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Books you thought were awful
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I recognise that this sort of thing is always highly subjective, but what book did you read that you really disliked, and why?
The Power by Naomi Alderman. I really, really wanted to like this book and on paper (no pun intended) it should have been right up my street, and I loved the premiss...but...it was SO badly written.
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Moby Dick was the biggest pile of blubber.
Read the first 2 chapters of that one that was written by the 12 year old boy...50 Shades of something or other.
Used to be a fan of Stephen King but haven't read anything he has written since he turned the last couple of books of the Dark Tower into a vanity project and personal revenge on his critics pile of poo. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I recognise that this sort of thing is always highly subjective, but what book did you read that you really disliked, and why?
The Power by Naomi Alderman. I really, really wanted to like this book and on paper (no pun intended) it should have been right up my street, and I loved the premiss...but...it was SO badly written.
"
I disagree *so* strongly - the prose in that novel is amazing. Fabulous novel - but I dislike loads of novels that are supposed to be brilliant so you do you! |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"I recognise that this sort of thing is always highly subjective, but what book did you read that you really disliked, and why?
The Power by Naomi Alderman. I really, really wanted to like this book and on paper (no pun intended) it should have been right up my street, and I loved the premiss...but...it was SO badly written.
"
Oh I really liked that one!
Hated the magpie murders  |
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The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. It was book of the month in my reading group years ago and it's the only one where I couldn't join in the discussion because I couldn't force myself to finish it.
I read about half and just couldn't get any further, even though it really bothers me that I haven't finished it. |
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I wouldnt say there are any books Ive hated, but definitely been disapointed by books based on what Id heard about them. A few classics I struggled with are Anna Karenina, Moby Dick, and Crime and Punishment. I also just didnt get what all the hype about The Bell Jar is. X  |
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"I wouldnt say there are any books Ive hated, but definitely been disapointed by books based on what Id heard about them. A few classics I struggled with are Anna Karenina, Moby Dick, and Crime and Punishment. I also just didnt get what all the hype about The Bell Jar is. X "
Anna Karenina destroyed me. Destroyed me & reinvented me. I get a rage whenever I think of it. I’m still unsure if I hated it or loved it, but I was definitely affected by it. Not an easy read in a million different ways.
The bell jar is absolute tripe though!! |
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By *rder66Man
over a year ago
Tatooine |
Graham Hancock: Supernatural.
He has some great ideas and the doc he did on Netflix was great but, this book could have easily been edited into about a quater of the size. Some great debate within the book but a lot of needless details, especialy at the start. |
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To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee.
It’s the only book I’ve ever left unfinished. I started to read it because I’d heard it is a literary classic and I’m a sucker for a good story. But I’m not exaggerating when I say, it bored me to sleep multiple times so I eff’d it off  |
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"To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee.
It’s the only book I’ve ever left unfinished. I started to read it because I’d heard it is a literary classic and I’m a sucker for a good story. But I’m not exaggerating when I say, it bored me to sleep multiple times so I eff’d it off "
Most people had to read that because it was a GCSE set text.
When I see it listed as anyone's favourite book in these threads, I often wonder if it is the only novel they have read.
We used to hire the 16mm film so that the pupils who weren't natural readers knew the story when it came to the exam. |
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"Catch22 and Catcher in the Rye.
Both supposed literary classics. Neither are for me.
B"
The exact two I was going to say. I wanted so much to love these books but I couldn't finish either of them |
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"The Bible
The Koran "
Have you read it? I've read the Bible back to back and parts of the Koran. What was awful about the Koran specifically?
For me Life of Pi and The Alchemist. It's beyond me why these are so popular. |
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Anything by Thomas Hardy. I've yet to find anything by him that doesn't make me rankle at wasting my time reading it.
I think that period of writing, where the stories are essentially about the painful mundane (Zola is in that group too) is just not for me. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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Catcher in the rye. Really didn't like Holden caulfield.
Jane Eyre. Didn't even finish it despite it being my GCSE reading.
I needed a summer hol to nail catch 22. It wasn't one I could dip in and out of.
Did anyone who was involved in anything close to kink enjoy shades of grey? |
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"
"To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee.
It’s the only book I’ve ever left unfinished. I started to read it because I’d heard it is a literary classic and I’m a sucker for a good story. But I’m not exaggerating when I say, it bored me to sleep multiple times so I eff’d it off "
Most people had to read that because it was a GCSE set text.
When I see it listed as anyone's favourite book in these threads, I often wonder if it is the only novel they have read.
We used to hire the 16mm film so that the pupils who weren't natural readers knew the story when it came to the exam."
Oh damn, I’m glad we never had to study that in school I’d of never passed English haha!
