The Most Overrated Books of All Time Books
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The Most Overrated Books of All Time

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This list of bad books not to read is ranked by literature fans worldwide. Anyone can vote on this list of the worst books, which makes it a trustworthy resource for finding out which books just don't live up to their hype. You can even add your own list of bad books to these rankings, and save other people from the pain of having to read them. From the over-hyped to the just plain overexposed, these overrated books prove that you can't judge a book by its cover...or its reputation.

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Rank     Name Author First Published Genre
  1. 1
    Up 743
    Down 678
    Dan Brown
    Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Speculative fiction, Crime Fiction, Suspense, Detective fiction, Conspiracy fiction More
    Most Listed
  2. 2
    Up 616
    Down 609
    Ayn Rand
    1957-10-10
    Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction, Speculative fiction, Dystopia
  3. 3
    Up 4266
    Down 391

    King James Version of the Bible

    James I of England
    1611
    Non-fiction
  4. 4
    Up 744
    Down 271
    Rhonda Byrne
    2006-11
    Non-fiction, Self-help
  5. 5
    Up 1121
    Down 287
    Stephenie Meyer
    2005-10-05
    Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Speculative fiction, Young adult literature, Romance novel, Vampire fiction More
  6. 6
    Up 991
    Down 268
    Stephenie Meyer
    2006-09-06
    Fiction, Horror, Speculative fiction, Young adult literature, Romance novel, Vampire fiction More
  7. 7
    Up 1001
    Down 267
    Stephenie Meyer
    2007-08-07
    Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Speculative fiction, Young adult literature, Romance novel More
  8. 8
    Up 383
    Down 69
    Elizabeth Gilbert
    2006-02
    Biography, Memoir
  9. 9
    Up 16
    James Frey
    2003-04-15
    Fiction, Speculative fiction, Memoir
  10. 10
    Up 265
    Down 251
    Ayn Rand
    1943-12
    Fiction
  11. 11
    Up 13

    Sex & Travel & Vestiges of Metallic Fragments

    Cole Coonce
  12. 12
    Up 366
    Down 191
    Jack Canfield
    Children's literature, Humour, Inspirational
  13. 13
    Up 103
    Down 151
    Stieg Larsson
    2005
    Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction
  14. 14
    Up 229
    Down 415
    J. D. Salinger
    1951-07-16
    Novel, Fiction, Bildungsroman, First-person narrative
    Controversial
  15. 15
    Up 174
    Down 524
    J. K. Rowling
    1997
    Fantasy, Fiction, Children's literature, Speculative fiction
  16. 16
    Up 45
    Down 25
    Don DeLillo
    1985-01-21
    Novel, Fiction, Speculative fiction, Postmodernism
  17. 17
    Up 292
    Down 138

    Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul

    Jack Canfield
    Inspirational
  18. 18
    Up 11

    The Devil's Own Day

    Cole Coonce
  19. 19
    Up 40
    Down 45
    Jonathan Franzen
    2001
    Fiction
  20. 20
    Up 41
    Down 30
    Beatrice Sparks
    1971-03-05
  21. 21
    Up 62
    Down 95
    Edith Wharton
    1911
    Fantasy, Fiction, Children's literature, Horror, Romance novel
  22. 22
    Up 52
    Down 31
    Zora Neale Hurston
    1937
    Novel, Fiction
  23. 23
    Up 92
    Down 16

    Chicken Soup for the Nurse's Soul

    Jack Canfield
    Inspirational
  24. 24
    Up 95
    Down 182
    F. Scott Fitzgerald
    1925-04-10
    Novel, Fiction
  25. 25
    Up 42
    Down 63
    E. B. White, William Strunk Jr.
  26. 26
    Up 92
    Down 17

    Chicken Soup for Veteran's Soul

    Mark Victor Hansen
    Biography, Inspirational
  27. 27
    Up 86
    Down 12

    Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul

    Mark Victor Hansen
    Sociology, Inspirational
  28. 28
    Up 84
    Down 14

    Chicken Soup for Single's Soul

    Mark Victor Hansen
    Philosophy, Inspirational
  29. 29
    Up 29

    What Color is Your Parachute?

    Richard Nelson Bolles
    1970
  30. 30
    Up 88
    Down 194
    Emily Brontë
    1847
    Novel, Fiction, Gothic fiction
  31. 31
    Up 25
    Down 39

    The Lost World

    Michael Crichton
    1995-09
    Fantasy, Fiction, Children's literature, Science Fiction, Speculative fiction, Suspense, Techno-thriller More
  32. 32
    Up 116
    Down 373
    J. K. Rowling
    1998-07-02
    Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative fiction
    Controversial
  33. 33
    Up 72
    Down 145

    A Thousand Acres

    Jane Smiley
    1991-10-23
    Novel, Fiction, Children's literature
  34. 34
    Up 98
    Down 248
    Nathaniel Hawthorne
    1850
    Novel, Fiction, Children's literature, Historical novel, Romance novel, Reference More
  35. 35
    Up 18
    Down 20

    The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

    Junot Díaz
    2007-09-06
    Novel, Fiction
  36. 36
    Up 68
    Down 14

    Chicken Soup for the Grandma's Soul

    Jack Canfield
    Inspirational
  37. 37
    Up 16
    Down 16
    Isabel Allende
    1982
    Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Magic realism, Autobiographical novel More
  38. 38
    Up 16
    Down 15

    Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

    David Foster Wallace
    1999
    Fiction, Short story, Anthology
  39. 39
    Up 49

