10 successful books whose authors regretted writing them

Every writer's dream is to write a bestseller, or perhaps even a bestseller that will be turned into a blockbuster movie. Surely any person would like the fruits of his artistic labors to influence the lives of millions. After all, a book can truly change the reader and inspire him to good deeds. However, sometimes it happens completely differently, and authors begin to dislike the books that made them famous.

In 1997, Annie Proulx published a short story, Brokeback Mountain. It was made into a film in 2005, which won three Oscars and four Golden Globes. The film, the plot of which is based on the love story of two men, caused a flurry of contradictions and controversy. After the film was released, the writer began to be inundated with letters, mainly about the ending of her work. She was so tired of this that she once admitted:

Alan Moore is the author of several comic books that have become real hits. He worked at DC Comics when he published some of his most famous works, including Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell.

Moore parted ways with DC Comics in the late 1980s for several reasons, one of which was that he did not agree to put an age limit on his comics. He was furious when the publisher did not return the rights to his books, although they promised to do so.

After Moore was fired, DC Comics quietly continued to publish his comics. Moreover, when they started making films based on these comics, the writer did not take part in writing the scripts, and also refused any profits from the films. Moore has no plans to watch film adaptations of his comics and has asked that his name not be mentioned anywhere.

Norwegian writer Karl Ove Knausgård is the author of a fascinating six-part autobiographical novel called My Struggle. Although the book's events were initially stated to be fictional when the book debuted in 2009, upon publication it was stated that the novel was completely honest and truthful.

In 2012, the book was translated and published in English, after which critics considered it a true literary masterpiece. Knausgaard was universally praised for his unparalleled honesty and the way he described his life. As it turned out later, Knausgaard wrote about real people from his life and used real names.

After Karl Ove's novels were published, all his friends and family turned against him. Today, the writer really doesn’t like to talk about his book, because it makes him very depressed and reminds him that he has offended people close to him.

"Alice in Wonderland" has become a real cultural phenomenon. Although this tale was published in 1865, its popularity continues to this day. It's hard to believe that the man who created the magical world of wonders could ever hate him.

In 2015, a letter was published from Charles Dodgson, a real person who took the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. In it, he wrote in 1891 to his friend Mrs. Symonds that he very much regretted writing the book, because he hated and despised fame.

The Anarchist Cookbook was written in 1969 by William Powell, who opposed the Vietnam War. Essentially the book is a guide to murder and home-grown terrorism.

Many mass murderers and terrorists have stated that this book was an inspiration to them. As for William Powell himself, he now wants the book to be taken off the press. Unfortunately for him, the publisher who bought the rights to The Anarchist Cookbook in 2002 refuses to do so.

Stephen King is one of the most prolific and successful authors in the world. More than 350 million copies of his books have been sold. Fans of King know that the writer was also published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was under this pseudonym that the novel “Rage” was published in 1977.

The novel's protagonist takes his class hostage, kills one student and two teachers, and then attempts suicide. Over the next two decades, there were four school shootings in which the perpetrators said they were inspired by the Rage.

Unlike William Powell, Stephen King had the right to withdraw the book from publication, which he did. The writer said that he does not want his books to push psychologically unstable children into crime.

Peter Benchley is the author of the popular 1974 novel Jaws, which was made into a blockbuster film by Steven Spielberg a year later. Benchley really enjoyed the film based on his book, but was upset by the number of people who became afraid of water after watching it.

Benchley later became something of an expert on sharks and oceanography, defending these predators and regretting portraying them as vicious, merciless killers. Many of his subsequent books also described various horrors underwater. The last book he wrote in 2005 was called Shark Life. Benchley died a year later.

Virgil, who lived in 70-19. BC BC, best known for his poem "The Aeneid". This work is still studied by students today. Virgil was an educated man, and the future Roman emperor Octavian Augustus patronized him.

The poet began writing the Aeneid in 30 BC. e. When he fell ill and died in 19 BC. e., the poem was still unfinished. On his deathbed, he asked to burn the manuscript. Why Virgil wanted his masterpiece destroyed is unknown. He died, not wanting to share with the world the poem that made him immortal.

Elmore Leonard was an incredibly successful American author who received prominent awards such as the National Book Award and the Peabody Award. He died at the age of 87 in August 2013. By then, Elmore had written a total of 45 novels, most of which would later become Hollywood blockbusters and popular television shows, including Get Shorty, 3:10 to Yuma, and Judgment.

Leonard, who wrote many screenplays, was not shy to admit that he did it purely for the money, and in fact hated the whole process and the end results. He also hated literature - Leonard loved to write, but despised the world around him.

Winnie the Pooh is perhaps one of the most beloved characters in children's literature. The book's author, Alan Alexander Milne, originally wrote Winnie the Pooh as a dedication to his son. He even named the boy in the book after his son's name - Christopher Robin. The real Christopher Robin hated the fact that he was constantly associated with Winnie the Pooh. As a child, his peers constantly made fun of him.

Even in his adult life, when Christopher became a political cartoonist, he was constantly in the shadow of his famous father and Winnie the Pooh. Milne ultimately regretted writing the book himself, as he felt that the book overshadowed his other works.