging what people read...

Just Like music, some like to listen to hip hip, some rock, some classical, all are forms of art. 
but listing to B.Spears, or other commercial stars isn't art, there is no music! 
So, is the secret


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I'm pretty sure it's not the best selling book of all time...but it was apparently a movie first.  Including all the forms, it's sold pretty well, near as I can tell.  I think I originally heard of it on Oprah.

The marketing secret?  Get Oprah to mention your product.


Betsy


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I am reasonably certain that the Bible is the best selling book of all time. 

Different people have different ideas about what they want to read. By saying it is nonesense and that people were forced to read it based on the level of marketing you are judging the book and the people who read it. There are folks who are looking for ways to improve their lives and find a way to make things better. Many read the Secret hoping to get something out of it that would help them. That I find the premise, well silly, does not mean that it is not of value to others. Perhaps there were people who took the idea of visualizing themselves graduating from college and used that to finally apply to college, attend their classes, and graduate. They did not complete this process because they visualized it but thinking about it and taking action on it allowed them to accomplish something that maybe they had thought about before but never really worked on. If so, good for them.

If people read the book and visualized making millions in the stock market, invested some money, did little with it, and were dissapointed that they did not make millions, well, I would argue that there is something else problematic there then reading the Secret and taking it to heart.


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## jackz4000 (May 15, 2011)

Fola7 said:


> My point is a book like "The Secret" is a nonsense and its the best selling book of all time, i think!
> I am not judging what people read...


The Secret is not the bestselling book of all time. It is not even close. Where do you get this info?

Anyway haven't read it. I don't read a book because it's hyped--time is to valuable.

Read the Da Vinci Code and it was good entertainment--not great.

Don't listen to all the hype.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Fola7 said:


> My point is a book like "The Secret" is a nonsense and its the best selling book of all time, i think!
> I am not judging what people read...
> 
> Just Like music, some like to listen to hip hip, some rock, some classical, all are forms of art.
> ...


Well. . . .it seems to me that you kind of are judging what people read with the statement that it's "Nonsense". And judging what people listen to as well, apparently. Nothing wrong with that, really. I mean, I guess we probably all do it all the time. For instance, those statements of yours have caused me to make a judgement about you. Probably this post of mine means you've made a judgement about me. I'm good with that.

But I think it's important to be very careful that we don't imply that OUR judgement is superior to anyone else's. And the words you're using kind of imply that's how you feel. At least, that's my judgement.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

Fola7 said:


> My point is a book like "The Secret" is a nonsense and its the best selling book of all time, i think!


_The Secret_ doesn't even make any of the lists I just looked at. Although FWIW I found several references that said _The Da Vinci Code_ is the ninth best selling book of all time. Here is Wikipedia's list of all time best selling books.


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## LGOULD (Jul 5, 2011)

I have to take exception to the haters of _Wuthering Heights_. The story is spellbinding, even if the characters are unpleasant. If I had to pick an overrated book from the Bronte catalogue, it would be _Jane Eyre_. Both stories are melodramatic, but the much more precise writing of _Wuthering Heights _ carries it.


Todd Trumpet said:


> You may be in the minority, but you're not alone. I agree with your assessment of "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" - I didn't enjoy spending time with those characters.
> 
> Once again, I'll step in to defend "THE DA VINCI CODE".
> 
> Great book?


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Jane Eyre was bad too. I have to say that I don't like anything from the Bronte catalog. I don't like the style of writing and I don't like the story lines. 

But that is me.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I did like The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte. I enjoyed that a lot.


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## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Well. . . .it seems to me that you kind of are judging what people read with the statement that it's "Nonsense". And judging what people listen to as well, apparently. Nothing wrong with that, really. I mean, I guess we probably all do it all the time. For instance, those statements of yours have caused me to make a judgement about you. Probably this post of mine means you've made a judgement about me. I'm good with that.
> 
> But I think it's important to be very careful that we don't imply that OUR judgement is superior to anyone else's. And the words you're using kind of imply that's how you feel. At least, that's my judgement.


My Judgment is not superior, I judge wrong sometimes...but There is a different between MOzart & Spears, And Khalil's Gibran's Prophet & the Secret. These are not Judgments these are FACTS.
What makes me mad, is how do people believe in "The Secret" and keep telling others and the word of mouth spreads, and millions buy this crap for the marketing...


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

English does not appear to be Fola's first language so keep in mind that his choice of words may not always be the most appropriate expression.


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## Fola7 (Mar 25, 2012)

history_lover said:


> English does not appear to be Fola's first language so keep in mind that his choice of words may not always be the most appropriate expression.


This thread has turned to be very judgmental, I wanted to discuss overrated books by other readers!


