I hated it in the way that you hate something that you know is objectively very good, and which you also are just not enjoying on any level at all. I’ve run into this before, though thankfully not often — Requiem For A Dream, which is an incredible movie that I never ever want to see again; a lot of modern instrumental jazz; at least one of the previous “classics” I’ve read (Heart of Darkness). The Trial’s story is well-written, the plot expertly set, the prose beautifully translated (the translator’s note was the highlight of the book for me, and I am not joking even a little bit), and also the whole thing was a completely miserable slog from the very first page.