Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

This tag has been going around for a substantial amount of time and is quite popular.  Over the last few weeks, I have amused myself by reading other's answers to it, so I decided to complete it myself. Here are my unpopular opinions!

A popular book/series you didn't like

There are so many well-lauded books that I don't like. The above are just a selection.  

Twilight I don't feel I need to explain, and it is also representative of all YA novels that followed in its footsteps.  

I hate Lolita because of how tainted Humbert Humbert made me feel.  Reading that book made me feel like I could wash a hundred times over and never be clean again.

The God of Small Things was a surprising letdown for me because it's a Man Booker Prize winner, and it's the type of story I usually go for.  However, I was so bored that I had to force myself to finish it.  I just didn't care about any of the characters, which is the most important aspect of a character-driven novel.

Holden Caulfield made me dislike Catcher in the Rye.  Perhaps I read it too late in life, but I didn't see a metaphor for growing up in him.  Rather, I saw a whiny, entitled, self-righteous boy.  

The art in The Wicked & The Divine was breathtaking but not much else.  The story circled around on itself, and none of the characters were compelling or fleshed out. 

I will never understand the appeal of The Great Gatsby.  I don't like any of the characters, which made me care not a whit for the plot.  I felt that I wasted my time studying this novel. 

A book/series you love but everyone seems to hate

 

So many people slandered this book upon its initial release. Yet, when I read it, I found a skillfully crafted, character-driven picture of small town politics. I understand that those not keen on literary fiction would find this book boring. What I find ridiculous are the negative reviews that contain the "this is nothing like Harry Potter" critique. 

A love triangle where the main character ended up with the wrong person or an OTP you didn't like. 

Harry & Ginny

Ron & Hermione

No matter what argument is made, I will never agree with Harry/Ginny or Ron/Hermione, especially the latter. 

Harry and Ginny don't sit well with me because I felt blindsided by that development.  They were like siblings, and there was no real transition period from that familial feeling to romance.  

As for Ron and Hermione, they would honestly have a horrible marriage.  It's not so much that they have such different personalities but that many of their core values don't align.  Moreover, healthy relationships give equal footing to each person, and I believe that Ron would always feel inferior to Hermione.  

I fervently wish that J.K. Rowling had put Harry and Hermione together, as she eventually realized she should have.  

Popular genre I hardly reach for

Romance. Definitely romance. I am not interested in plots that only have to do with love and very little character development. 

A popular character you do not like

Lestat from Interview with the Vampire

Lestat is much loved by fans, but I harbor great disdain for him. He is the worst kind of coward - the kind who hides his weakness in cruelty and manipulation. Even more annoying is that he refuses to die and even gets his own book in the series. 

A popular author you can't seem to get into

Paulo Coehlo

I have read two of Coehlo's books,and I found them overly preachy and pretentious. His writing style is gorgeous, though.

A popular trope you are tired of seeing

I read a variety of genres, and they all have different patterns. However, one trope that I've found in many of them, and which I'm bored by, is the moral hero. I want to see protagonists who are more complicated than this and make selfish, ignorant choices sometimes, trust the wrong people, and generally act realistically. I wrote an entire Reader Ramble about this in terms of how I would have liked to see it in Shadow and Bone if you are interested.

A popular series I have no interest in reading

I did read the first book soon after it was released, but it was so mediocre that I wasn't compelled to continue.  Although many people love this series, those who look for similar things in literature to me warned me against finishing the series, so I have lost all interest.  

The book is not always better than the movie

I watched both of these movies before reading the books, and then was greatly underwhelmed by the novels, especially Pay It Forward.

I tag:
Ben at Ben's Bookshelf
Sarah at Sarah's Bookish Blog
Steph at A Blog of Books and Novels 
Jesse at Jesse Nicholas YA

Those are my unpopular opinions. What are some bookish opinions you have that few others share?

Check out my Coffee Book Tag post here.

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Happy reading!