Source link : https://las-vegas-news.com/12-novels-that-were-hated-at-first-but-are-now-considered-masterpieces/
There’s something oddly satisfying about watching critics eat their words. Some of the most celebrated books on your shelf were once torn apart by reviewers who thought they knew better. These novels faced harsh criticism, public outrage, and even legal battles when they first appeared. Yet today, they’re studied in universities, adapted into films, and ranked among the greatest literary achievements of all time. The journey from despised to revered says as much about society as it does about the books themselves. Let’s dive into twelve novels that proved their doubters spectacularly wrong.
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville (1851)
When Melville published this sprawling tale about Captain Ahab’s obsessive hunt for a white whale, critics absolutely savaged it. The book sold fewer than 3,500 copies during Melville’s lifetime, and reviewers called it “ridiculous” and “absurd.” Many readers couldn’t stand the lengthy digressions about whale anatomy and maritime history that interrupted the narrative. The novel was considered such a commercial disaster that Melville pretty much gave up writing fiction altogether. It wasn’t until the 1920s that scholars rediscovered the book and recognized its profound exploration of obsession, fate, and humanity’s relationship with nature. Now it’s taught in nearly every American literature course and considered one of the greatest American novels ever…
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Author : Matthias Binder
Publish date : 2026-01-05 12:13:00
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