What Books are You Surprised You Like?

Are there any books that you've read, and like, but when you step back and think about the book you're surprised you like it?

Lately I've read a few books by Charles Willeford (The Shark-Infested Custard, Miami Blues, and New Hope for the Dead). In all of the books, essentially every character is alternately: mean, gross, vile, an actual murderer, an actual sociopath, or utterly unable to see other people as people.

Maybe that's all to be expected because they're very dark comedies (90%+ cacao), but I have still ended up surprised after finishing each book that I enjoyed it and would read another.

I'm even unsure about recommending them to friends, at least not without giving a caveat up front.

What about you all?

Andjhostet,

Probably some recency bias but I'll go with Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad. Soooo many people told me it's their least favorite book, and it's terrible to read, and I'm so glad I disregarded their opinion. They also called it racist which uhh, kinda misses the point.

I loved the book though. Psychological, philosophical, critique of colonialism and imperialism? A psychedelic descent into madness? Sign me up for more please.

In hindsight, it's absolutely something I would like, but my expectations were pretty low.

Potatomache,
Potatomache avatar

I read Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk some time ago. It's so messy. It had the sort of horror that you could find resonated in everyday life, wherein someone's life is ruined by circumstances, and the problems they faced were very personal, mental disorder, trauma, addiction, etc. The characters were deeply flawed, and the plot twist really made me put the book down just to absorb it. It didn't have an ending I'd consider happy, more resolute than anything else.

I usually stay in my fantasy/sci-fi bubble, and it was so far removed from anything I had ever read before.

blivet,
blivet avatar

I absolutely love Charles Willeford. It’s such a shame that he died before he could wrap up the story arc in the Hoke Moseley books.

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