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## Joseph_Evans (Jul 24, 2011)

I actually enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, I find it hard to understand why there's so much hatred for a work of fiction that doesn't claim to be fact. It actually sparked a bit of interest in some of the topics that were talked about in the book though, like the inquisition and the Dead Sea Scrolls.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

For me, most of the so-called "classics" are wildly overrated.  Anything by Jane Austen, Dickens, etc.  Also "Moby Dick."


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

Fola7 said:


> My Judgment is not superior, I judge wrong sometimes...but There is a different between MOzart & Spears, And Khalil's Gibran's Prophet & the Secret. These are not Judgments these are FACTS.
> What makes me mad, is how do people believe in "The Secret" and keep telling others and the word of mouth spreads, and millions buy this crap for the marketing...





Fola7 said:


> This thread has turned to be very judgmental, I wanted to discuss overrated books by other readers!


Yes, there is a difference between Mozart and Spears. And I like both. If you want to discuss over-rated books, then give us some other examples of what you think are over-rated and get off the topic of "The Secret".

Your first post (and most of your subsequent posts) have been about how "The Secret" is so terrible.

If you wanted to discuss books that other people think are over-rated, you might have done better to ask that question at the end of your post. After reading this whole thread, I just got the impression that you wanted people to agree with you that The Secret and DaVinci code are terrible books doing terrible damage to people.

Oh, and before you remark that other people are being judgemental, you might want to look at how your posts can be read.


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## Steverino (Jan 5, 2011)

Books appeal to different audiences.  I keep trying to think of a book I would call "overrated," and all I come up with are books that don't appeal to me personally. 


(And did you really mention Ghandi and Che Guevara in the same sentence?   )


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## Julius St Clair (May 8, 2012)

Part of the problem with overrated books is that I often feel betrayed. We automatically assume that because so many people are jumping on the bandwagon and devouring a particular book that it must be good. It has to be well-written. It surely has a well-crafted and entertaining story. Basically, we trust the masses when history tells us we shouldn't. Some books I have been pleasantly surprised with like The Hunger Games (first book only) but then I'll read books like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and my reaction is...meh. There are so many "diamonds in the rough" out there that will never see the light of day, but how do we find them when they're buried underneath the sands of big corporation marketing and advertisement?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Steverino said:


> Books appeal to different audiences. I keep trying to think of a book I would call "overrated," and all I come up with are books that don't appeal to me personally.


This.

Just because it was a best seller and *I* didn't happen to like it doesn't mean it's "overrated". It means that I didn't like it, though apparently a lot of other people did. There are a number of best sellers I've quite enjoyed -- some were completely panned by critics. Oh well. I disagree with the 'professionals'. Oh well. 

There are a number I've read and wondered what I was missing 'cause the hype had been huge. That wondering usually lasted about a minute and then I went on to the next book because there's not a lot of point in stressing out because either I or everyone else is _wrong_. Which isn't even true. (eta: as I wrote the rest of this I was trying to think of an example of a book recently that I read mainly due to 'hype' but that I didn't care for, and can't. . . . .I'll edit here again if I do.  )

Not that it happens all that often, though, because I have a pretty good feel, any more, for what sort of book I might like. So the hype doesn't really work very well on me. I've never, for example, read any of the Twilight or Hunger Games books because they are not the sort of things that normally appeal to me.

I admit to reading a sample of the first Twilight book once -- because I'd gotten the sample when I was showing my kindle to my niece and it was there so I read it. The sample was enough to confirm that I had no interest in reading farther.

I've read a lot of reviews/feedback/gushing on Hunger Games; mostly "it's really great, you should read it". But the subject matter is outside my usual area of interest so "it's good" and nothing more doesn't make me want to bother.

That doesn't make either of those series "overrated" -- just not something I am inclined to read.

OTOH, even without the hype I thought the "Girl who . . ." series looked good, so I tried it. And I enjoyed it.

Incidentally, there are also a lot of _not_-best sellers I really enjoyed that didn't even get a micro-second of media attention. I'm o.k. with that too. 

Then there's Harry Potter. . . .kind of the definition of 'hype'.  I wasn't inclined to read it either, though, until my son read the first couple and said to me, "Mom, you should read these. They're really well done and not 'just a kids' book." He said it again when book 3 came out so I did and got hooked. Did I succumb to hype? Maybe. . . .but mostly because I trusted my son's opinion, not 'the masses'.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

Joseph_Evans said:


> I actually enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, I find it hard to understand why there's so much hatred for a work of fiction that doesn't claim to be fact.


Problem with it is that Dan Brown claimed loudly and repeatedly that most of the novel was based on_ facts_, and many readers took the assertion at face value.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

Steverino said:


> Books appeal to different audiences. I keep trying to think of a book I would call "overrated," and all I come up with are books that don't appeal to me personally.


