
Let’s get controversial…
I love doing tags, but for the most part, they invite discussion on the books we had the strongest reactions to; the ones we loved, and the ones we loathed. This means there’s a whole load of books that often fall by the wayside, rarely to be talked about; the awkward in-between reads that we had high hopes for, but which left us feeling underwhelmed. So, in the spirit of something a little different, here are some thoughts on a few reads I found decidedly lukewarm, in spite of all the hype. I didn’t hate any of them, not by a long stretch (I think I gave them all 2 or 3 stars). Rather, they are all essentially the definition of ‘meh’. There is, of course, no offence intended to anyone who adores these books – we can’t love ‘em all.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
If I’m going to be controversial, I might as well start strong, right? This book undoubtedly has its merits, but my major issue with it is the way it is still held up as though it’s the pinnacle of feminist fiction; as though the discussion hasn’t advanced at all in the past 30 years. Firstly, it’s pretty outdated in terms of its lack of intertextuality, with little to no discussion on POC and queer characters. There are many plot threads that go unanswered; scenes that feel tonally jarring (like a single reference to Japanese tourists wandering around this supposedly closed and secretive community that is never mentioned again; and a dry, info-dumpy epilogue that erodes any ambiguity created in the climax); not to mention the obvious shock factor: I didn’t buy the fleeting excuse shoehorned in at the end that they didn’t utilise IVF in the face of a major population crisis because it was ‘irreligious’ – as though married men having sex with other women against their will isn’t? Hmm.
It’s obviously a valuable book that throws up a lot of interesting ideas, and which caused shockwaves upon release. I just wish that publishers and reviewers didn’t constantly fall into the obvious trap of likening it to every and any book with a feminist theme to this day. It earned its place in the feminist canon, but the discussion has to be allowed to move on to new, more nuanced heights.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
The Power had a lot of hype, and won a string of awards, but it just didn’t work for me, sadly. The focus felt skewed, with a lack of nuance or any fresh take on gender discussion. Its appropriation of cultural norms and like-for-like gender reversals to illustrate its obvious points felt far too simplistic, and neither the plot nor the characters grabbed me, beyond the striking initial concept. Having learned that Alderman was mentored and endorsed by Atwood, perhaps I should have been better prepared to not gel with her style.
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
This was billed as the thriller of its time, and to this day, we see nigh on every new crime book described as ‘the successor to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train’. With so much buzz, I went in expecting a dynamic and original take on the genre. What I found was a surprisingly generic thriller, with twists that felt disappointingly predictable. The lead character’s alcoholism seemed, at first, like a unique and interesting perspective, but soon became a convenient plot device, with Hawkins able to draw out the mystery by having her heroine black out and forget any key information she wanted. Again, it wasn’t bad, I just couldn’t see why it was being elevated above its peers.
Lullaby by Leїla Slimani
Lullaby has such a brilliantly sinister concept, and opens with a powerful gut-punch. From there, I felt it floundered, and failed to capitalise on its amazing potential. We open in the wake of a double murder, where two children have been killed by their nanny. We then go back, presumably to explore the events that could lead to such a desperate and horrific act. However, nothing really happens. None of the events preceding the murder feel convincing enough to explain why she did it, nor to properly examine her psyche. Nor do we go forward in time to explore the anguish of the aftermath. As such, the book essentially lives and dies by a fantastic concept it fails to live up to.
The Widow by Fiona Barton
This was one of those aforementioned crime books, hyped as ‘the next big hit for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train’. Like a chump, I fell for it again. My trouble with The Widow is that it spells out the obvious outcome that everyone assumes is what happened, and then… that’s exactly what did happen. There are no big twists, no clever reveals. It simply spends 300+ pages confirming everything you, and the characters, suspected right from the start. Harsh as it sounds, I couldn’t help but wonder what the point was.
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There we have it; some underwhelming reads. I’d be intrigued to hear what books you expected to love but found lukewarm.
I DNFed The Girl on a Train because it was so boring and depressing and I just couldn’t take it anymore. I 100% agree with you on that one. 👍
Good to know it wasn’t just me that felt underwhelmed. It’s always an odd feeling when you just aren’t clicking with a book that was so hyped!
ooh I’m interested in your thoughts about The Handmaid’s Tale! I enjoyed it on first reading, but after studying it at school, I found that it made a lot more sense, especially regarding the ‘historical note’ at the end and its links to postmodernism. I agree that The Girl on the Train was quite lukewarm – it was just a thriller?? a good thriller, but not a blow-your-socks-off thriller!
I definitely enjoyed aspects of it, and can understand why it’s so respected. I also read it during its resurgence in popularity (due to the TV adaptation, which I haven’t seen yet), so I also don’t doubt the huge amount of hype will have raised my expectations very high. It would be an interesting book to study actually; there’s certainly a lot to pick apart.
And I’m glad I’m not the only one who wasn’t blown away by The Girl on the Train!
Oh, I love this idea! I have the same concern about tags, I’m very self-conscious of the fact that I talk about the same books over and over.