We had to read Great Expectations and Of Mice and Men for ours, and I actually really enjoyed the latter  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I thought the Song of Ice & Fire novels were crap. They needed huge amounts of editing, with most of the Bran chapters just begging to be left on the cutting room floor.
"Who has a better story than Bran?"
Everyone, Tyrion, you fucking dick. |
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"To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee.
It’s the only book I’ve ever left unfinished. I started to read it because I’d heard it is a literary classic and I’m a sucker for a good story. But I’m not exaggerating when I say, it bored me to sleep multiple times so I eff’d it off "
Most people had to read that because it was a GCSE set text.
When I see it listed as anyone's favourite book in these threads, I often wonder if it is the only novel they have read.
We used to hire the 16mm film so that the pupils who weren't natural readers knew the story when it came to the exam.
Oh damn, I’m glad we never had to study that in school I’d of never passed English haha!
We had to read Great Expectations and Of Mice and Men for ours, and I actually really enjoyed the latter "
This.... I know plenty of people that don't read but one book they did enjoy from their school days was Of Mice and Men. Makes me sad we're no longer allowed to teach it  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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The Wolf Of Wall Street.
I pretty much hated Jordan Belfort the whole way through the book and not just cause he seems unrepentant about what he did. He just came across as an arrogant prick.
One of the few times I'll say I enjoyed the movie more than the book  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"The Bible
The Koran
Have you read it? I've read the Bible back to back and parts of the Koran. What was awful about the Koran specifically?
For me Life of Pi and The Alchemist. It's beyond me why these are so popular. "
I just struggled to like a book that promotes a paedophile and promotes hatred blindly |
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Catch 22..bored me senseless. I felt like I was a psychoanalyst and Yossarian was sitting on the couch droning on and on about his trials and tribulations. Endlessly. Non-stop. By the start of Chapter 2, I shot him.
Catcher In The Rye. Heard it was a literary classic. Did not resonate with me at all.
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"To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee.
It’s the only book I’ve ever left unfinished. I started to read it because I’d heard it is a literary classic and I’m a sucker for a good story. But I’m not exaggerating when I say, it bored me to sleep multiple times so I eff’d it off "
Most people had to read that because it was a GCSE set text.
When I see it listed as anyone's favourite book in these threads, I often wonder if it is the only novel they have read.
We used to hire the 16mm film so that the pupils who weren't natural readers knew the story when it came to the exam."
Had to read that for my GCSE coursework. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as Tess Of The D'urbervilles, which was the other we had to do.
XX |
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"Anything by Shakespeare is just dull"
Agreed, not a fan of anything Shakespeare tbh… although if it wasn’t for him, we probably wouldn’t be speaking the version of modern English we speak today hahaha, every cloud! |
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1974 by Dave Pearce.
The murderer is set at the top of my Mum's street, the girl who is killed would have been in my year at school. I should have loved that book.
I could hardly finish it, very stylised writing, very jumpy style.
I hated it |
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I think people who diss the Bible and the Koran fail to appreciate the comfort that they both bring to believers in each of the faiths, religion isn't for me but if it helps others to get through what can be a very hard life then good for them. |
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"I think people who diss the Bible and the Koran fail to appreciate the comfort that they both bring to believers in each of the faiths, religion isn't for me but if it helps others to get through what can be a very hard life then good for them."
If we dismiss all the genocide, defenses of child abuse and so on. |
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"I think people who diss the Bible and the Koran fail to appreciate the comfort that they both bring to believers in each of the faiths, religion isn't for me but if it helps others to get through what can be a very hard life then good for them.
If we dismiss all the genocide, defenses of child abuse and so on. "
Genocide and child abuse isn't confined to religion, both are carried out on a daily basis by non believers in religion. |
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"I think people who diss the Bible and the Koran fail to appreciate the comfort that they both bring to believers in each of the faiths, religion isn't for me but if it helps others to get through what can be a very hard life then good for them.
If we dismiss all the genocide, defenses of child abuse and so on.
Genocide and child abuse isn't confined to religion, both are carried out on a daily basis by non believers in religion."
Nothing I said denies that. Yet the holy books you mention explicitly defend such things. Should we still celebrate them because they bring comfort to some? |
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"I think people who diss the Bible and the Koran fail to appreciate the comfort that they both bring to believers in each of the faiths, religion isn't for me but if it helps others to get through what can be a very hard life then good for them.
If we dismiss all the genocide, defenses of child abuse and so on.
Genocide and child abuse isn't confined to religion,
both are carried out on a daily basis by non believers in religion.
Nothing I said denies that. Yet the holy books you mention explicitly defend such things. Should we still celebrate them because they bring comfort to some?"
They are both religious writings of nearly two thousand years ago, I don't think that many believers follow either book word for word,
They are both open to interpretation, and I should think that most realise that.
If it brings comfort then so be it. |
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"They are both religious writings of nearly two thousand years ago, I don't think that many believers follow either book word for word."