That essentially means there is no such thing as overrated. If a book is only overrated if everyone agrees with you that it's overrated, it can't be overrated because no one rated it highly to begin with. Thinking something is overrated is just an opinion and we're all entitled to an opinion. I think, as I said before, Fola is just wording things poorly because English isn't his first language. Just because he comes across as stating his opinion as fact doesn't mean we're not entitled to think a book is overrated.

Personally, I don't read a lot of best sellers so I don't often wind up in a position where most people loved it but I didn't. Most of the books I read aren't that high profile. But some that I have felt we're overrated include "Catcher in the Rye" (I know a lot of other people don't like it but it's considered a "classic" and read in many schools, which is why I had to read it), "Wicked", "The Hobbit", "The Other Boleyn Girl". All left me scratching my head as to why they've sold so many copies and why so many other people rave about them. Therefore, to me, they are overrated.


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## _Sheila_ (Jan 4, 2011)

Fola7 said:


> I have met with people who think "The Secret" really works!
> And they follow the law of attraction!
> 
> What happened to ART? wisdom? Poetry? imagination?


The concepts in 'The Secret' have been around for a very long time. The 'authors' of 'The Secret' simply took a bunch of accepted concepts and boiled them down and added some marketing.

People are 'allowed' to believe what they choose to believe. If people think that prayer works -- are you going to jump all over them too? Hypnosis? Alternative medicine?

Should we ban self-improvement books? The Bible? Medical books?

What about the uproar about subliminal messaging in movies and ads? Subliminal training?

I am one of those people that believe you should take an honest look at everything. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people and/or never looking at something you believe to be rubbish (to see what it is you can learn from it) is a huge mistake and limits you to what you have been instead of helping you get where you could go.

If I buy a book and it is not to my liking - it still may have something to teach me. That lesson might be as simple as 'check books more carefully before buying' (I do not return books) but it might be as important as having something to discuss with the little old lady in the grocery store that is waiting for her ride and looks a little bit lonely or to debate with a teen who believes strongly and needs a connection. If you are a creative person (art, writing, almost anything) -- reading rubbish might inspire brilliance.

I think looking back most people will recognize that everything in life is a learning experience -- even 'bad' books. =)

Sheila


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## Brielle (May 9, 2012)

The Secret and 'law of attraction' are designed with a similar style to propaganda, cult programming etc. It's no secret. And it's hardly surprising that in troubled times for the commoners (which is the majority of history) the book is wildly popular. Think of how many people post positive affirmations and moralistic apocalyptic quotes one after the other time and time again on Facebook, Twitter... agents of the secret, Secret Agents. 

Interesting post, brave in fact.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Seleya said:


> Problem with it is that Dan Brown claimed loudly and repeatedly that most of the novel was based on_ facts_, and many readers took the assertion at face value.


The Da Vinci Code was based on non-fiction. The non-fiction sources may have been wrong, but they were still non-fiction.


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## Seleya (Feb 25, 2011)

QuantumIguana said:


> The Da Vinci Code was based on non-fiction. The non-fiction sources may have been wrong, but they were still non-fiction.


If an history book for any reason (including a typying mistake), tells me that Columbus arrived in America in 1942 instead than 1492 it doesn't make it a fact, and it's my responsibility as a writer to double-check what I claim is true.

He didn't even get the size of the 'Virgin of the Rocks' right (hardly a difficult piece of research).


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I never read Da Vinci Code as based on fact. It was a good mystery and that was all.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Seleya said:


> If an history book for any reason (including a typying mistake), tells me that Columbus arrived in America in 1942 instead than 1492 it doesn't make it a fact, and it's my responsibility as a writer to double-check what I claim is true.
> 
> He didn't even get the size of the 'Virgin of the Rocks' right (hardly a difficult piece of research).


I didn't say it was based on fact, only that it was based on non-fiction. Whether you consider his sources to be credible is of course a different matter. Velikovsky's book Worlds in Collision is non-fiction, despite being wrong. There are still some people who believe it. There are those who believe that Holy Blood, Holy Grail is credible source material. I'd say it probably isn't, but if someone believes it they may be mistaken when they claim it is based on fact, they aren't lying when they claim it is based on fact. The distinction between non-fiction and fact is an important one.


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## LilianaHart (Jun 20, 2011)

nogdog~6op6ou said:


> I think the term "overrated" is sort of, well, overrated. The fact that you, specifically, do not like a book that many other people liked does not in and of itself mean it is overrated. Empirically, all it means is you did not like it, which can be for many reasons other than the objective quality of the book.


YES! 100% agreed. I've enjoyed almost all the books mentioned so far on this thread and haven't found any overrated. I love books. Period. And I can appreciate the written word even though I might not enjoy what was written in the book.

I see overrated in two ways: Either a reader didn't enjoy the book and is expressing his/her opinion or another writer has jealousy issues.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

history_lover said:


> That essentially means there is no such thing as overrated. If a book is only overrated if everyone agrees with you that it's overrated, it can't be overrated because no one rated it highly to begin with. Thinking something is overrated is just an opinion and we're all entitled to an opinion.