Obviously LOVE your assessment of The Handmaid’s Tale. I read it so long ago that I remember thinking there were plot holes but I’ve kind of forgotten the specifics, but all of the ones you mentioned ring a bell and they’re annoying me all over again. Like the reference to the Japanese tourists, obviously that’s meant to show that it’s ONLY America that’s evolved into this dystopian nightmare, but why would the rest of the world not only stand by to watch it happen (this part is a bit more realistic), but make a pilgrimage to gawp at these women who have been enslaved? And, as you say, how do they even have access to this super closed off and remote facility? Anyway, yes, let’s advance the feminist conversation past this book, PLEASE.
Yes, I feel like that too! A tag isn’t a tag if I haven’t mentioned Rebecca, Harry Potter, and Bird Box 😂
It’s a shame its vast popularity means its flaws are often overlooked or brushed aside. I would never deny the important role it has played in feminist fiction/discussion, but it’s so not the be-all-and-end-all of the topic.
I’m always like ‘I am NOT going to mention A Little Life in this tag’ and then there’s a question like ‘name a book that made you cry!’ and I’m just like ‘oh come on.’ We need tags with more inventive questions.
Agreed 👌🏼
I just picked up The Power… I’ll give it a try! I did like The Handmaid’s Tale, so maybe I’ll like it. We’ll see.
Lots of people love The Power, and there are definite parallels with Atwood’s style, so hopefully you’ll click with it! 😊
Agree with everything you have said. I haven’t read “the power’ so I can’t comment. Great post 🖒
Thank you! 😊
TOTALLY AGREE about The Power, I was so underwhelmed by that book, and I really had to push myself to finish it. The farther I read, the more bored I became by the characters- I agree about the lack of nuance! It could have really been a fascinating read if I’d felt that I’d been introduced to any ideas or viewpoints that weren’t so obvious or simplistic.
It’s so gratifying when you find someone else who just didn’t click with a super hyped book! 😂 But yes, I totally agree that it all just felt too simplistic and surface level when it could have delved so much deeper.
I have a tendency to not pick up books that are compared to other books that sold well. I’m always disappointed because I’m looking for similar themes. What the publisher really means is “we want this book to sell massively!!”
Indeed. The Gone Girl effect has become a massive marketing technique.
I attended an MFA program that focused on experimental writing. EVERYTHING was compared to David Foster Wallace.
Oof. The epilogue was actually one of my favorite parts of The Handmaid’s Tale. I thought it was a really effective device because it was so jarring to hear people talking about Offred in such a dry, detached, academic manner after we’d just spent the whole book connecting with her, and it kind of drives home how we can be indifferent to suffering as long as it seems distant, whether that distance is through time, space, whatever.
That’s definitely an interesting take! And that’s the beauty of literature, too. We all come at things from a different perspective, and so impart different interpretations.
Thanks for your comment.
I just recently read the Power and I gave it 4 stars but I also agree it was slightly underwhelming. I thought the ending was such a copout and totally agree with what you said about the discussions of gender
It definitely had some great ideas, I suppose some of them could just have been handled better.
Thanks for your comment!
I am really intrigued by the idea of Lullaby but I have read so many lacklustre reviews that I know I won’t pick it up. It’s too bad because the plot sounds like it had a lot of potential!
Yes, it’s a real shame that it wasn’t as powerful as the blurb set it up to be 😕
I really enjoyed The Girl on the Train at the time I read it, but it’s not one of those books that’s held up in my mind. I had all but forgotten the story for it until I saw the movie. There are so many better thrillers out there, it’s a shame this one gets so much attention!
It’s weird how some books just get swept up by hype. The Girl on the Train certainly isn’t bad, but like you said, there’s better out there in the genre!
I love both The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power so I’ll skip over those! I totally agree about The Girl On The Train. I was waiting for the big ending and I just thought ‘oh, so the most predictable thing is what happened’. Yawn
I’m glad you clicked with The Handmaid’s Tale and The Power more than I did 😊
Yes, exactly! It just felt so generic and underwhelming.
I really enjoyed The Power, but I do have to agree with you about The Girl on the Train, because I just couldn’t gel with the unrelatable main character. It wasn’t a bad book, but it was quite underwhelming.
Yes, I totally agree! If the main character’s alcoholism had felt like a well handled, developed sub plot, fair enough, but it was so obviously just a means to draw out the mystery, which quickly became annoying.
Oh, I like this idea for a post!
I haven’t read all that many books on your list, but I did read The Girl on the Train – and I read like one thriller a year, so that does mean something. And yes, very readable but nothing groundbreaking (then again, I am really not a prolific thriller reader).
The Handmaids Tale was something of a joke for me and a friend when we had to study it in school; not because we’re patriarchal idiots, but just because the book was pretty dull, and yet seemed to be praised very highly.
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With you on the girl on a train.
A shit show of a book lol nowhere near deserving of the hype, a poor poor persons gone girl.
lol, I’ll never get why that particular book got quite so much hype.
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