First we’re asked to give up the goods on who we thought were underrated people, and now we must seek out an overrated classic book. What gives? Maybe WordPress has pilfered my idea from Monday Messages. It was my idea first, just so you know.
For the sake of WordPress’s reputation, and to maintain my own literary standings, instead of answering the prompt, I’m going to explain it.
Exactly what do they want to know, here? How many really understand what is considered to be overrated about a piece of literature?
Help us out, Mr. McGoogle, would ya…
Commonly cited “overrated” classic books often feature slow pacing, archaic language, or excessive repetition that frustrates modern readers, according to discussions on Reddit and Goodreads. Top examples include The Catcher in the Rye (whiny protagonist), Moby Dick (too much whaling data), and The Great Gatsby (overhyped narrative). [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Frequently Cited Overrated Classics
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: Often criticized for having an annoying, whiny, and unrelatable protagonist.
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Criticized for being a “slog” with too many technical, tedious chapters on whale biology and whaling history.
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Frequently deemed overhyped, with readers finding the characters unsympathetic and the story unengaging.
- Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: Described as overly miserable, with a complex, unenjoyable structure.
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Often criticized for slow pacing and an agonizingly detailed, boring start.
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad: Cited for being difficult to follow and harboring dated, problematic themes.
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes: While acknowledged for its historical influence, many find it repetitive and far too long.
- The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway: Criticized for a “boring” plot that feels minimal to some readers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
Common Reasons for Overrating
- Stylistic Overload: Novels like Ulysses by James Joyce are criticized for “willful obscurity” and being “a dead end in fiction”.
- Outdated Content: Books like Huckleberry Finn are sometimes viewed as outdated rather than timeless.
- School Curriculum Fatigue: Many readers forced to read classics like Lord of the Flies or Romeo and Juliet in school often view them negatively.
- Repetitive Satire: Don Quixote is often considered tedious because the humor is repetitive.
- Misleading Marketing: The Da Vinci Code is listed because it was marketed as a high-stakes masterpiece, while many saw it as a sensationalized, inaccurate thriller. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Note: The perception of a book as “overrated” is subjective and often debated among readers, with many of these titles remaining enduring staples of literature for good reason. [1]
While I can’t say that there are any particular books I’ve found to be overrated, per say, though there were a few I wish I hadn’t read. But it wasn’t for the reason of being overrated. I just didn’t enjoy the content of the story.
Forming an opinion about a books rating isn’t something I really practice. I don’t read reviews of a book before choosing to read it. I simply read the description on the back of the cover to decide whether I want to dive in, or not. I have read books that friends have suggested for one reason, or another. But not to rate the story. There was something in the content that I sought, based on what that friend may have shared about the story.
Being that I’m a writer, perhaps it gives me more grace and understanding for those that came before. I appreciate all the hard work that went into creating and publishing those books. While I may not enjoy certain writing styles, I can’t judge the content of a story based on that. How would I like it if someone judged my writing, purely based on whether they like the way I told the story. If one doesn’t like it, another will. Everyone is different, and so there will always be opinions from one end of a topic, to the other.
Though I couldn’t give an answer to the prompt this morning, I did learn more about what makes a book good or bad, underrated or overrated, and whether or not I want to read a book til the end.
That was a bit of a read, wasn’t it? Now I’m hungry.
Let’s eat cookies…
Journey With Me! 