Agreed.

IMO...



> ...some that I have felt we're overrated include "Catcher in the Rye", "Wicked", "The Hobbit"...


1. "Catcher in the Rye": Yes.

2. "Wicked": HELL yes.

3. "The Hobbit": Noooooooooo...!

So, yeah.

Opinion.

Todd


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## ChrisWard (Mar 10, 2012)

I liked the Da Vinci Code.  It was way better than the movie.  Several years before I read The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail, which Brown was supposed to have ripped off.  It's pretty intriguing stuff.  Whether there's a basis in truth or not, I don't know, but its always good to keep an open mind over these things.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I always feel a little bit guilty because I normally really enjoy the escapist stuff, Kim Harrison, JD Hobb, Jim Butcher, older Tom Clancy, that type of thing. It is fun to read, gets me out of the real world for a while, and pleasurable. But it is not challenging. Then I read the challenging stuff. I don't have a problem reading the classics, I can read old English without a problem, heck I tutored my high school classmates when we were reading Shakespeare and could never really get why they were struggling with the prose, but I don't find them as pleasurable as the escapist stuff. 

So I struggle with should I read for fun, to improve my vocabulary, to prove that I am smart and can discuss the current in books. Half the time I get about 1/4 of the way into a book, IQ84 is the current example, and I am bored. I get the story line, it really is not that hard to follow, but I am bored. The author is finally starting to kind of bring the two main plot lines together but it is so slow moving. The latest Kim Harrison novel flies by, is fun, makes me smile and is not any less challenging for me then IQ84. 

It is silly, I know, but I mainly want to read for fun and I do tend to find that many of the classics just bore me. I understand that the use of language is more masterful then a book about a Witch who is now a Demon working with a Vampire, a Pixie, and a Fairy but the classics, well, they bore me. I don't want to study language any more, I want to read and enjoy it. 

And then I feel guilty. (sigh)


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

ProfCrash said:


> So I struggle with should I read for fun, to improve my vocabulary, to prove that I am smart and can discuss the current in books... It is silly, I know, but I mainly want to read for fun and I do tend to find that many of the classics just bore me. I understand that the use of language is more masterful then a book about a Witch who is now a Demon working with a Vampire, a Pixie, and a Fairy but the classics, well, they bore me. I don't want to study language any more, I want to read and enjoy it.
> 
> And then I feel guilty. (sigh)


I think you may have just stated what many don't have the courage to admit.

I studied engineering (aerospace) in college. There were exactly two "Humanities" courses required freshman year, i.e., "reading the classics" (which, because of the esoteric tastes of the particular professors I ended up with turned out to be not-so-classic). After that, nada.

So, after graduation, I took it upon myself to "read the classics", if for no other reason than to be culturally conversant. This process comprised several years and dozens of books.

The vast majority bored me.

Some contained interesting ideas, but presented in uninteresting prose - long, drawn-out, melodramatic, or irrelevant to a contemporary audience (or its ear).

Some contained masterful prose, but in the service of themes that failed to resonate, particularly in modern times.

Very few were books I would recommend to others.

Maybe it was just me. Training as a screenwriter, I developed an early aversion to filler, tangents, and waste in a story.

But I also think there is occasionally the principle of "The Emperor's New Clothes" at work in some of "the classics", that they have become arbitrary arbiters of "good taste".

Me?

I did my time.

I'm happy now to read for pleasure, not obligation.

Todd


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

ProfCrash said:


> I always feel a little bit guilty because I normally really enjoy the escapist stuff, Kim Harrison, JD Hobb, Jim Butcher, older Tom Clancy, that type of thing. It is fun to read, gets me out of the real world for a while, and pleasurable. But it is not challenging.


That doesn't mean it's not a healthy activity though - my understanding is that reading anything, no matter how simplistic or advanced, is still an exercise for the brain and helps keep it healthy, especially as you get older. In fact, there was recently an article on a study done which found specific areas of the brain lit up when people would read correlating passages. For example, if you read "he lifted his right arm and threw the ball as hard as he could", the part of the brain which controls the movement of your right arm will "light up". Pretty cool, huh? Which is why I say it doesn't matter what you're reading, it's still a healthier and more productive activity than something like watching TV. So I don't feel guilty for enjoying "fluff" novels at all. In fact, I'll readily admit I haven't read any "classics" since I graduated high school. If you don't enjoy it, why read it? There's no sense in reading to impress others or prove something to them. Read for yourself - where's the shame in that?


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Sorry, but I've never been forced to buy a book in my life.
> 
> Never read _The Secret_.
> 
> _The Da Vinci Code_ is fiction and I read it as such. Great fiction? No. But reasonably enjoyable. I didn't assume that anything in it was fact.


