Books I Disliked but am Glad I Read [Top 10 Tuesday]

‘Books I disliked but am glad I read’ was the topic on May 14 but I was a bit busy around then so I’m getting around to it now. Many of these books I read because they could be considered seminal titles in their genre. I’m glad to be aware of what they’re about (what all the ‘fuss’ is about), but they personally didn’t appeal to me.

1. The Owl Service by Alan Garner  – This classic middle grade fantasy novel had been on my TBR for ages but turned out to be completely different from what I expected. At least I can say I’ve read it.
2. The Magicians by Lev Grossman – Well, I gave it a shot.
3. The Princess Bride by William Goldman – Enjoyed the movie so had to check out the book… it didn’t have the same charm.
4. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami – I generally adore Murakami and am glad I tackled this one because I never read such large books, but I did not like it at all.
5. Feed by M.T. Anderson – I always knew I wouldn’t like this book. I finally read it for a course on young adult literature a few months ago. I’m glad I confirmed my dislike.
6. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer- Oh, Authority, you were not for me, but I’m glad I read you because you lead me to Acceptance. (Authority is the sequel to Annihilation; Acceptance is the conclusion of the Southern Reach trilogy).
7. I Forgot to Remember by Su Meck- This was a painful book to read (painful because of what the author went through) but it was a fascinating story nonetheless.
8. Siddharta by Herman Hesse- I don’t remember much about this book; I think it was pretty bland, but there was one great quote I took from it so I’m glad I read it for that quote alone. (“Seeking nothing, emulating nothing, breathing gently, he moved in an atmosphere of imperishable calm, imperishable light, inviolable peace.”).
9. Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle – As a child, I loved the author’s The Lost Flower Children. For many many years I didn’t read this book because I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy it as much. That turned out to be the case – the book is much less ambivalent (not at all ambivalent actually, lol) about the existence of fairies than The Lost Flower Children. Still, glad I read it to confirm my suspicions.
10. Luna by Julie Anne Peters – I read Luna for a course I took five years ago on high school, gender and sexuality, in which I wrote a paper comparing trans representation in two young adult novels. At the time, there wasn’t a lot of trans rep in YA. This book was one of the first YA novels to feature a trans character. Although the representation is harmful, I’m glad I read this book to be aware of a ‘seminal’ title and why it shouldn’t be recommended.

Have you read any of these books? How did you feel about them? What’s a book you disliked but appreciate having read?