I’ll go with the low-hanging fruit: Mein Kampf. I’ve read it, cover to cover. As a piece of propaganda, it’s good. As an example of good writing? Absolutely not (though I will admit I have only read it in translation). Oh, and the whole fascist, racist, and generally shitty worldview of the author that he infuses into the text. And the fact that the author is literally Hitler. You 5-star that book? You’re a Nazi. Period. And as a Jewish person, I don’t look too kindly on them.
I’ll go in a different direction and say The Alchemist. It’s not politically bad but I can’t see myself having much in common with someone who really liked it.
I read that about 20 years ago because there so much acclaim for it. I don’t get why it is targeted at adults.
I don’t get how it’s targeted towards any audience 😭
Christian, it’s beloved by many Christians. It fits much of what they preach.
If I’d read it as a kid, I’d have loved it. But I was indoctrinated in the religion at the time. Reading it since leaving the church, nope, didn’t like it, but those I know still in the church absolutely love it. All of them.
What church was this? I find the views expressed in The Alchemist to be quite incompatible with most modern strands of Christianity.
The core belief of the book is that if you find and pursue your own “personal legend,” the entire universe will conspire to make it happen.
A few different protestant churches. Actually, someone else may have hit the mark better than me. The people I know who love it, all go to churches with a lot of wealthy people, even if they themselves are not.
But the interpretation of “personal legend” I hear from my christian acquaintances is discovering god’s purpose for them. So, they interpret it in a manner in line with their religion, no matter the intent behind the book. But that interpretation works. Pursue god’s plan for you and the universe will conspire to make it happen, though not without challenges that require perseverance along the way.
For what it’s worth.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/reading-for-worldviews-the-alchemist/?amp
It’s actually a book I use when I’m learning a new language, I read the translated version in x language. Why? Because it’s such a quick read and it’s so simple, not because it’s good. I’ve read it across languages and years of my life and yet I still don’t get why it’s targeted at adults either
Oh my, this is a genius idea! Thanks.
That’s mine too. The people putting Mein Kampf and Ayn Rand on their profile will have surely weeded themselves out in other ways. Solely on the book, this is one that would tell me it wouldn’t work.
I don’t know if I’m just missing the point or if I got the wrong take-away from this book. I just remember it as a story with simple prose of a little boy going on an adventure with some magic elements and a neat twist. I have it in the same mental space as Harry Potter. Don’t particularly loathe it, but it’s a nice quick tale for a re-read snack. Genuine curiosity here, why is it so disliked?
This is the thing, if you take it as you did that’s fine because yeah that’s pretty much what it is.
It’s the people who react to it like it’s the most amazing thing they’ve ever read and it Changed My Life that’s the red flag, dude it’s an amusing fantasy with some spiritual mumbo-jumbo in it that sets you up for a Great Revelation at the end but instead >!he just finds a fucking buried treasure!< if that changed your life I feel for you.
Reddit loves to hate stuff.
The Alchemist was a Solid OK.
Re-read???
This is what I immediately thought of and scrolled for.
Definitely overrated. I was expecting some life changing epiphany by how some people talk about it
And it was just this plain story about some kid. I thought it was fine, but definitely not life changing. I couldn’t even tell you the plot points, as it was all pretty dull.
I read it last year, and I describe it as Catcher in the Rye if the protagonist wasn’t an absolute idiot. It’s just a charming poetic book about a kid growing up in hyperspeed with some added mysticism to make it interesting. Definitely not my favorite book, but definitely a short read that I enjoyed.
I enjoyed it. It’s a simple little adventure tale and you can read it in an afternoon. I don’t think it has any pretensions beyond what it presents. Basically all it says is “you miss every shot you don’t take”.
Oh same.
Appropriately for this thread, I actually read this book when a guy I was dating at the time told me it was his favorite. He was a great guy and I understand he’s now a great husband (we are still peripherally in touch). Politically we are reasonably well aligned.
But yeah, the traits within him that loved that book and the traits within me that loathed that book are definitely a part of why we were a poor match.
Eh. Depends on the person’s life stage. I read this in high school and loved it. Won’t judge any teenager who would be into it. Someone 30+ I would view differently though.
The Alchemist for me is the book I recommend to people who don’t read much, it’s a great “introduction” novel to philosophical fiction as it’s easy to read and the message is nice, although glaringly obvious.
It’s good, but favorite book is a character tell
I’m a huge fan of philosophical fiction but have struggles finding actual quality novels in the category. Any recommendations? I’ve read The Alchemist (thought it was fine. Nothing groundbreaking but I found it pleasant), Shantaram (best book I’ve ever read), and Exhalation. (The stories were hit or miss for me)
I love the novels that work your brain just a little bit more than generic plots but I’m unsure how to actually find them.
My favorite is Zorba the Greek by Kazantzakis, you can also never go wrong with classics like East of Eden, Siddartha, anything by Dostoevsky
Intro to philosophical fiction is a good way to put it. Like, yes, it’s nice, and the message is pretty obvious. But it’s not necessarily supposed to be anything else but itself.
I hated it when I first read it (8th grade, Catholic school haha, so it fits), I found it probably one of the most healing things I’d ever read, but I read it a few years later after I’d experienced some shit, and I appreciated it more.
You kind of have to want a slower, more philosophical book, because otherwise it IS really boring. Most philosophy would be boring to someone looking for an action adventure or a passionate romance.
Is it my favorite novel? No. But I don’t hate it anymore. Someone’s favorite novel might give me pause, as I’d think they were too enlightened for me haha, whether in truth or just in their head!