I was forced to buy many, many books in university.

The most over-rated? _Moby Dick_, by a long shot.

Edit: However, I am appalled to see ALL "classic" novels attacked as boring. _Wuthering Heights, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities, The Hunchback of Notre Dame_ and many others are good reads in addition to being classics. Avoiding good novels because someone calls them a "classic" is perhaps short sighted. Maybe just look at them as novels and pick the ones that look interesting. Novels about whale anatomy don't interest me, hence, my strong dislike of _Moby Dick_. 

Nothing wrong with "fluff" either. Many of those classics people are avoiding were "fluff" originally. They were just the best of the fluff.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I am sorry, but I was willing to take an F on a essay in high school by arguing that Wuthering Heights was not a classic because the characters sucked so badly that most people would not want to read the book. I included a poll of my classmates to make my point. I do enjoy Dickens and there are many a classic that I liked reading in school. I am not sure that I want to revisit them now but I am looking forward to reading them with my kids when they get to be that age.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

ProfCrash said:


> I am sorry, but I was willing to take an F on a essay in high school by arguing that Wuthering Heights was not a classic because the characters sucked so badly that most people would not want to read the book. I included a poll of my classmates to make my point. I do enjoy Dickens and there are many a classic that I liked reading in school. I am not sure that I want to revisit them now but I am looking forward to reading them with my kids when they get to be that age.


Well, I am amused at proclaiming whether or not something is a classic by using the taste of a high school class. No doubt one's taste at 16 yrs of age is the end all and be all of one's entire life experience.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I haven't been forced to buy a book since I left college.  

Apparently the "The Secret" Gestapo missed my house, because I haven't bought or read it.  Not interested.  If some people think it works for them, more power to them - I suspect it's more the power of positive thinking than a ginormous "secret".  But I can't get my knickers in a wad over that. 

I think there are plenty of "overrated" books out there, but I don't expect everyone to agree with my opinions.  I enjoyed "The DaVinci Code" - but I read it as fiction, not a documentary.  Sure, I recognized some of the tricks he uses to keep your reading, but that doesn't mean they didn't work on me.  And nobody forced me to buy it - I got it from the library.   

One person's "overrated piece of tripe" is another person's "classic".  And isn't it that way with all the arts?


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Hey, it was before the internet and building online polls. And the poll was more along the lines of "Do you like any of these characters?" or "Do you care about any of these characters?" My premise was that all the wonderful use of language means squat if you do not like any of the characters and hence do not care about the book itself. 

I have tried re-reading Wuthering Heights and the characters are still awful and I still think the book is a waste of time.  I was most excited when someone died because it meant I did not have to deal with them any more.

But that is me.


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## Boatie (May 8, 2012)

Todd Trumpet said:


> You may be in the minority, but you're not alone. I agree with your assessment of "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" - I didn't enjoy spending time with those characters.
> 
> Once again, I'll step in to defend "THE DA VINCI CODE".
> 
> ...


I couldn't agree more! Great explanation, too.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

Todd Trumpet said:


> I haven't read it, but I've been hearing a growing backlash against "FIFTY SHADES OF GREY":
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I've never been forced to buy a book either. I may not understand the hype about some books, but would not class any book as over-rated. Who's to decide? Todd's post illustrates the point I'm making - sales and popularity are not about whether the book is good or bad, as evidenced by the Shades of Grey reviews. It's about who and how many are talking about the book. Curiosity leads to sales. JMO.


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## LGOULD (Jul 5, 2011)

ProfCrash, there is no need to apologize for hating a book that somebody else loves. Different tastes make the world go around. For my part, I found _Wuthering Heights_ spellbinding the first time I read it in college, and I continue to find it so. I'm not sure I can even explain why. It's true that all but a few of the characters are horrible, but I've never objected to reading about horrible people. I think Emily Bronte's writing is exquisite, and it's a shame that she died with her second novel unfinished. That's just me.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

JRTomlin said:


> The most over-rated? _Moby Dick_, by a long shot.


If I had to pick the greatest English language novel of all time, I'd probably select _Moby Dick_, whale anatomy and all.

Most over rated novels of the past few years would be _The Hunger Games_. I also think Harry Potter is overrated.


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## JRWoodward (Apr 26, 2011)

Dan Brown, Richard North Patterson, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwall -- just about every thriller writer on the best-seller list is overrated by my standards. I blame SILENCE OF THE LAMBS for a lot of what's wrong with the best-seller list today. It was a great, truly scary book, but it spawned the "serial killer profiler" sub-genre that has been overdone now for twenty years, with no sign of letting up. (And it turns out, per Malcolm Gladwell's essays in What the Dog Saw, that criminal profiling is neither the science it was supposed to be, or as useful as people thought.)
Political thriller, technothrillers, vampires, epic fantasy -- there hasn't been anything exciting in any of these for at least five years, if not longer. The only thriller on the bestseller list that actually thrilled me in the last few years was 1//22/63. Thankfully, Stephen King's still got it.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Atunah said:


> I did like The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, by Anne Bronte. I enjoyed that a lot.


