Ben's Bookshelf: Unpopular Opinions Book Tag

I was just tagged to do this by Crystal Santos (thanks!); you can check out her blog at http://infiniteink671.blogspot.co.uk/
Let the tag begin, thus:

A Popular Book/Series I Didn't Like

This was difficult, I generally tend to enjoy most of the books and series I read, or I simply don't bother! This was tied between two books: A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess and The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. I actually feel a sense of shame for the latter; it is supposedly literature and poetry at its best and clear influences of this epic poem have been shown in a multitude of my favourite classics. In fact, it was for that reason that I picked the book up in the first place. However, I did not end up finishing it. It was just so dull and Dante himself in the journey through hell showed signs of his arrogance, which made me hate him as a character anyway. The novel was essentially a convoluted pious condemnation of every sinful person in the world; it is a strongly religious text, and is infuriating to say the least.While I didn't finish it, it apparently got an average score of above 4 stars on Goodreads, so evidently I'm going against the grain with my opinion here. A Clockwork Orange I did finish, and I did not like it. I gave it 2 stars compared to its Goodreads average rating of close to 4 stars. The disgusting and despicable acts described aside, I just found the integration of 'nadsat' into the narrative with no clear guidance as to how to decipher made it simply very difficult to read. I had to source an online dictionary just to finish it. The story as a whole lacks significant depth in my opinion anyway, so overall I just did not enjoy reading it.
So it seems I don't take much liking to sanctimonious testaments to a reader's guilt and a thug's recount of his many despicable escapades; I apologise.

A book/series I love but everyone seems to hate

I'm not sure if the wide consensus for this series is actually hatred, but whenever I have stated my liking for the series in my everyday life, I was met with comments that seem to suggest that people do not like it. It is the Demonata series by Darren Shan. I was obsessed with this series when I first discovered it; I found the integration of so many storylines and timelines into one was magnificent and exciting. Darren Shan is a master of the YA horror.

I realise this image is not in the correct order of the series, but it was the best quality image I could find.

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

The ending to this book made me very sad, and it is The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux; the love triangle is between Erik, the Phantom; Christine and Raoul, the Vicomte of Chagny. This will contain major spoilers from here on in, so if you want to read this book, skip it from here. Erik's undying love for Christine is tragic to say the least. You can even say he is enamoured to the point of delusion. Christine picks Raoul over Erik, which Erik allows despite the intensity of his love for her because he realises she will never be happy with him. And thus Erik, after being victimised and ostracised all his life, is denied his last chance at happiness, in the form of requited love, before he dies, alone. It was just so sad. I was certainly hoping that Erik and Christine would end up together. Granted, Erik kidnaps her, and attempts at murder and other terrible things just to keep her, but no one truly believes he is a bad person; it is simply an expression of his desperation for affection, and I just find that tragic and depressing. Poor Phantom!

I would just like to say that this is the cover I have on my version, and I think it is so pretty! I am obsessed with it!

Popular Genre I hardly reach for

I would say Crime for this, but I have at least read a few crime books. I don't think I have ever read a modern romance novel, and I honestly have no inclination to either. I just feel like modern romance concentrates on the development of the love without much storyline, and plot is very important to me.

A Popular Character I Don't Like

I have two for this category: Patrick Bateman from American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis and Christian Grey from the Fifty Shades series by E L James. Apparently, the blood-thirsty misogynistic maniac is popular among the masses. If you are confused, I am talking about Patrick Bateman, but of course Christian probably fits that description as well. I do not see how anyone can identify or go as far as to like this man. You can like the book: in fact, I even like the book; but to like the eponymous character, the main character and yet the antagonist of the novel, is just absurd. Now, where to begin with Christian Grey. He is just an abuser. Plain and simple. And yet some people like him because he represents the excitement they never got in their sex lives (I apologise for this comment). He is a misogynist, a nympho and a terrible figurehead for the popularity of the BDSM community in recent times.

A Popular Author I can't seem to get into

Salman Rushdie. I tried to read Satanic Verses and gave up. His style of writing is just so pretentious and mind-numbingly dull. I doubt I will ever opt for another novel written by him.

A Popular Trope I am tired of seeing

I am getting really tired of main characters who are so flawless and can never not succeed. I want some failures, some trouble in the road where I don't immediately think 'they will get out of this, definitely'. I need the exhilaration of their success being potentially jeopardised!

A Popular Series I have no interest in reading

Although this series blew up thanks to the release of the movies, I have no interest in this whatsoever. I've heard that it isn't even very good. It is the Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth. I am usually all for dystopia but this just doesn't appeal to my tastes from first glance, despite the evident success of the series.

The Book is not always as good as the movie

This book has been featuring so much on my blog recently. I promise you I'm not sponsored by Bret Easton Ellis (although I am open to that offer). It is, once again, American Psycho. While I still enjoyed the book, there were parts where it was just very long chapters with dense description and facts about a musical artist, that clearly showed contrast from the shocking scenes and Patrick's insanity, but they were similarly very boring. However, with the movie, any of these chapters that were actually included were integrated brilliantly into the script. Also, Christian Bale is a flawless Patrick Bateman. He portrays psychopathy expertly, I applaud his performance.