I first read it in highschool and even then I could already register how thin it was, but at that point I was already reading writers like Terry Patchett, Neil Gaiman, and Ursula K. Le Guin so I guess I had been introduced to more clever writing. That semester we also read ‘The Solitaire Mystery’ by Jostein Gaarder and IMO that was a much stronger introduction to some of the same philosophical themes as The Alchemist.
I’d recommend it to a teenager absolutely, the comments seem a bit harsh. It’s not a bad book, just doesn’t really have much depth
Eh, I read it as a teenager (as a required for text for my 10th or 11th grade English class), and genuinely hated it. The philosophy is so demonstrably bullshit that it pissed me off. The idea that you can get literally anything you want just by working hard enough and wanting it bad enough is absolutely absurd.
The easiest counterexample of this is conflicting goals in equally working people, and that’s a frankly trivial counterexample that shouldn’t take anyone much time to come up with it. The much more relevant counterexample is that sometimes life isn’t fair and people get fucked over all the time by dumb luck. That was the extent of my thoughts then, and while I was an avid reader, I wasn’t exactly a savant or anything. That message getting spread to a bunch of rich white kids in a private school (myself included) didn’t do much to help my reception of it.
The people who recommended this to me (I’m a teenager) are now the people whose book recommendations I ignore
When I was in dating apps, my opening line to men on bumble was “hey, I’m looking for a good book to read, what’s your favorite?” because my ex hated reading and I wanted to date someone who wasn’t like him.
I’m not kidding, in Los Angeles, 99% of men I matched with said The Alchemist.
I finally read it a few years ago and was blown away by how mediocre it was. So now if I ever find myself single and wanting to date men again, I’m screwed lol
I had to read this my freshman year of high school, and at the end, the entire class moaned about how dumb it was. It remains the one book I distain
Yeah, the author is a lvl 1000 dummy.
I wouldn’t necessarily reject, but it’s definitely a slight flag. Not that it’s a terrible book, but you know you’re in for a ton of cliche dime store wisdom in every conversation to follow.
And you’re probably getting a packet of incense and some beads for your birthday if the relationship goes that far.
Yea it’s a more personal choice than say Mien Kampf. I absolutely cant stand that kind of pseudo philosophic drivel.
Namaste!
I read it while in grad school and I really liked it. Buuut that’s mostly because I was reading a lot of really dense neuroscience papers and wanted something easy to read that wasn’t a children’s story. Even then I’d only give it a 3/5.
With that said, I’m not sure I’d want to date someone who gives it a 1/5. It’s hugely overrated, but it’s not objectively terrible*. It’s a simple story that’s a low time/mental effort investment with a pleasant, uncomplicated message. There’s lots of 1000 page tomes that are much harder to read that have a weaker payoff.
*My biggest criticism of the story is that from a feminist perspective it’s very lacking. It seems to imply that only men have control of their destiny. But personally, I’m willing to give old books a pass for this failing.
It’s not even that old - it was published in 1988
I should read this one. I almost always disliked the people who cited it as the most important book they ever read - so I can criticize it, but actually know little about it. Just seemed interesting that the people who talked about how wonderfully meaningful it was, also seemed to be selfish and practice constant virtue signaling with no actions to back it up. Is that in the book?
Good one…. It’s a perennial rec by young men who just don’t read much
I say this every time it comes up, but The Alchemist is Siddhartha written by Mitch Albom.
Has Coelho written anything good? I read this one and 11 Minutes and both made my eyes roll so hard I could read my thoughts.
Reading it was dreadfully boring but listening to Jeremy Irons read it like a tale from Uncle Scar was quite enjoyable.
I liked it, and I read very broadly.
I have never hated a book in the way I hated The Alchemist. Like, I can’t even justify how much I disliked it. It was meaningless pro-religion drivel.
Anyway, yes, I agree with you. This is a good answer.
I was dumbfounded reading all these comments, turns out I was thinking of ‘The Alchemyst’ by Michael Scott, completely different book!
It’s been forever since I read it but I didn’t notice anything bad when I read it in H.S,???
This girl I really liked said it was her favorite book. I was cringing every chapter hoping it would get better. But there was no salvation. I looked at this girl differently from then on.
I came here for this kind of answer. No shit most of us don’t want to date a nazi, no surprises there. But I’d be hard pressed to spend much time with someone who thought that the lesson in the Alchemist was meaningful in any way.
Lol. An ex gave me that and after I read it I didn’t know why.
I scrolled to find this. I see your Alchemist and raise you just anything by Paolo Coehlo.
The Alchemist isn’t a bad novel, but any time somebody say’s it “changed their life” I just think to myself…you need to read better books. I have read plenty of pulpy sci-fi and fantasy novels that have more philosophical depth than The Alchemist, it’s not at all a unique standout in that regard.
Oh wow I didn’t know this was a red flag to people… can you give some specific reasons? I really loved the book and rated it 5 stars when i read it a long time ago. Are you sure its a bad book?
Oh i don’t think liking the book makes you a bad person or anything. I just really dislike both the prose and the message so i doubt i’d be romantically compatible with someone who’s into it.
oh ok word. rip to our potential marriage
I feel like part of the problem with the Alchemist is the “emperor’s new clothes” aspect of it. If I remember correctly, it was so hyped up. It would be like if Yellowstone was hailed as the best tv series of the decade. Like yeah I have no problem with people enjoying it, but it also shouldn’t be critically acclaimed.
I came here to say The Alchemist too.
Yeeeees I hated this trite book.
I listened to this one on ebook because I couldn’t get into the book but was curious given all the places I saw it quoted.
It was just bad and I kept anticipating some big revelation at the end but only got disappointment.
It’s perhaps worth noting that there’s a huge difference between the 1988 book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and the 1600s play The Alchemist by Ben Jonson. I’d be down with someone who rated the Jonson script 5/5. :)