15 bestselling books that readers love but critics hate

Although some of these novels may have taken up residence on The New York Times Bestseller list and others have inspired multi-million dollar movie franchises, they still surprisingly failed to impress critics.

These critics don't hold back either, calling some of the most beloved books "boring," "improbable," "ordinary," "dull," and "unoriginal." One novel was even compared to Kraft macaroni and cheese for its inability to inspire.

Keep scrolling to see what critics had to say about some of your favorite books.

"Twilight" series by Stephenie Meyer

The "Fifty Shades of Grey" books were actually first written as fan fiction to another popular —but controversial series: "Twilight." The YA series follows a clumsy girl named Bella as she falls in love with a dangerous but charming vampire named Edward. The book became a bestseller and created a successful franchise, but the critics didn't give it any love.

One Guardian critic called the protagonist a "nincompoop with the charisma of a boiled potato," while The Washington Post said it was like "reading a young teenage girl's diary

"Fifty Shades of Grey" series by E L James

When E.L. James' novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" hit shelves, it became a cultural phenomenon. Women everywhere were enticed by the dark and brooding Christian Grey as he preyed on clumsy Anna, luring her into his titillating world of BDSM.

But critics weren't so captivated. One critic at The Telegraph said, "creepy doesn't even begin to cover it," describing the writing as "

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's' Stone" by J.K. Rowling

In 1997, an unknown writer named Joanne Rowling published the first novel in a seven-part series: "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's' Stone." Twenty years later, the series has sold 500 million copies and become one of the most profitable franchises in history. While the beloved character Harry Potter is widely embraced today, critics weren't that impressed with the world Rowling created.

The Guardian said that the first book has a "pedestrian, ungrammatical prose style, which has left me with a headache and a sense of a wasted opportunity." The review goes on to to read, "Her characters, unlike life's, are all black-and-white. Her story-lines are predictable, the suspense minimal, the sentimentality cloying every page."

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal published an article titled "Can 35 million book buyers be wrong? Yes." In it, the critic describes the book as "not well written" and writes, "One can reasonably doubt that 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' is going to prove a classic of children's literature."

"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch" is a bestseller that won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, yet was poorly received by some critics. The story follows a 13-year-old boy whose entire world changes when his mother is killed in a terrorist attack during a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

New Yorker critic James Wood said the book's "tone, language, and story belongs to children's literature." Meanwhile, The Paris Review said that the book consists of overused clichés, writing that "nowadays, even The New York Times Book Review is afraid to say when a popular book is crap."

"Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

"Catcher in The Rye" by J.D. Salinger is one of the most beloved novels among high schoolers because it accurately portrays teen angst and rebellion. When the book was first released in the '50s though, critics weren't as interested in the novel as youngsters are today.

At the time of its release, The New Republic wrote that the book is "disappointing," drawing specific problems with the protagonist, Holden Caufield, writing, "there is too much of him." The review goes on to read, "

due to concerns of profanity, obscenity, and the fact that some felt the plot is "centered around negative activity."

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

When "The Great Gatsby" was released in 1925, the book was perceived as anything but great. F. Scott Fitzgerald's now-famous novel tells the story of a man who will do just about anything to earn the attention of a former lover. With a dazzling backdrop of the roaring '20s, "The Great Gatsby" has been considered a work of great American literature and even sparked a recent Hollywood movie of the same name, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

But critics weren't impressed when it was first published. The Chicago Tribune called the book "unimportant," and said it should be cast out of the famous Fitzgerald canon. The Evening World said it was "painfully forced" and "a valiant effort to be ironical."

"On the Road" by Jack Kerouac

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn

"Gone Girl" helped put Gillian Flynn on the map after the novel became a bestseller and successful Hollywood movie starring Ben Affleck. Audiences gravitated towards the seemingly simple plot about a husband who is dealing with his wife's disappearance while all fingers are pointed at him. But nothing is as it seems in this suspenseful thriller.

However, critics don't love the book as much as most readers do. For example, Book Forum's Mary Gaitskill said she was repulsed by the title itself. "I found it as

"The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown

Dan Brown's breakthrough novel "The Da Vinci Code" was not only a bestseller, but it also became a cultural juggernaut. The story follows Brown's famous protagonist, Robert Langdon, as he unravels a mystery centuries in the making. The book became extremely controversial as it challenges the Catholic church and the story of Jesus Christ. The Vatican even called for a boycott.

Critics weren't kind to the novel either, taking issue mostly with Brown's conversational writing style. The BBC wrote that the novel was

Stephen King said the novel was the "mental equivalent of Kraft macaroni and cheese." Novelist Salman Rushdie said it was a "novel

"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara

While some are hailing "A Little Life" as the "the great gay novel" and a literary achievement, others are questioning the book as a piece of literature. The book follows a group of boys who meet in college and grow up to be struggling adults. The lengthy novel tackles subjects of race, sexual abuse, sexual orientation, and friendship.

One critic at the New York Review of Books wrote, "t

"Freedom" by Jonathan Franzen

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

Although "The Handmaid's Tale" was released in 1986, the past couple of years have revived a new interest in the novel after Hulu turned it into an Emmy-award winning TV show. Set in a world where women have no power or say in politics, the novel acts as a cautionary tale and a fearful symbol for what could happen under the wrong leadership.

Critics originally didn't see the same importance in the novel as readers do today. The New York Times wrote that the book "is powerless to scare." The review goes on to accuse the book of being "ordinary" and "unpardonable." Likewise, Time Magazine wrote, "Nineteen Eighty-Four' and 'Brave New World.'"

"Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

"Slaughterhouse-Five" is widely considered one of Kurt Vonnegut's best and most successful works. Known for turning the American novel on its head, Vonnegut focused this sci-fi story on an alien/soldier's journey through war. While readers devour the novel for its irony and sarcasm, critics don't love its brashness.

The New Yorker wrote that the book had "short, flat sentences," that the "deliberate

"The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson

Although Stieg Larsson's novel "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" skyrocketed to the bestseller's list and inspired a mildly successful movie of the same name, critics weren't so receptive to the crime and action novel.

The New York Times called the book "improbable," and said it will not "

15 bestselling books that readers love but critics hate

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