Tadpool discussion

What book did you have high hopes for, only to be left disappointed or even angry?

The most prominent in my memory is Hannibal by Thomas Harris, I got this in hardback on the day of release, having really enjoyed Red Dragon and Silence of the Lambs - No spoilers, but Hannibal left me furious! I felt the characters had been betrayed for "sensation" - Famously Jodie Foster turned down the role of Starling because of the way the book turns out.

I sold the book at a 2nd hand book store the day after I finished it - And I never sell my books!

Neill wrote: "What book did you have high hopes for, only to be left disappointed or even angry?

The most prominent in my memory is Hannibal by Thomas Harris, I got this in hardback on the day of release, hav..."

I agree. I bought my paperback at an airport, tried reading it on the plane, and just couldn't get into it.

My most disappointing read is The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory. I am naturally fascinated by the intrigue and over the top characters of 16th century England, specifically the Tudors, and had seen the movie so I decided to read the book. This novel is so historically inaccurate and full of unnecessary drama I couldn't even finish it! Epic fail. I will never read another book of hers again! The Tudors story writes itself, why mess with it?

Neill wrote: "What book did you have high hopes for, only to be left disappointed or even angry?

The most prominent in my memory is Hannibal by Thomas Harris, I got this in hardback on the day of release, havin..."

I would agree, and what made me even more angry was the butchering the movies did to the books. Totally changing the story to how THEY wanted it to end and not how it was supposed to end, like in the book.

Thus far the book I heard lots of good stuff and expected a great book but was disappointed by predictable story lines and flat characters was Enders Game. Plus I thought the movie was better which was a first.

Most recently, I was sorely disappointed by As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. It's part of a series that I normally LOVE and I spent a year excitedly waiting for it... only to be thoroughly disappointed to the point that I'm considering giving the series up.

I recommended American Gods to a friend of mine, and then I asked her a week later what she thought and she said she stopped reading it cause she had issues understanding the language in it. I haven't had time to try and read it, but I know you guys love Neil Gaiman.

I confess I didn't love American Gods when I tried it. I've not gone back to it, but it's one that I plan to. I find that Gaiman is a mixed bag for me. Some of his I love beyond reason...others just don't do it for me. Oddly enough, I absolutely adore Anansi Boys, which is the companion novel to American Gods.

The most recent version of American Gods is better than the original - Neil Gaiman explains in detail why he thinks its better!

Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I read Illium and Olympos and was very looking forward to reading Hyperion but felt VERY short changed by the ending. I'm told I have to read the sequel to enjoy Hyperion, but Simmons did a piss poor job of giving me incentive to do so. The characters are apart from one generally unlikable and kind of bland. Again, I'm told this is solved in the Fall of Hyperion. And I believe it. I just need to work up the courage to go back to that universe and enjoy the turnaround I've been promised. I want to like Hyperion.

Traci and Neill, it was the American Gods version that was in pdf form from the Humble Bundle.

Jeff wrote: "Thus far the book I heard lots of good stuff and expected a great book but was disappointed by predictable story lines and flat characters was Enders Game. Plus I thought the movie was better which..."

Jeff! You wound me! That series was life defineing for me! But I understand it is not for everyone. I would recommend trying Speaker for the Dead if you have not. It may interest you to know that the novel version of Ender's Game was written solely as a prequel to Speaker For The Dead, which is a much more philosophical book.

The book that has most disappointed me was The Gate Thief. I was such a huge fan of Stonefather and The Lost Gate, and lets be honest, Orson Scott Card him self, that I was infuriated by how much he contradicted him self in this book. Specifically, the structure of the "Wild Gate." Throughout the book, he gives different numbers of how many gates make up the Wild Gate, the number of wild gates used, and the number of normal gates used, and what percentage of which gates go which way. He says he wrote this book in a rush because he completely redid the plot, but after this, I don't know if I will be purchasing the sequel, if it ever exist. Shame, I loved the magic system in this series.

"How to Train Your Dragon". No, I'm serious. I read a lot of children's/young adult fiction. Since the movie was so good, I figured, what the hell, I'll give it a shot. Nope. Nothing like the movie. Really, only the descriptions of the dragons are the same.