Nope

As a general rule I rarely give up on a book without at least giving it every chance to convince me of its merit. Over the last few weeks I have twice 'noped' out of works that were recommended to me. I may be ungrateful, or perhaps I am missing something you be the judge.

The first novel began with a familiar if slightly trite premise which I will spare you. I am not a literary snob, I could have lived with it if the characters were intriguing or a plot twist offered some reason to soldier on, but neither was the case. The characters were caricatures, and the writing so poor that surely it would have qualified for the annual Bulwer-Lytton prize.

If you are unfamiliar with this ignoble achievement, the Bulwer Lytton contest is a satirical showcase featuring the worst opening lines from real or imagined fiction. Named after Edward Bulwer Lytton's infamous "It was a dark and stormy night", the annual event is a personal favorite. Consider as an example, the winning entry from 2024: " Hungover, Bethany walked out onto the deck of her Malibu Beach house, her pimento-less-olive green eyes scouring the sand below like two Brillo pads..." You get the picture. In the case in question, it wasn't just the opening lines that were so wretched, it was the entire story. I managed to get about 40 pages in before I gave up.

The second instance was quite different, no florid or purple prose, no sappy melodrama, and a story line that promised to develop nicely, even if the principal characters were not especially sympathetic . We got off to a good start but a third of the way into it I realized that the plot was all too familiar and it had no where to go. Nor were the characters interesting enough or so well written that they could attempt a rescue. The author had painted his way into a corner and did not leave an exit. In fact the only exit in sight was the one I took. I put the book down and I doubt I will ever return to it.

Now on a rare occasion I will encounter a book that may cause a bit of literary dyspepsia. Either I will read on feeling a little queasy, or give it a rest for a few days or weeks and take it up again when I am feeling up to it. I say this to clarify just how forgiving I am prepared to be. I hate to give up, to nope out but a wise man knows when to quit and leave the field with his honor intact. I am certain neither of these books will remain in my library, nor should they be visited upon any other unsuspecting reader. A quiet and dignified internment would be best.

All this goes to prove that one man's delight is another's poison. I cannot blame the friends who recommended these two volumes, clearly they are made of sterner stuff than I. But you can bet your last buck I won't be turning to them anytime soon for future recommendations. We can remain friends, we can disagree on matters of taste, but the line has been crossed. I will never mention our parting of the ways, I am not quite that tactless, but the next time they offer a suggested read, I'll just say nope under my breath and run the risk of missing out. I suggest you do the same.