I've been trying to get a hold of this book! The local library copy has been checked out for the past two months. Anyway, the reason I suddenly became so interested in it is because I read In His Sights (P.S.) about a woman who was being stalked. She's a Bronte scholar, and she devoted several paragraphs to _The Tenant of Wildfell Hall_, her favorite Bronte book. She posited a fascinating theory that Charlotte Bronte was a bit of bully toward Anne, to the point of "editing" and even destoying some of Anne's writing/letters after her death.

sorry, I know it's completely off topic. As to the actual thread topic, I agree with everything NogDog said in his initial post.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Free, even.


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## A.D.Trosper (May 15, 2012)

I don't pick books based on hype, I pick them totally on whether or not I think they will interest me. I read the back (or blurb) read the first few pages. If it grabs me I read it, if not, I put it back. And I read purely for enjoyment, that includes Pride and Prejudice which I loved. I don't read or not a read a book because someone else may or may not like it.


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

JRTomlin said:


> The most over-rated? _Moby Dick_, by a long shot.





Geemont said:


> If I had to pick the greatest English language novel of all time, I'd probably select _Moby Dick_, whale anatomy and all.


Talk about polarization!

"MOBY DICK" may be the "FIFTY SHADES OF WHITE" of its time!

Todd


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Free, even.


Thanks, Betsy--I figured it would be free somewhere aside from the library, but I don't have an e-reader, and don't intend to get one until my internet connection out here in the sticks improves--right now all I can get is dial-up (26.4 kbps). I come to Kindleboards because I like the book discussions.


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## Tangerine (May 13, 2012)

What a great question!

To me, there are two definite overrated books:

1.) _On the Road_ by Jack Kerouac
2.) _Tess of the d'Urbervilles_ by Thomas Hardy

They are both my least-favorite books of all time. Another classic I think is supremely overrated is _The Great Gatsby_.

In terms of modern fiction, we have a lot of choice. With bookstores, "See Inside" and a 10% sample download, the likelihood of getting a sub-par book is minimized.


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## Jana DeLeon (Jan 20, 2011)

Fola7 said:


> They Hype built around the book, like the secret or Da vinci's Code and many other books...
> 
> I think there are so many un-hyped books that hold a lot more value than these hyped ones!


Why do you get to decide what holds value for someone else? You don't know why other people read or what they get out of what they CHOOSE to read. I read for escape and only want an an engaging story. I'm not looking for any "value" other than fun.

I guess I never understood why someone cares what other people like. How does that threaten you in any way.

My husband is fond of saying "that's why there's blue cars and brown cars."

Bottom line. We're all individuals and like different things.


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## hamerfan (Apr 24, 2011)

Sometimes A Great Notion seemed very overrated to me.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Free, even.





 purplepen79 said:


> Thanks, Betsy--I figured it would be free somewhere aside from the library, but I don't have an e-reader, and don't intend to get one until my internet connection out here in the sticks improves--right now all I can get is dial-up (26.4 kbps). I come to Kindleboards because I like the book discussions.


Contrary to popular opinion, Ann and I are not the same person. 

Paperback:



Betsy


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## Darlene Jones (Nov 1, 2011)

I thought the Da Vinci code was terribly over rated. Another was The Night Circus. Neither deserved the hype.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Contrary to popular opinion, Ann and I are not the same person.
> 
> Paperback:
> 
> ...


OMG, I'm so sorry for confusing you two--I think I had just checked out one of the discussions you had commented on and had a bird-brain moment! But thank you for the paperpack link!


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## Audrey Finch (May 18, 2012)

The only book I have ever not finished was Catch 22.  Way over-rated


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

Todd Trumpet said:


> "MOBY DICK" may be the "FIFTY SHADES OF WHITE" of its time!


Actually, _Moby Dick_ was a flop when first published, so a comparison to a bestseller isn't apropos. I can't remember when it caught the attention of literary critics--but it's not a novel for a movie besotted brain. Also, Melville wrote the greatest short story, Bartleby, the Scrivener.

I also really enjoyed _Tess of the d'Urbervilles_. Perhaps Hardy's second best novel.


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## Ciuri Di Badia (May 3, 2012)

hi fola, i dont think that the propaganda can force one to buy or want to read a book. i read the da vinci code. what attracted me to the book was the summary, not the propaganda. i did not know the secret exists


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Ciuri Di Badia said:


> hi fola, i dont think that the propaganda can force one to buy or want to read a book. i read the da vinci code. what attracted me to the book was the summary, not the propaganda. i did not know the secret exists


I don't know, still, that it does.  It's a work of fiction, after all. 

