this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2025
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Unpopular Opinion

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when it comes to their books.

The way LOTR was written made it so fucking boring, I dropped it halfway through The Two Towers.

The Twilight series, on the other hand, was so entertaining that I read it till the very end. I don't care if the characters are trashy / drama is crap / whatever; I just want to be entertained.

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[–] MaXimus421@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago

This is not an unpopular opinion.

It's rage bait.

[–] qyron@sopuli.xyz 3 points 23 hours ago

Every book as a target audience. You don't like it, fine.

[–] phx@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

Quality of content vs engaging presentation. I can understand this despite my loathing of Twilight

I upvoted because I could not disagree more.

But! No judgement from me. Everything's not for everyone. I can reread the LOTR trilogy for the 12th time or delve into the Silmarillion (basically the history of the LOTR world) and love every second. Whereas I tried to make it through the first Twilight book after watching the movie and had to put it down and take a shower. But if you like Twilight more, read that, because that's what you like! Your thoughts still have value!

[–] Adderbox76@lemmy.ca 28 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Fucking hell, I hate having to upvote this...so much....

Twilight is everything that is wrong with modern literature. It's dumbing down your art in order to cater to a population whose reading levels have declined to the low grade school level over the years.

Good books increase your literacy. You learn new things from reading them; new words, new phrases, etc... an author is supposed to add to the collective intelligence of the world, not debase themselves to write at a fourth grade level so that their books are more popular to incurious illiterates.

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[–] RampageDon@lemmy.world 40 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Such a truly unpopular opinion. I could not disagree more, but I also think there is a difference between what you find enjoyable and objectively what is better. Something that you do not find enjoyable can still be objectively better than something you do. You might enjoy reading tabloids more than Shakespeare, that does not make tabloids better writing, just something you find more entertaining. I think that is the issue most people will have with this post.

[–] Endmaker@ani.social 12 points 1 day ago

there is a difference between what you find enjoyable and objectively what is better.

I am aware. The clickbait title is intentional😈

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago

Or you could just admit there is no objective truth when it comes to art. Maybe you are arguing tabloids are technical writings while Shakespeare wrote pieces of art?

[–] _cryptagion@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 1 day ago

You disgust me. Have an upvote.

[–] owenfromcanada@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago

Upvoted because you are wrong

[–] CrazyLikeGollum@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You might as well just start insisting that green is actually red, because that is how hilariously, ridiculously, mind-numbingly wrong you are.

[–] LaLuzDelSol@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Opinions are never wrong. They are just popular or unpopular :)

[–] CrazyLikeGollum@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

That's like just your opinion man

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I hate everything about this post

But you really might like Percy Jackson books.

[–] Endmaker@ani.social 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

But you really might like Percy Jackson books.

I do.

[–] cokeslutgarbage@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Have either of you read the Pendragon series by D.J. McHale? If you liked Percy Jackson, you'll probably enjoy them as well. I really enjoyed the audio books.

I don't know how to tag/ping people on Lemmy, so i hope u/surewhynotlem sees this as well. @surewhynotlem (<- just checking if that works)

Have a great day!

[–] Endmaker@ani.social 1 points 22 hours ago

Thanks for the recommendation.

[–] surewhynotlem@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Me too. It's wonderful brain candy

[–] Zannsolo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

That what Lit RPG is for me

[–] SkyezOpen@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago

I was about to come in here guns blazing, but I did read twilight in high school. I tried to read LOTR but I tapped out 100 pages in. It's just. So. Dry.

So well played, fuck you.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 day ago
[–] ocassionallyaduck@lemmy.world 20 points 1 day ago

At least you admit you are only there for jangling keys.

You would love early 2000s YA fiction. Have fun.

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 17 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Did you read the Hobbit? Might be more your speed. I'd also most highly recommend The Children of Hurin.

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Thats a unique way to call someone a dumb sibling fucker

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Hmmm. I like The Lord of the Rings more overall, but it could feel...draggy at points.

The only part in the first two Twilight books I liked when I was was told to read them when I worked at Borders was her use of empty chapters to represent depression and the passage of time. I'm a sucker for using the medium like that.

I should read House of Leaves.

