Kreader Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I just personally couldn't enjoy; Pride and Predudice The last Harry Potter book Quote
BookJumper Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 (edited) The first five that spring to mind are: "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco: dull, pretentious (and I'm usually a fan of pretentiousness! but Umby takes it to a whole new dimension), did I mention dull? Might well be the only film that actually improved on its book. "The Time Machine" by H.G. Wells. I absolutely adored "War of the Worlds", which is at least five times as long - but then, those were hundreds of pages where things happened. By contrast, this very slim volume is nonexistent in contents. It took me three months of summer holidays to read... that's about a page a day before throwing the book down in dispair and dismay. "The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" by Stephen Donaldson: featuring the most unlikeable, ungrateful, useless so-called hero in the history of literature. Don't harbour, as I did, the hope that an illuminating epiphany will happen if you just bear with it one more page/volume; it doesn't. Any "Harry Potter" between vol. 5 and the end: for me, the magic quite simply died at the end of "The Goblet of Fire". I didn't even bother with the last few chapters of 5, the second half of 6 and most of 7 - this was no longer the world which had captured me; and to think I waited so long for 5 to come out. In terms of expectations, possibly the worst literary let-down of my life. "Twilight": I apologise in advance to all twilighters here, but... I found this so predictable, unbelievable (the clumsy new girl in town desired by every boy in school? did this woman ever go to high school?!) and badly-written I could not persuade myself to trudge beyond page 120. I might have tried to ignore the writing had the plot gripped me, but I found the characters too soppy/two-dimensional and the romance too sudden/devoid of any real foundation/chemistry to make me care. Edited June 22, 2009 by BookJumper Quote
Pablo Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 I've got to admit that I have read The Silmarilion, and although I wouldn't recommend it, I can't say that I found it that bad. I think it looses a lot of readers due to the fact that it reads like a history lesson. I would like to add Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon to the unreadable pile though. I have now tried three times to read that book and, as before, I've gotten lost within the first fifty pages. What the _____ is going on in there Tom?! Hogfather by Terry Pratchett is the only book I've ever thrown in a bucket in disgust, and although I used to be a huge Elmore Leonard fan I left Bandits on a plane. I think it's far more annoying when a book is bad due to the amount of time you invest in it before you realise this fact. Quote
paperplane Posted June 22, 2009 Posted June 22, 2009 Valley of the Dolls - Jaqueline Sussan By the end of it I felt like slapping each character for being so stupid. Cujo - Stephen King Waffled on right from the start, the kid was far to whiney and annoying. Quote
Scarlette Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I really disliked The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone. Yes, I know it's a classic and all that, but it bored me to death. I really had to trick myself into pretending to enjoy it. So, that's one I will never recommend to anyone else. Quote
Freewheeling Andy Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I would like to add Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon to the unreadable pile though. I have now tried three times to read that book and, as before, I've gotten lost within the first fifty pages. What the _____ is going on in there Tom?! I don't think I'd ever recommend Pynchon to anyone. I've read two of his - but not Gravity's Rainbow. I loved them both, but they both took me months and months to read, and they were hard, hard work, and not really books I'd think other people should read, or would necessarily enjoy. Quote
sadya Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 While growing up I had more disappointing reads than now. Only a few books which I really liked in those days, are still in my mind. From later years, these are some books which I wouldn't recommend to read, in no particular order: 'The Awakening' by Kate Chopin 'The Bad Mother's Handbook' by Kate Long 'Lady Chatterly's Lover' by D.H. Lawrence 'Across the River and into the trees' by E. Hemingway 'The Red and the Black' by H.B. Stendhall I can't say this is my top 5, because there are more which I can't think of now and it's difficult to decide which was worse for me. They weren't really bad, in fact, some of them were written very well. Just not my taste I guess. Quote
poppy Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I have to agree with you on Lady Chatterly's Lover, sadya. I couldn't make myself read past pg 40, the husband was such a pompous, long-winded, snobbish bore that I nearly threw the book across the room :motz:Maybe I should have given it a bit more of a chance, but I doubt I will. Quote
sadya Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 (edited) I gave it a chance and finished it, but it wasn't worth the effort. I hated that husband of hers, just couldn't feel sorry for him. Edited June 23, 2009 by sadya Quote
Echo Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I don't know anyone who's read 10 pages of Silmarillion who'd recommend it. It's legendarily unreadable. I've actually read it a few times and it's one of my all-time favorites. But then, I'm a fanatical Tolkien nerd. But really, once you get past the first few chapters, the writing loosens up quite a bit. I thought of another book I wouldn't recommend: On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I couldn't finish it, and he seems to copy a lot of Hemingway's style...badly. I'm willing to try another one of his, though. Quote
sadya Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I like Tolkien too. I'm not fanatical though. Silmarillion was my favorite Tolkien book. Also liked 'Dorian Gray' a lot, in fact, it's one of my favourite books. A few people in this thread had it in their top 5. It's so interesting to read what everyone likes and dislikes and compare that to what you like and dislike. Quote
