The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
For anyone alive in the early years of the 21st century, it seemed near-impossible to avoid The Da Vinci Code. Dan Brown’s massive-selling 2003 novel became a global obsession, and a controversy-courter over its biblical subject matter. It’s hard to believe people got so worked up over so simplistic a mystery thriller, with lifeless prose and paper-thin characterizations, built around decades-old debunked conspiracy theories.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
First published in 1988 but only really discovered by English speakers in the mid-90s, The Alchemist proved a monumental best-seller. Fans have declared it life-changing and inspirational, and have hailed Brazilian author Paulo Coelho as great purveyor of wisdom. However, in terms of storytelling it’s honestly quite banal, and in terms of spiritual philosophy it conveys very little of real substance.
Emma by Jane Austen
Though ignored in her own lifetime, Jane Austen has long since become such a literary icon that to speak ill of her work is tantamount to sacrilege. Even so, while her work may well have been an accurate reflection of the times in which they were written, times have changed significantly. None of her books have dated as badly as 1816’s overlong, aimless, inconsequential Emma.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Whenever the question arises as to what constitutes the ‘Great American novel,’ The Great Gatsby usually pops up – but is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 book really all that great? Celebrated mainly for evoking the glamor of a bygone era, in story terms The Great Gatsby is mainly responsible for laying down a template later followed by opulent, melodramatic TV soap operas like Dallas and Dynasty.
The Stranger by Albert Camus
French-Algerian author and philosopher Albert Camus was one of the youngest ever recipients of the Nobel Prize for Literature, and 1942’s The Stranger (aka The Outsider) is among his most acclaimed works. While it may have broken new ground in its time, through modern eyes it’s hard to find anything so important about this flat account of a depressive man’s descent into murder.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Did J.R.R. Tolkien change fantasy fiction forever with his 1954 epic The Lord of the Rings? Absolutely. Is it one of the all-time great works of literature? Not on your life. While Tolkien’s merits as a scholar of folklore are undeniable, his own storytelling ability leaves a lot to be desired, as demonstrated time and again in this painfully overlong, leaden slog of a novel.
It by Stephen King
Stephen King brought a newfound respectability (not to mention marketability) to horror fiction, and 1986’s novel It seems conceived to be the ultimate scary book. Certainly, there’s a great story in there, but at 1,138 pages It is far longer than it needs to be, padded out with some extremely ill-advised content including stuff about a giant cosmic turtle, and a certain infamous sewer-based passage.
The Dice Man
It’s pretty bold for any book to proclaim on the cover that it will change your life. 1971’s The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart (the pen name of author George Cockcroft) did just that, and many readers have sung its praises over the years. Alas, it’s another novel that’s very much of its time, and its middle class male gratification worldview is extremely dated.
Moby-Dick
Herman Melville’s epic tale of Captain Ahab’s relentless pursuit of the white whale is deeply embedded in the cultural consciousness. Nevertheless, it would be putting things mildly to say that time hasn’t been kind to this 1851 tome. Less a novel than a reference book on whales and sea life, it’s an extremely dry and tedious read that feels far longer than its 427 pages.
Murder on the Orient Express
There can be no doubt that Agatha Christie revolutionized detective fiction for the 20th century, and her enduring popularity is largely down to how easy her work is to read. Unfortunately, Christie’s accessibility often results in two-dimensional characters and flat prose. 1934’s Murder on the Orient Express boasts an attention-grabbing title, atmospheric setting and a once-surprising climactic twist, but it’s far from Christie’s best.