FWIW, I kind of like these conspiracy theory books -- but I do consider them all to be fiction. . . .they've not got me looking over my shoulder and wearing tin hats.  _The DaVinci Code_ took some basic observations and tied them together loosely with coincidence, rumors, and legends and put together a pretty good story.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't know, still, that it does.  It's a work of fiction, after all.
> 
> FWIW, I kind of like these conspiracy theory books -- but I do consider them all to be fiction. . . .they've not got me looking over my shoulder and wearing tin hats.  _The DaVinci Code_ took some basic observations and tied them together loosely with coincidence, rumors, and legends and put together a pretty good story.


That is how I read it. It was a fun read and caused me to do some research afterward but it is still fiction.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

purplepen79 said:


> OMG, I'm so sorry for confusing you two--I think I had just checked out one of the discussions you had commented on and had a bird-brain moment! But thank you for the paperpack link!


LOL! It actually happens a lot...and there's actually a thread somewhere that speculated we were the same person. Ann is my evil twin Skippy....

Betsy


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> LOL! It actually happens a lot...and there's actually a thread somewhere that speculated we were the same person. Ann is my evil twin Skippy....
> 
> Betsy


No, Betsy is my evil twin Jiff.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> No, Betsy is my evil twin Jiff.


I don't do peanut butter...I'll be your evil twin Nutella... 

I enjoyed the DaVinci Code as a run-of-the-mill thriller but was always kind of bemused by the hoopla over it.

Betsy


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> LOL! It actually happens a lot...and there's actually a thread somewhere that speculated we were the same person. Ann is my evil twin Skippy....
> Betsy


Sure, Betsy CLAIMS that Ann is simply her evil twin...

...but I think there's a deeper, more diabolical truth here. Look at Betsy's avatar:










A picture of ANNgie Dickinson, no?

Ann? _An_gie?

Dan Brown - the ball's in your court...

Todd


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

*looks innocent*  

Why, Todd, I don't know what you mean....that's not my avatar....



Betsy


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> Why, Todd, I don't know what you mean....that's not my avatar....


Curses!

Foiled again!

Todd


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## Jon Olson (Dec 10, 2010)

ProfCrash said:


> See, I would put Wuthering Heights into the over rated catagory. The Da Vinci Code might have been an easy read and not the best written book but it entertained me. Wuthering Heights was painful, annoying, and I wanted to run away from it but couldn't because we were reading it for AP English to prep for the AP exam. I got to spend an entire semester wondering why people thought a book with a large number of characters who were all awful and not worth reading about was a classic.
> 
> I believe I am in the minority on this one though...


I agree with this, that "rating" is not the same as "popular." Nobody reads Da Vinci Code because they think it will change their life or tell them something about the world they didn't know. But you might read Dickens that way, or Tolstoy, or even Wuthering Heights. These, to me, are books that have high "ratings," deserved or not.


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## MamaProfCrash (Dec 16, 2008)

I don't know what I learned from Wuthering Heights. Maybe that I am thrilled to live in an age of anti-depression meds so I have ways of avoiding living like any of the people in that book.

I really didn't like it...


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## goldie (May 9, 2012)

Someone - a friend, I think - gave me The Secret as a gift.  I spent more time wondering why someone would give me this book than I did reading it.  A bit like playing over and over in your head that old song  "don't worry - be happy".  Infantile.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> *looks innocent*
> 
> Why, Todd, I don't know what you mean....that's not my avatar....
> 
> ...


I'm home sick today and the sight of Nurse Ratched sent me running for the hills, screaming . . . when I came back, I felt compelled to comment about _The DaVinci Code_--I read it when it was the big thing and enjoyed parts of it. Definitely got caught up in the mystery, though I think I would have preferred it if Brown had written it as a non-fiction book presenting an interesting, controversial theory rather than trying to force his theory into a fictional framework that did not work at all for me. I found myself skmming most of the parts that dealt with the characters themselves so I could get back to the more theoretical sections. That said, I can see why people read it and found it to be an entertaining thriller--the mystery alone is a compelling read.


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Geemont said:


> Actually, _Moby Dick_ was a flop when first published, so a comparison to a bestseller isn't apropos. I can't remember when it caught the attention of literary critics--but it's not a novel for a movie besotted brain. Also, Melville wrote the greatest short story, Bartleby, the Scrivener.
> 
> I also really enjoyed _Tess of the d'Urbervilles_. Perhaps Hardy's second best novel.


My favorite Hardy novel is _Jude the Obscure_, with _Far From the Madding Crowd _ as a close second. I cried buckets over Jude when I read it the first time. I've never actually read _Tess of the d'Urbervilles _ -- not sure why, but I think I'm going to check out that one after I read _The Tenant of Wildfell Hall_.


