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Books that are given

Miss Shelf

Miss Shelf

New Member
I have a sticky problem here, I received a paperback book sent from overseas by a casual friend who was really enthusiastic about it and the author. (not giving more info here, sorry) My problem is, I can't stand the book-I don't find it funny at all even though it was described as "hilarious" by the sender. (I've yet to even crack a smile) I've gamely kept reading it, put it down vowing not to waste my time any more, then feeling guilty and the "maybe there's something wrong with ME" thoughts make me pick it up and keep slogging through it. It's been a nonth and I'm not even halfway through.

Pretty soon the sender is going to ask me if I've finished it yet and how I liked it, I know he's going to be very disappointed when I tell him I didn't "get" the humor, probably because of minor cultural differences. I won't lie, but I wonder if anyone else has been in this situation and how they handled it?
 
I haven't had quite the same situation but kind of close.
My friend use to work at the library and I ran into once asking her if she knew a good book for me to pick up. Well she showed me one saying it was great and really funny so I ran off with it.
Only I could not for the love of me get through it. I only got half way through and was ready to return it.

I also felt I had to read it because she said it was good. So I tried and I felt bad that I didn't or I was competely missing something that she saw.
Well I finally did bring it back...I never had to really talk to her about it though. So I didn't have to worry about saying I just didn't get into the book.
But I think it would be okay. Just say I tried, maybe I missed something but unfortunately it didn't really suck me in. But thanks so much for lending it to me. Or something like that. Probably be a little disappointment but we all can't like everything. Maybe think what you would want to hear if some one didn't like a book you gave them.
 
i dont see a problem here unless your friend is the author or is family of and i get the feeling he is since you will not divulge the title (suspicious)

are you afraid we might go out and read this book and find it as bad as you?

i say tell the truth but keep it short
 
Miss Shelf said:
I can't stand the book-I don't find it funny at all even though it was described as "hilarious" by the sender. (I've yet to even crack a smile)
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Must be Terry Pratchett then - I can't stand him either. :D
 
Just be honest! Tell your friend that the book didn't do anything for you.

C'mon...tell us.......what was it?! :)
 
Dogtanian said:
Just be honest! Tell your friend that the book didn't do anything for you.

C'mon...tell us.......what was it?! :)
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Doggie-you say you're currently reading "your mind" so why don't YOU tell us what it is? :p :D
 
Stewart said:
Must be Terry Pratchett then - I can't stand him either. :D
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Stewart-You're close. Very close. But no cigar! :D

Callatiger-I've gotten plenty of "didn't like it" when I recommended books and I'm disappointed, but I understand that not everyone is going to like what I like.

Dan-nope, he isn't related to the author, nor is he the author-thank God, I would hate to have to tell an author I hated his book!
 
this happens with my mom all the time. she will recommend something and will rave on and on and when i read it, well.......i just say things like well it was well written, but wasn't my kind of story, or i liked the main character a lot. often i just try to find one thing positive and avoid the rest. she will take my positive comment and run with it and then i don't have to say anything else.
however, recently i went on rant about how poorly written the davinci code was and really tore it apart and the person to whom i was ranting loved it and really felt insulted.

open mouth to change feet.
 
well Jenn, the difference here is that my friend went to the trouble of buying the book and mailing it overseas to me. He asked, I said okay, and he really really really likes it and I hate to say I don't and couldn't even finish it. Your idea of finding one positive thing to say about it is brilliant-I'll try that although right now I can't think of a single thing-I still won't lie, I'll say I didn't really like it but... (insert one positive thing). God help me if he thinks that's encouragement and sends me another one! It would be different if a friend told me to get it at the library.
 
I hate it when people, outside of my family, give me books as presents.

I know they mean well, but we all have certain tastes in books and will not all like the same thing.

My family knows what I like and even they just give me book tokens so I can purchase myself.
 
Maybe you should just tell you friend that whilst you really appreciate the time and effort he went to to send you a book overseas, it just wasn't your kind of book. After all we all have different tastes and if you can't be honest with a friend who can you be honest with? Maybe your friend would appreciate your honesty? HTH.
 
Miss Shelf said:
well Jenn, the difference here is that my friend went to the trouble of buying the book and mailing it overseas to me.
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this happens too. i live away so she will send off these books with little notes saying, "this book wil change your life". it's too much pressure. :D

i think the biggest issue is that the gift giver is often trying to connect with you on a personal level, as books are so personal and when you don't like the book it's like saying ,"you don't know me at all".
i've also said things like," that's just not where i am at right now" or " i need to try it again when i am in *fill in the blank* frame of mind.
 
Jenn, that's what I was thinking-that maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind right now and maybe I'd look at the book in a different light later. It's also the pressure-I have books I want to read right now, and this one isn't in a genre I particularly like, and the "have you read it yet"? is making me want to push it even farther down the list. It's almost like being in high school and being required to read something that made my eyes roll backwards from boredom, while I really wanted to read "The Godfather".
 
Miss Shelf - is the book by Tom Holt or Douglas Adams? Or maybe that Hobbit p-take (The Soddit?) Those are my guesses.
 
i tried 4 times to read the english patient because mom loved it and i just really did not. i didn't really like the movie either. and then life of pi, same thing, just was not swept away like her. however, pi i am going to try again, i really feel i just need to be in a different mood for it.
you could try something like, "i'm right in the middle of something fairly heavy (either figuratively or literally, i think anna karenina and war and peace qualify in both catagories)that i need to get finished before i move on to something else, but i will let you know when i start (or finish) your book." that may buy you some time. lol
 
jenngorham said:
i tried 4 times to read the english patient because mom loved it and i just really did not. i didn't really like the movie either. and then life of pi, same thing, just was not swept away like her. however, pi i am going to try again, i really feel i just need to be in a different mood for it.
you could try something like, "i'm right in the middle of something fairly heavy (either figuratively or literally, i think anna karenina and war and peace qualify in both catagories)that i need to get finished before i move on to something else, but i will let you know when i start (or finish) your book." that may buy you some time. lol
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I already did that-told him I was in the middle of a book from the library and had one or two more to read after that. Time is running out! Hmm, maybe I could tell him the dog ate it? When my dog was a puppy he chewed up some paperbacks I had on the floor, one of them I'd borrowed and I had to buy a new one to replace it. He has since learned to be respectful of books, but my friend doesn't know that! ;)
 
no no cause then they may ship you another and then you would feel even worse with 2 copies staring you in the face.
 
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