Lately I've checked out some books from the library because they were showing up at the top of the library's "popular" list, only to read them and find out that they're possibly the worst books I've read in the last few years.
Books like "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" are hugely popular, but I was bored out of my mind and couldn't stand the characters. I'm also currently reading "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store", another popular book, and I just find it so ungodly boring, with far too many characters to keep track of and very little of note happening, as the characters in the book just seem to be living their daily lives with little plot development.
So… why is this? It's not even just that the recent books I've read are mediocre, they're actively dull to read. If you look at other forms of media, you don't really have this problem. Popular movies may not always be the best, but they at least have a level of production quality that makes them enjoyable to watch. Popular TV shows have complex characters and thrilling narratives.
So why is it so hard to find good books? I see that a lot of popular books tend to be about romance, but even though I'm a guy, I'm not necessarily opposed to romance novels. Still, every time I try reading one, I find it to be terrible.
I have more luck when I filter by sci-fi or history, but I really dislike limiting myself to certain genres, so it's hard to branch out without quickly retreating into my comfort zone. So what is it? Why are so many awful books bestsellers?
by BigBobbert
6 Comments
I assumed you were going to complain about romance books or thrillers or whatever like people usually do, that these books are shallow or whatever, but it seems your actual concern is that literary fiction doesn’t have enough action?
In that case, the books are “bad” because you’re trying to get an MCU movie out of French cinema. Just read action books if you want action.
Because taste is so individual and the “super popular booktok/book tube etc” books are often so general that a lot of people from differdifferent age groups/cultural backgrounds etc can like it.
I find especially if you read more and have read a wide variety of books, many popular are ok at best (there are exceptions).
> If you look at other forms of media, you don’t really have this problem.
no, it’s same thing everywhere, games, shows, movies, music. it’s not hard to find good stuff, as time-consuming as it can be to wade through all that’s available, you just have to look beyond popularity, which has little to do with quality and even less with your own personal preferences.
I was expecting Colleen Hoover or Frieda McFadden from your title. I think you just don’t like the “literary fiction” genre. If it’s not for you it’s not for you.
Because the majority of people find enjoyment in mediocrity
Popular doesn’t mean it appeals to specific interests, and not appealing to specific interests doesn’t mean it’s “bad”
I didn’t care for Three Body Problem (and in fact it’s one of my very few DNF), but that doesn’t mean it’s a poorly written or uninteresting book.