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## BenRoach (Jul 9, 2012)

I tend not to read popular fiction, so I don't come across many that I'm sure are worse, but the second Hunger Games novel was terrible to me.

It was weird that I even read the first, but I thought I should get into something that is buzzing for once. It was great. Very addictive and a fast read.

The second was woeful IMO.

A complete rehash with character development going backward and the same scenes over and over again and the same thoughts over and over again.

It actually made me angry, like it was an insult to my buying intelligence, ha ha.


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## Andrew Ashling (Nov 15, 2010)

Fola7 said:


> My Judgment is not superior, I judge wrong sometimes...but There is a different between MOzart & Spears, And Khalil's Gibran's Prophet & the Secret. These are not Judgments these are FACTS.
> What makes me mad, is how do people believe in "The Secret" and keep telling others and the word of mouth spreads, and millions buy this crap for the marketing...


Has it occurred to you that you may be calling someone's Bible or Koran "crap?"

Then again, you may have a point.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

BenRoach said:


> I tend not to read popular fiction, so I don't come across many that I'm sure are worse, but the second Hunger Games novel was terrible to me.
> 
> It was weird that I even read the first, but I thought I should get into something that is buzzing for once. It was great. Very addictive and a fast read.
> 
> ...


I have to agree with you here. I devoured the first Hunger Games novel. I enjoyed it. I felt the concept was well written and believable. Then I borrowed the second book. I made it as far as half way through and was bored out of my mind. By the time they got back to the arena I felt like I was re-reading the same book over again and, I'm sad to say, the book has sat on my shelf ever since. I like to re-read novels every so often, but not in this manner. Now, I have been told I really should finish it, and I might, but for now I have lost all desire. have plenty of other books to read that are "new."


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## raychensmith (Jul 11, 2012)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series -- overwritten, meandering, repetitive dreck! Sorry, but I don't need 2-page descriptions of Lizbeth Salander setting up her MacBook, okay? (Great alternative: The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Fast-pased and rich in INTERESTING description and character development.)

Anything by Michael Connelly -- plodding, humorless stories populated by plodding, humorless characters described in plodding, humorless prose. (Alternative: James Ellroy's The Black Dahlia. Has all the interesting prose, humor, and kickass stories that Connelly books lack.)

The Help -- nice 300-page story--except the book is 500+ pages long! Meandering and very anticlimactic. (Alternative: Black Like Me -- the classic where a white guy burns himself black [yes, he actually does this!] to experience the Jim Crow South through a black man's eyes. Horrific!)

Twilight -- boring, boring, boring characters who never say anything remotely interesting. This is the most flaccid romance I've ever read! And the big fight in the end isn't even described before Bella falls unconscious! (Alternative: just watch 28 Days Letter. Vampire books are for teenyboppers, okay! Want a romance? Read Teh Time Traveler's Wife--much better characters and a far more believable romance and real emotions, particularly the poignant ending!)


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## BenRoach (Jul 9, 2012)

Katie Salidas said:


> I have to agree with you here. I devoured the first Hunger Games novel. I enjoyed it. I felt the concept was well written and believable. Then I borrowed the second book. I made it as far as half way through and was bored out of my mind. By the time they got back to the arena I felt like I was re-reading the same book over again and, I'm sad to say, the book has sat on my shelf ever since. I like to re-read novels every so often, but not in this manner. Now, I have been told I really should finish it, and I might, but for now I have lost all desire. have plenty of other books to read that are "new."


Ha ha, I did the same!
So then I went back and finished it.
Yes, it is better than the rest of the book, but still barely worth it.

"I just have to save Peter this time!" x2000 You saved him last time!!!!!


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## smallblondehippy (Jan 20, 2012)

Katie Salidas said:


> I devoured the first Hunger Games novel. I enjoyed it. I felt the concept was well written and believable. Then I borrowed the second book. I made it as far as half way through and was bored out of my mind. By the time they got back to the arena I felt like I was re-reading the same book over again and, I'm sad to say, the book has sat on my shelf ever since. I like to re-read novels every so often, but not in this manner. Now, I have been told I really should finish it, and I might, but for now I have lost all desire. have plenty of other books to read that are "new."


I'm glad somebody mentioned this series. Loved the first book. Second was okay. Third? Awful. Overrated simply isn't the word. I've never read a book with such a weak ending. So disappointing.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

The da Vinci Code reads better if you skip over a lot of the kingsized chunks (sometimes pages and pages) of research that Dan Brown chucks in willy-nilly. Otherwise, reasonably entertaining.


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## Writerly Writer (Jul 19, 2012)

MamaProfCrash said:


> I don't know what I learned from Wuthering Heights. Maybe that I am thrilled to live in an age of anti-depression meds so I have ways of avoiding living like any of the people in that book.
> 
> I really didn't like it...


Anti-depressant meds don't fix personality disorders. Which that book is full of


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