SueK Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I don't know that I have got 5 books but the ones that spring to mind that I really didn't enjoy were: Pig Island - Mo Hayder. Thoroughly tasteless with unlikeable characters and a stupid ending. Sword of God by Kris Kusnezki. Abysmal writing and a boring conspiracy theory. Da Vinci Code - for the same reasons as above. Me and Mr D'arcy - can't remember the author but a very silly story. I'm sure there is a fifth but can't think of it at the moment. Quote
Rosalind Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 Me and Mr D'arcy - can't remember the author but a very silly story. Wasn't that by Alexandra Potter?? If you didn't like that one don't start Who's that girl by the same author. I liked them by the way. Quote
Suzanna Addison Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I don't know anyone who's read 10 pages of Silmarillion who'd recommend it. It's legendarily unreadable. Now you do! Strangely I preferred the Silmarrillion to the trilogy - but then I'm awkward like that! Quote
Peacefield Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 The only one that comes to mind right now while I'm in my caffeine-riddled state is The Third Secret by Steve Berry. While I enjoyed this book as I read along, the ending made me want to scream and throw it in the wood-chipper! Honestly, the ending was so ridiculous I felt really bad for having wasted my time on the whole book. Quote
Readwine Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I think that the opinion of whether a book receives our individual recommendation depends heavily on the mood we were in at the time we read the book. Of course, storyline, characterization, style, author, etc. are very important, but I think reading mood also weighs heavily on our recommendation criteria. I, for one, HATED the following, but made myself keep reading until the end in the hope that my deep desire to "throw them in the wood-chipper" would be appeased: The Secret History by Donna Tartt Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl Does anyone else think "mood" is paramount in recommending a book? Quote
Freewheeling Andy Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I, for one, HATED the following, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell -- Madness. Madness! This is crazy. The men in white coats are coming for you now. Quote
Peacefield Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I, for one, HATED the following, but made myself keep reading until the end in the hope that my deep desire to "throw them in the wood-chipper" would be appeased: The Secret History by Donna Tartt Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl Does anyone else think "mood" is paramount in recommending a book? I'm not quite sure on the mood thing, Readwine, at least for me. It usually takes me quite a long time to read a book, and my moods don't drag on. Who knows though - I may be completely out of it, since 2 of your 3 hated books are probably some of my favorite books I've ever read! Quote
Janet Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I, for one, HATED the following, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell That's odd - if asked I'd have said this was one of your favourites. I wonder why I thought that?! Quote
Readwine Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 since 2 of your 3 hated books are probably some of my favorite books I've ever read! Peacefield, this is exactly what I mean. I heard such great things about these books (Cloud Atlas even won the British Book Award) and I found them so bad. Maybe I was just not in the "mood" to read them when I did. Or maybe I just have have really bad taste in books Quote
Kylie Posted June 23, 2009 Posted June 23, 2009 I thought of another book I wouldn't recommend: On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I couldn't finish it, and he seems to copy a lot of Hemingway's style...badly. I'm willing to try another one of his, though. I really enjoyed On the Road, but I've not yet read any Hemingway. If you're willing to try another, might I suggest The Town and the City? It's one of his earliest works and, as such, is written in a completely different style (more 'normal' ). I thought it was a brilliant read, and very atmospheric. I, for one, HATED the following, Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell -- Madness. Madness! This is crazy. The men in white coats are coming for you now. I hadn't scrolled down all the way and missed that the first two lines were a quote. I couldn't understand it at first, because I was sure you had loved Cloud Atlas! Quote
Readwine Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Madness. Madness! This is crazy. The men in white coats are coming for you now. They're coming to take me away, HAHA. They are coming to take me away:eek2: Quote
Peacefield Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Peacefield, this is exactly what I mean. I heard such great things about these books (Cloud Atlas even won the British Book Award) and I found them so bad. Maybe I was just not in the "mood" to read them when I did. Or maybe I just have have really bad taste in books Noooo you're not crazy! We just have different taste, see . I didn't read Cloud Atlas, but I LOVED 'Dante Club' and 'The Secret History.' I've read both of them multiple times in fact. Ah well, what can you do?! Quote
sadya Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 Now you do! Strangely I preferred the Silmarrillion to the trilogy - but then I'm awkward like that! Same here. Quote
Janet Posted June 24, 2009 Posted June 24, 2009 That's odd - if asked I'd have said this was one of your favourites. I wonder why I thought that?! I hadn't scrolled down all the way and missed that the first two lines were a quote. I couldn't understand it at first, because I was sure you had loved Cloud Atlas! I thought he loved it too. Perhaps it's others by that author he likes? Quote
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