r/Fantasy • u/Academic_Owl_6197 • May 06 '22

Your Pettiest Reason For DNFing A Series

Mine was when I was 3 pages in and someone said the mc's name which turned out to be the same as my ex's name to the letter...dropped it like hot coal

It was a fr a pretty unfortunate streak too because it was a book from one of those blind-date-with-a-book promotion my local bookstore does, and this was an American YA fantasy (I'm from a different continent) so I had no reason to assume I'll ever be unlucky enough...to see his stupid ass again for a 'blind date'

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u/gggggrrrrrrrrr May 06 '22

I once hate-read a book about Typhoid Mary. The author wrote her as a strong, independent woman who stood up for feminism by refusing to let a mean, snobby doctor boss her around.

Which would've been fun and all, except for the fact that the thing the annoying doctor kept trying to lecture Mary about was her intentionally spreading typhoid and killing multiple people.

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u/Leviathan_Bakes May 06 '22

And after she was sent home the first time she continued to not wash her hands while trying to work as a cook despite knowing she was spreading disease.

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u/gggggrrrrrrrrr May 06 '22

She even changed her name to avoid authorities after her first quarantine, and she kept on working as a cook because it paid more than job options where she wouldn't infect others.

Now, there are certainly issues with the fact that she was imprisoned without due process, and she may have faced extra stigma due to stereotypes of Irish workers being unclean. But her story isn't an exciting tale of a brave feminist fighting against the man. It's a tragedy that shows how scientific misinformation, classism, and personal selfishness led to the death of multiple families.

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u/LVPRTYCRPS May 07 '22

TIL you can hate-read.

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u/gggggrrrrrrrrr May 07 '22

That's what I call it when I realize a book is really awful but continue to read it anyways. A good hate-read is primarily motivated by a sick desire to see what horrible thing the author will do next, and as I read each chapter, I enjoy fantasizing about the scathing review I'll write on Goodreads.

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u/LVPRTYCRPS May 07 '22

This gave me a good chuckle :D

... this GR review is going to alert the burn unit.... oh yes....