Literally MILLIONS of people follow them word for word.
The fact people find comfort in them doesn't mean we should not openly and consistently denounce such writings. |
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By *avinaTVTV/TS
over a year ago
Transsexual Transylvania |
Lord Foul's Bane by Stephen Donaldson.
"Comparable to Tolkien at his best", the blurb read. I absolutely adore Tolkien. This book was, in fact, comparable; it just compared extremely unfavourably. Poorly realised characters, especially the main one, who worked neither as a hero or an anti-hero. Overwritten, yet curiously lacking in meaningful and engaging description. A narrative that was boring and didn't hold your attention or capture your imagination. I loathed it, and have never read any Donaldson since. |
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"They are both religious writings of nearly two thousand years ago, I don't think that many believers follow either book word for word.
Literally MILLIONS of people follow them word for word.
The fact people find comfort in them doesn't mean we should not openly and consistently denounce such writings. "
People find comfort in the swinging lifestyle.....should it not also be openly and consistently denounced in the same way then?
Each to their own |
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By *avinaTVTV/TS
over a year ago
Transsexual Transylvania |
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad.
Populated by obscene characters, to no real end, this book also suffered from a crushingly tedious plot that unfolded at a snail's pace. Conrad is considered one of the English language's great modern novelists, and indeed Heart of Darkness is exceptional. But this was unpleasant drudge. I did not like it.
See also, Conrad's novel Victory. I hold similar negative views of this work. |
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"The fact people find comfort in them doesn't mean we should not openly and consistently denounce such writings.
People find comfort in the swinging lifestyle.....should it not also be openly and consistently denounced in the same way then?"
I never denounced Christianity (which is the only analogy that makes sense of your reference to a swinging lifestyle). However, if we were discussing some of the classic swinger texts (e.g. 'How to be a Swinger,' 'Insatiable Wives' or 'Ethical Sluts') and they justified genocide and child abuse then yes, I'd say we should denounce such texts.
This thread was about books and I was specifically replying to your comment about someone's comment on a book. Let's keep the discussion on such books, rather than any associated lifestyles. |
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This thread is right up my street!
The power has just been turned into a tv series just released on prime. It’s on my list I’ve not tried the book yet, but yes the premise appeals.
Shakespeare I firmly believe should not be read, they’re plays! Go see them performed or see a film adaptation. Not all will appeal to you but he wrote so many one is bound to.
Never read tolkien which a certain ex lecturer I know would be shocked & horrified by.
Stephen king I love.
50 shades of shite can fuck right off! Downloaded a sample and even just in terms of writing “quality” is just dire!
Heart of darkness I totally agree with just really really boring!
DH Lawrence I adore.
The bible - not religious but so many of our cultural stories come from this and other religious texts. Raised Christian, keep meaning to read other texts. Yes hugely problematic in terms of certain content but that isn’t a reason to dismiss them out of hand. Very much of their time and I’m not a fan of cancel culture anyway, to learn and move forward from our mistakes we cannot deny them.
Dickens I love.
Catcher in the rye I LOVED but it does tend to be rather marmite.
Thomas Hardy - cannot STAND him as a novelist, love him as a poet.
Jane eyre and Brontë sisters I love.
Of mice and men I LOVED.
That comment made me think of Death of a salesman as read/studied them both at the same time. If anyone loved the latter I highly recommend the film Glengarry Glen Ross.
“Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
It's full of spelling mistakes. They really should have sacked the proof reader.”
Lmao! Damn straight!!
Finnegans wake - many consider was a deliberate “fuck you” to literary critics and theorists, hence why it took so long to write and is damn near impossible to read! The Dubliners is much more accessible and a favourite of mine, I will make it through Ulysses one day dammit!
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"This thread is right up my street!
The power has just been turned into a tv series just released on prime. It’s on my list I’ve not tried the book yet, but yes the premise appeals. "
Oh, the teenage girls with the power?
I was presuming it was a redo of the great graphic novels!
Re the rest of your post, I adore Billy Shakes, but I don't get why it's not first translated. I wasted half an A Level essentially interpreting texts from a foreign language.
Weird waste of time! |
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By *avinaTVTV/TS
over a year ago
Transsexual Transylvania |
I absolutely love Shakespeare, I've read most of his plays. I have to agree with the earlier posts that suggest he shouldn't be read - not initially, anyway. To get a decent sense of the dialogue, his plays should be seen; that's when they come alive. |
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"This thread is right up my street!
The power has just been turned into a tv series just released on prime. It’s on my list I’ve not tried the book yet, but yes the premise appeals.
Oh, the teenage girls with the power?
I was presuming it was a redo of the great graphic novels!
Re the rest of your post, I adore Billy Shakes, but I don't get why it's not first translated. I wasted half an A Level essentially interpreting texts from a foreign language.
