What’s a classic book that you think is overrated?
It feels odd to call a classic novel overrated. Classics have earned their reputation. They remain such because they speak out across generations. They aren’t a flash in the pan. There’s a reason ancient stories like The Iliad and the tale of King Arthur are still remembered and retold.
On the other hand, to be overrated means that something is given more praise than is due. It is undeserving of its hype. Are there classic stories like that? Well, yes, I think that there is a difference between reputation and quality.
Alright, “quality” is subjective in this case. Different people like different books. But even so, I think that Moby-Dick is an overrated novel. It’s famous, it’s classic, it’s praised as great literature, but I think it’s a complete mess.
It’s story is all over the place. It’s supposedly about one whaling captain’s quest for vengeance against the titular white whale, but hoo boy, does this book go on tangents. Want to learn the mid 19th-century whaling trade in minute detail? Because this novel is more of a guidebook in that respect. Want to switch from third-person narrative to monologues inexplicably written as stage directions? Want to read a thesis on why whales should be classified as fish? This book has you covered.
And these chapters aren’t part of the story. They’re just … there. Perhaps it all comes together as part of a grander vision on the part of the author, an exploration of overarching themes, but I’m a straightforward kind of reader. I prefer stories to weave worldbuilding and themes into the story, not bring it to a screeching halt in order to give a seminar. Not my kind of narrative. Far too disjointed and unfocused for my tastes.
Critics and academics call Moby-Dick one of the greatest novels of all time. They are welcome to. Maybe I just have bad taste, but I don’t always enjoy great novels.
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Many thanks for visiting my blog. I post updates on my writing career, I muse over storytelling and fiction, and I reflect on the curious and wonderful things in life.
“Hermes is not having the best time. He walks a fine line, and his duty as messenger of Olympus weighs heavily on him. Being a god in the modern age means living in a world that no longer believes in gods. How much can one deity accomplish when no one respects him anymore? And why do his instincts tell him that he, the son of Zeus, is losing favor with his own family?
Tensions abound. The upstart Young Gods play dangerous games using entire cities as their boards. Formless monsters strike from the nighttime shadows, terrorizing hapless mortals. Agents of rival pantheons scheme to thwart Olympus’ designs. In the thick of it all, Hermes does what he does best: trick, lie, and cheat his way to victory.“
Jake W. Powell 