who is the most overrated writer ever?

[superunknown]

On the Orwell bit, Stalin had already run his marathon before 1984 was penned. I think it a little silly to credit Orwell as a prophet since he clearly was just an observer. He is good, but Orwell certainly has taken a toll from his fans who make him out to be some sort of guru. The fact that he is so well known has contributed to his overrated nature, since now big-brother is in every high school text book, and every kid knows a few Animal Farm quotes, that they misuse and don't understand quite regularly.

I agree with that. That's really what separates Huxley and Orwell. Orwell was always a journalist at heart, and even his novels are in some form journalism. He was extremely observant, and 1984 is showing the world what's already happened in Russia, but applying it to the rest of the world.

[superunknown]

I found Dan Brown's books entertaining in an intellectually devoid sort of way, a bit like watching the latest explosion-happy Hollywood movie.

[Lambert]

She brought innovation neither in terms of writing style nor in terms of plot.

Eh... she innovated Free indirect speech about 90 years before the modernists, and quite effectively, as many critics and readers would agree.

That's pretty significant.

She lived in a world of her own, she made believe as if the world were that simple.

One of the reasons she is so highly admired is because she showed how complex her world was, mostly through irony and her sharp observation for social satire and commentary.

[kandaurov]

You're very right about the indirect free speech, I stand corrected. As for the satire component, I don't know how effective it is. What she did was to criticize social conventions, while at the same time acknowledging that they were necessary. I, at least, never saw a character actively rebelling against what she "criticizes". As I read her I remember sensing hypocrisy, but that may be just me. I mean, of course you can like her and think her wit was something else other than just adornment of her prose, I fully respect that, but now that I've explained my opinion I like to think I'm entitled to it.

[kandaurov]

Well said, Antiquarian! And it's not that I don't think Jane Austen was a bad writer, not at all!, I just wouldn't rank her among the best 5 novels of all time, like some polls did. By the way, this is interesting: you love Jane Austen and you think that the publishers should keep their standards high. Do you remember / have you heard of this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/ju...ooks.booksnews ? Terrible, I know!

[Kafka's Crow]

Well said, Antiquarian! And it's not that I don't think Jane Austen was a bad writer, not at all!, I just wouldn't rank her among the best 5 novels of all time, like some polls did. By the way, this is interesting: you love Jane Austen and you think that the publishers should keep their standards high. Do you remember / have you heard of this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/ju...ooks.booksnews ? Terrible, I know!

Hilarious stuff Literally left me in stitches. I strongly believe that both music 'industry' and publishing 'industry' need dismantling by all means possible. The Guardian article above strongly confirms my notions.

[Morten]

As much as I love Jane Austen, I don't think her novels would sell today. The sad part is that these "experts," with the exception of one, didn't even recognize her writing, even if a bit paraphrased. :O

But she sells enormously, no? Every bookstore I go to there's an abundance of Austen novels, and everytime I turn on the TV there's a movie or a tv series with her name in the title. I find it insufferable. Such an overrated writer...

[moose gurl]

Hey everyone! I'm new, but I'm really excited about meeting you guys and jumping in on literature debates.
That being said, I agree with kandaurov. Jane Austen is overrated, and I always felt that what she claimed to disdain in society she sort of taught in her literature. I do think that she brought a lot to the "literature table," especially for women, but I don't think she was as much of a "feminist" as she claimed to be, and in that light many of her books seem to be, at least to me, self-contradictory to what she believed in.
I also agree that Dan Brown is largely overrated. I read Angels and Demons and almost got through it, and it was remotely entertaining in a "leave your brain at home" way, but it was cheesy. I started The DaVinci Code and couldn't get past the first few chapters.
The most overrated author in my opinion? I'd have to go with Hawthorne. I've probably made a ton of enemies right then and there, but honestly, I just don't like his work. It's stale and repetitive. But that's just my personal opinion.

[Morten]

She sells enormously as an 18th century writer. I don't think any agent or publisher would take her on if she were writing that kind of thing today.

Well, that's self explanatory. Every work of art, however universal, could not have emerged at any other time than it originally did.

I don't personally find her at all overrated. I love all her books, but they are definitely late 18th century, which is part of the charm for me and part of the insufferability for others.

It's not so much that she's late 18th century as it is the fact that all her novels are tedious comedies of manners with only the characters and order of events altered. For future Austen readers: read Pride & Prejudice and call it a day. Everything else is...well, it's flat out the same.

[teejay17]

I agree that Dan Brown is the most overrated writer ever to set pen to paper, but his writing isn't the worst writing I've ever read, though it is certainly in the top five. The prize for the worst writing I've ever read would have to go to Diane Johnson for Le Mariage. Most of what she wrote didn't even make sense. It sounded like a person who'd taken leave of her senses and was drunk and on speed all at the same time. I don't know if others works written by her share the same "scattered" quality. I have not read them and don't intend to do so.

I did finish The Da Vinci Code, but I found it terribly, well, terrible. LOL

I've never read Diane Johnson, but I'll take this as a warning to stay away!
I wonder what future drivel Dan Brown is going to have published.

[Sir Bartholomew]

Hardy overrated? Jane Austen overrated? Would you please KINDLY leave the dead alone?

[Lady Glynde]

Well everyone, all I can say is that I love Jane Austen and the only reason she would not get published today is because all the publishers accept is romance crap. I don't mean to pick a fight, but they are, for the most part, just movies on paper. Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and all the rest are the real writers.

[Lady Glynde]

w00t!!! I just made post #200!!!

[Oniw17]

JK Rowlings. She's richer than the queen because she told the same story 7 times.

[aeroport]

Hardy overrated? Jane Austen overrated? Would you please KINDLY leave the dead alone?

Here is the OP:

this is a thread for all the writers that we've been told are great and are in the classics range and constantly appear on 100greatestnovels lists and such like but we hate.

i say jack kerouac is the most overrated

die! on the road

This thread was made for the dead.