Weird waste of time!"
Your teacher would probably say it’s because translations are rarely accurate and you would miss out on the richness of certain passages and phrases shakes wrote.
And yes it’s the teen lightening girls one. |
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By *an1978Woman
over a year ago
GONE/TIMEOUT (No DMs please) |
Room by Emma Donoghue
(Fritzl type situation, a child born in captivity to a teenage girl)
First half readable, second half ridiculous, as if written in an afternoon with no thought for the characters.
So frustrating as I hate leaving a book unfinished so had to force myself through it. |
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"To kill a mockingbird - Harper Lee.
It’s the only book I’ve ever left unfinished. I started to read it because I’d heard it is a literary classic and I’m a sucker for a good story. But I’m not exaggerating when I say, it bored me to sleep multiple times so I eff’d it off "
Most people had to read that because it was a GCSE set text.
When I see it listed as anyone's favourite book in these threads, I often wonder if it is the only novel they have read.
We used to hire the 16mm film so that the pupils who weren't natural readers knew the story when it came to the exam.
Had to read that for my GCSE coursework. It wasn't anywhere near as bad as Tess Of The D'urbervilles, which was the other we had to do.
XX"
We used to hire the Polanski film of Tess, for the same purpose.
At the time I really fancied Nastassja Kinski (as in that role) but she changed into someone of no further appeal to me. |
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I hated The Great Gatsby.
I couldn't like any of the characters, who to my mind were very one dimensional.
I read the whole book, waiting for something to happen....it didn't Nothing that I cared two hoots about anyway  |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"They are both religious writings of nearly two thousand years ago, I don't think that many believers follow either book word for word"
The Koran is 1300 years old.
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"And yes it’s the teen lightening girls one.
Thanks. I look fwd to that now! "
The book is exceptionally good. I don't have access to Prime so can't watch the series but I've heard good things. |
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"Catch22 and Catcher in the Rye.
Both supposed literary classics. Neither are for me.
B"
Catch 22 in my top 10 best, could hardly suppress the giggles reading it on the train years ago.
Catcher in the rye I completely agree with you there |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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I never read it but lots of my friends at school were forced to read Z for Zachary for English coursework and to this day they say it’s the worst book ever |
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"Flowers in The Attic.I didn't want to read it but I spent several days in the hold of a ship and had nothing else to do.It was quite a surreal experience!
Mike"
I LOVE these books and “My Sweet Audrina” very dark disturbing subject matter (esp when you learn flowers in the attic inspired by a true story) but the original author NOT the posthumous ghost writer finished ones they are a mess!
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"I never read it but lots of my friends at school were forced to read Z for Zachary for English coursework and to this day they say it’s the worst book ever "
I had to read it at school and also saw the film, I think books forced on people are often hated. I absolutely loved this, I also loved walkbaout and the silver sword which were also required school reading. |
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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
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"Flowers in The Attic.I didn't want to read it but I spent several days in the hold of a ship and had nothing else to do.It was quite a surreal experience!
Mike"
Aw I loved that series  |
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"This thread is right up my street!
The power has just been turned into a tv series just released on prime. It’s on my list I’ve not tried the book yet, but yes the premise appeals.
Shakespeare I firmly believe should not be read, they’re plays! Go see them performed or see a film adaptation. Not all will appeal to you but he wrote so many one is bound to.
Never read tolkien which a certain ex lecturer I know would be shocked & horrified by.
Stephen king I love.
50 shades of shite can fuck right off! Downloaded a sample and even just in terms of writing “quality” is just dire!
Heart of darkness I totally agree with just really really boring!
DH Lawrence I adore.
The bible - not religious but so many of our cultural stories come from this and other religious texts. Raised Christian, keep meaning to read other texts. Yes hugely problematic in terms of certain content but that isn’t a reason to dismiss them out of hand. Very much of their time and I’m not a fan of cancel culture anyway, to learn and move forward from our mistakes we cannot deny them.
Dickens I love.
Catcher in the rye I LOVED but it does tend to be rather marmite.
Thomas Hardy - cannot STAND him as a novelist, love him as a poet.
Jane eyre and Brontë sisters I love.
Of mice and men I LOVED.
That comment made me think of Death of a salesman as read/studied them both at the same time. If anyone loved the latter I highly recommend the film Glengarry Glen Ross.
“Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
It's full of spelling mistakes. They really should have sacked the proof reader.”
Lmao! Damn straight!!
Finnegans wake - many consider was a deliberate “fuck you” to literary critics and theorists, hence why it took so long to write and is damn near impossible to read! The Dubliners is much more accessible and a favourite of mine, I will make it through Ulysses one day dammit!
"
As I understand it, and most likely you are aware, but Hardy only wrote his novels to support the poetry. Shows for me. |
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