    7 habits Family Collection

    Stephen Covey
    Inspirational
  40. 40
    Up 79
    Down 181
    Jack Kerouac
    1957
    Novel, Fiction, Roman à clef
  41. 41
    Up 80
    Down 266
    Herman Melville, Gary Gianni, Edward Phillips, William Hootkins, Rosamund Fowler, Pablo Marcos Studio, Elaine Kirn, George Kennedy, Willi Glasauer, David Mairowitz, Elizabeth Renker, Don-Oliver Matthies More
    Most Passionate
  42. 42
    Up 14
    Down 26
    Jeffrey Eugenides
    2002-10-07
    Novel, Fiction, Transgender and transsexual fiction
  43. 43
    Up 54
    Down 10
    Stephen Covey
    Psychology
  44. 44
    Up 22
    Down 36
    Yann Martel
    2001-09
    Novel, Fiction
  45. 45
    Up 78
    Down 264
    J. R. R. Tolkien
    Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative fiction, Adventure novel, Chivalric romance, High fantasy More
  46. 46
    Up 21
    Down 28
    Chinua Achebe
    Novel, Poetry, Fiction, Children's literature
  47. 47
    Up 34
    Down 47
    E. M. Forster
    1924
    Novel, Fiction, Romance novel
  48. 48
    Robert James Waller
    1992
  49. 49
    Up 59
    Down 159
    James Joyce
    1939-05-04
    Novel
  50. 50
    Up 48
    Down 100
    John Irving
    1989-03
    Novel
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The Most Overrated Books of All Time

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    1. Pegster
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 4/27/2011 9:20 AM
      If by hitting the un-happy face button, I am saying that these books are NOT overated and are actually well worth the read then I have signified correctly. If by hitting the heart button means that they are over rated then that is what I choose. If those buttons should be reversed, consider that my response.
    2. RIFF
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 4/07/2011 9:35 PM
      So I should avoid reading any book with the words Chicken, Soup, or Soul in the title. Good to know.
    3. glendean1918
      Twilight at 3/03/2011 7:28 AM
      I think, based on the overall theme, all of the books in this series should not have even been on this list. It was an entertaining read once you read the sentences over again to squeeze out the author’s meaning. But, if you think the books are poor, watch the movies! They are horrible. It appears to me that “Twilight" was the cheapest made film in the history of the film industry.
    4. DigBick
      The Catcher in the Rye at 5/20/2012 1:53 PM
      An absolute pain to read through...I don't think people understand how this ranking thing works, this was the most horrendous book I've ever read. Oh, and about the Bible being up that high, grow up. Nothing more annoying than an arrogant atheist
    5. Iconoclastes
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 3/20/2011 8:43 PM
      I can get behind a couple of these as bad books. I can see where many (most) maybe don't *quite* live up to the hype. Maybe. But there are really good books on this list, and shouldn't be called "bad". And if we're going for *overrated*, shouldn't the christian bible (okay, all 10 of them) be on this list?
      1. Greg
        The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 3/21/2011 3:32 PM
        It is now #1... no pun intended, but Jesus Christ, good job. Although either Twilight, The Great Gatsby or Everybody Poops would be my #1.
    6. glendean1918
      Twilight at 3/03/2011 7:13 AM
      [User deleted their comment]
    7. glendean1918
      Twilight at 3/03/2011 7:21 AM
      [User deleted their comment]
    8. crazy2
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 4/07/2011 2:19 PM
      TWILIGHT ....... A BOOK ABOUT A GIRL WHO FALL IN LOVE WITH A DEAD MAN....... SEX WITH THE DEAD???? DAMN!!! THAT'S NASTY............
    9. Monkeygaud
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 4/25/2011 8:28 AM
      This list is a "trustworthy resource" because anyone can vote. Yet how many people voting about the Bible have actually read it? Or "Chicken Soup for the NASCAR soul"? This list is ridiculous and not "trustworthy" at all.
    10. crazy2
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 4/07/2011 2:16 PM
      THE BIBLE IS 100% OVERRATED BOOK OF ALL TIMES.!!!! THE CATHOLIC CHURCH CHANGE THE BIBLE... TO WHAT THE CHURCH WANT'S YOU TO KNOW... NOT THE WHOLE TURTH, JUST TO BRING IN MONEY... SOME CHURCH PEOPLE WILL SAY.. " I WILL GO TO H**L " IF IT IS TRUE, I WILL GO TO H**L. ARE THEY SAYING "GOD" IS A BAD ASS MOTHER??? AND WHAT ABOUT ALL THE PIRSTS WHO R**E YOUNG KIDS???
    11. Jack
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 4/25/2011 4:31 AM
      Hurrr these books are too mainstream they are bad...Durrr
    12. sayitasitis
      The Da Vinci Code at 12/29/2010 5:23 PM
      Lets face it, people, although not necessarily for the right things, are becoming wiser to truth over fiction and fable. Dan Brown was desperate for a best seller, had one of Hollywood's top producers on his list and in sync of a false belief and thus the result, The Da Vinci Code along with its lies and fables; yes overrated and under read for the better of all.
      Now, give the same author and producer a story about the cure for cancer that has already been discovered since shortly after Terry Fox (passed on to Ron Howard in 1993), or the subtle takeover of American culture by the snake-in-the-grass 'Islamic/Muslim faith' and it's self-proclaimed prophet (identified in his own book, the Quran, as an apostle), with his pre-Islamic moon god, Allah, and you might have peoples attention; rave reviews by the naive and beheadings of those involved in said production by the so-called peaceful Muslims who are busy fooling the masses as such 'peaceful and loving' people, verses the cultish monster and Imperialistic system it truly is.
    13. howl
      The Most Overrated Books of All Time at 2/27/2012 9:52 AM
      Bible, twilight and the secret up up up
      harry potter, lotr da vinci code down down down

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