[–] Dozzi92@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

House of Leaves drags at times. At times it's gripping, and at times I was bored stiff. It's interesting, I think it's nutty, I think it's a real reach and ought to be lauded, but I just never thought it was that good. I've discovered I'm just a sucker for classic epic fantasy though, so perhaps it just weren't for me. I also read it 20 years ago at this point, and so perhaps with my maturity I might enjoy another read. My brother in law just got me a copy actually, which is good because my original copy disappeared.

I never read Twilight so I have nothing to add there.

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It still feels like something I should try and read, House of Leaves. I don't think I'll suuuuper enjoy it, mostly because horror is very much not my jam, but use of medium very much is!

Twilight was easy to read is another bonus for it. You can tear through them quickly. Which is what I did when told I had to read them by my boss. I read the first two in...twoish days, returned them, said "Okay I've read the first two, please don't make me read more" and she said okay.

[–] Flickerby@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Just curious, why did your boss require you to read Twilight?

[–] RebekahWSD@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It was Borders and sometimes she just wanted us to read a popular book so we could talk to customers about it. It was right before the midnight release of the 4th book, and I'd be register that night, so she wanted me to...try and talk about it, I guess.

I just sold them the books and wished them a good night and hoped they enjoyed it instead!

[–] Flickerby@lemm.ee 1 points 23 hours ago

Have worked at Barnes and Noble before, the Harry Potter Craze was insane, I get it

[–] notnotmike@programming.dev 14 points 1 day ago

Reminder that "Vote the opposition of the norm"

If you agree that the opinion is unpopular give it an arrow up. If it’s something that’s widely accepted, give it an arrow down.

You definitely get an upvote from me

[–] shittydwarf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago

This is such an insane take I love it

[–] Routhinator@startrek.website 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Trashy romance novels are also apparently entertaining but that doesn't make them good literature. Twilight may be entertaining but the terrible grammar, word choice and plot make it a joke. Its the reality TV of novels.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The first book of twilight was far more compelling to read than the first book of LOTR. It almost felt like I was being trolled with how many pages are spent describing mundane nonsense in LOTR.

[–] kemsat@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Haven’t tried to read Twilight, but I tried to read LOTR and couldn’t because it was so fricking boring

[–] Diddlydee@feddit.uk 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The ridiculous amount of songs and poems in the LOTR books were incredibly boring. They're certainly not page turners. Very slow pacing and often overly detailed descriptions abound.

[–] theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

You're not wrong. But also I don't think it would be quite the same without, and the tedious display of reverance for song and poetry contributes something very human (and often beyond human) to many of the characters.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm with the OP, I gave it a shot but the songs and poems were a negative for me too. I just started skipping them, and also skipping most of the giant paragraphs detailing what a broom looked like or how a piece of ham glistened or whatever.

giant paragraphs detailing what a broom looked like or how a piece of ham glistened or whatever

I genuinely don't even know where that is coming from. He is known for lengthy description of landscape and geographical features, and that critique would be valid, but... not about trivial details about random objects like this? Huh??

[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You like what you like. I prefer science fiction myself. I tried reading the first LOTR book and I couldn't get through it bcz it had like 2 straight pages describing the scenery.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Followed by two more pages describing each piece of food on the table in as much detail as possible.

Lotr was clearly written when people had more time on their hands.

[–] TeoTwawki@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Lotr's time use and verbosity is nothing to me, I've read Robert Jordan's works.

[–] Engywuck@lemm.ee 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I didn't read the TL series. Is it worth it? The movies were so bad they were actually comedies.

[–] Cptmurph616@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 day ago

Whenever I’m feeling down I watch one of those compilation videos of Robert Pattinson shitting on the series.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The first book is worth it for sure, the rest are skippable though honestly. The first book came out before all the attention and pressure and money.

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[–] Nightsoul@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I totally agree and I hate myself for it. I only got a few chapters into the Two Towers. I did read all of the Hobbit though

[–] Chemo@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago

LotR is really, really old. It's another time with different reading habits and writing culture. It's just logical it can't really compete with current literature. It might beba masterpiece but when the audience changes its just not so appealing anymore.

[–] TeoTwawki@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

I think this is the first time an opinion has triggered my gag reflex.

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