poppyshake Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Just resurrecting this .. see if we have anything to add I have one title .. The Ambassador by Henry James .. a struggle and ultimately an unrewarding one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 What a great thread to resurrect I can't believe how many of you have listed The Lovely Bones. I really enjoyed it when I read it... Two that I would never recommend:The Alchemist - Paul Coelho Agreed! I'd like to add The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. It's got to be one of the dullest books I've ever finished. I kept waiting for something to happen and then realised that everything I'd been told in the first few pages was pretty much it. Talk about a major let-down! I could've written this post myself. So that's Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 To my previous list of The Alchemist and Black Beauty, I'll add the Maze Runner trilogy. And I noticed that elsewhere in this thread I commented on someone else's mention of the Left Behind series. I'll formally add that to my list too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 (edited) To my previous list of The Alchemist and Black Beauty, I'll add the Maze Runner trilogy. And I noticed that elsewhere in this thread I commented on someone else's mention of the Left Behind series. I'll formally add that to my list too. I have this image of you having not only commented on someone else's mention of LB, but giving it as your own, prior to that. But I might be wrong! Edit: Ah yes, here it is. Edited March 10, 2015 by frankie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 What a great thread to resurrect I can't believe how many of you have listed The Lovely Bones. I really enjoyed it when I read it... Agreed! I could've written this post myself. So that's Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark YES!!! I knew you would save me from having to think of the torture that was Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 YES!!! I knew you would save me from having to think of the torture that was Tess of the d'Urbervilles. That book holds a very special place in my heart... The memory of the book that I've regretted reading the most Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I loved Tess! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I loved Tess! And I love this forum and how we have such different opinions about books, and we're still able and willing to converse with each other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 Indeed! I loved The Mayor of Casterbridge too - I need to read Far from the Madding Crowd at some stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I have this image of you having not only commented on someone else's mention of LB, but giving it as your own, prior to that. But I might be wrong! Edit: Ah yes, here it is. Thanks for proving me wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted March 10, 2015 Share Posted March 10, 2015 I loved Tess too Janet. I would NOT recommend The Mill on the Floss. To anyone. Ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Indeed! I loved The Mayor of Casterbridge too - I need to read Far from the Madding Crowd at some stage. I remember that. Your review made me add the Mayor on my wishlist Thanks for proving me wrong. I didn't prove you wrong! I just reminded you of something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I would definitely not recommend Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and read back in the days when I finished every book I started, so I read all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I would recommend Captain Corelli .. and his Mandolin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I thought Far From the Madding Crowd was distinctly average The New York Trilogy by Paul Auster Catcher in the Rye (ugh!) Can't think of any more just at this moment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoyd Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 (edited) Interesting to see this thread resurrected, especially as my contribution was fairly late on, so popped up quite quickly when reading through. It has changed a bit: 1. Justine by Laurence Durrell. Probably the rest of the Alexandria Quartet as well, but couldn't get past the first one. Just felt so pretentious and totally overblown. 2. The Homecoming by Bernhard Schlink OK to start, it completely lost it in the second half. Just about finished, but goodness know why. 3. Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl Complete drivel. Skim read the last half or so, as wanted to check whether I was on the right lines. I was, it was that obvious. 4. Da Vinci Code and Deception Point by Dan Brown. Read the second, just to see if it could be as bad as the first. It was. 5. Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Being, as a child, rather similar physiologically to Piggy, and having had to suffer this as a class reader in my early teens (the teacher being under the mistaken impression that a book about children was a children's book), I grew to hate this book with an intensity bordering on mania. I hate it so badly, I almost feel the need to try it again, just to see if I might have grown out of it. Yet to gird my loins! I so want to include Jacqueline Wilson in that list, but as that's more to do with work (teaching) and children's literature, I'll leave that be! 1-4 would still stand, as would my dislike of Jacqueline Wilson's work. I did go back and read Lord of the Flies, and definitely have to remove it, as it proved that it was an adult rather than children's book! I'd replace it with Hermann Koch's The Dinner - a nasty piece with unrelentingly vile characters. That may have been the point, but it was an exercise in sheer tedium in having to read it for my book group. I'd add my name to the The Lovely Bones haters, whilst I'd strongly disagree with those rejecting Thomas Hardy, especially Far From The Madding Crowd, which I loved, much to my surprise. I can oh so see why Kay includes Henry James here: I've so tried to get into his books, but failed miserably. I don't dislike them though, just can't get on with them (there is a difference!). It's interesting to see how many books I love listed on this thread! Edited March 12, 2015 by willoyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 1-4 would still stand, as would my dislike of Jacqueline Wilson's work. I did go back and read Lord of the Flies, and definitely have to remove it, as it proved that it was an adult rather than children's book! Out of curiosity, would you mind telling me about your dislike for Wilson's work? I recently read a couple of her books and liked some and less liked others. Or if you're explained it somewhere at an earlier time, feel free to link me to that post. I've never really thought about any books I wouldn't recommend.. I have read some bad books that I really disliked, but usually I tend to forget about them if it's been years (mainly library loans). Out of the books I own there are a couple that I really didn't like, but that's not to say someone else wouldn't like them if they were interested in the type of story. I'd have to think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexi Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Oh yes, I will add my name to The Dinner. Horrendous piece of work. I'm still not sure why I finished it! Interesting to read your thoughts on The Lord of The Flies Willoyd. I was also subjected to it in school, and it was read to me in entirety by an English teacher with a thoroughly annoying voice that apparently didn't trust us to read even a chapter unsupervised! Ugh. She actually gave me a loathing of English, one of my best subjects, and I gave it up at the age of 16. Maybe I should now go and reread it and see if my opinion might change! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian. Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 It struck me earlier today that I would include Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis to my list. I didn't like American Psycho but I decided to give him another shot with another one of his more popular books and I hated it even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Willoyd, I'm impressed you could face reading the second of the Dan Brown books … it was bad enough reading the first! I only read The Da Vinci Code because it was a book group choice, otherwise I'd never have picked it up, and even if I had, I'd have thrown it down after a few pages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Probably sounds stereotypical, but I would say Twilight. I gave up after sixty pages and stopped reading it trying to figure out what all the hype was about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 Ooh, also just remembered The Casual Vacancy by J.K.Rowling. Hugely disappointed. I did genuinely block out the fact that she was the author of Harry Potter (my all-time favourite), but this book was probably the most boring thing I've ever read. I gave up half way through, giving up hope that something was ever going to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lau_Lou Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I find it interesting to see books people disliked as well as those they loved These are 5 I didn't get on with The Devil Wears Prada Love the film. Disliked the book. Andy has a lot of growing up to do Fangirl I paid full price for this £7 99 I think and it's one of the worst purchases I have ever made Lord Of The Flies Sense & Sensibilty If You could See Me Now I have read four books by Ceceila Ahern and three I have rated 5 stars. She is one of my favourite authors with most of her novels on my to read shelf but this is one of the worst books I have ever read. The storyline was just boring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legogirl Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 I'm not sure I could think of 5. As some others have said, I rately finish them if I don't like them: 1. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. Good god it was dull. I managed to persevere but it was hard going. Felt like nothing actually happened. 2. Lord of the Ring trilogy. I understand why so many people love it, but it was just so loooong! Cutting out the songs and tedious descriptions would have done wonders. 3. The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. Completely unreadable. I managed about 1/4 of it before I had to give up. I'll come back to 4 and 5! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madeleine Posted September 5, 2016 Share Posted September 5, 2016 HI Legogirl, I totally agree with you about Mr Whicher, I gave up after about 120 pages! I agree that LOTR could do with a few less songs, I think I skipped them when I re-read it about 10 years ago, and the 3rd book is a bit heavygoing, but I still like it. I have JS and Mr N on my tbr pile....somewhere! Enjoyed the TV series though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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