SFU: I'm sorry, but I don't like....

[Officer_Friendly]

There are books considered seminal/must read or at the least Important. With January being Old Mans War a lot of Forever War comparisons are coming out.
I'm sorry; but I don't like the Forever War.
I didn't enjoy it and found the storyline disjointed and jarring. This has made me a little reticent to get into Old Mans War, but what the hell it's only $6 for my Kindle.
What books are YOU supposed to like, but don't?...

[Paul]

A very good question. I was pretty unmoved by Catcher In The Rye. Holden Caulfield just annoyed me. I loathed Interview With the Vampire, I actually couldn't finish it - in fact it was the book that made me decide that life is too short for bad books. I find Larry Niven pretty much unreadable - I struggled through Ringworld but gave up on Rainbow Mars.

[Phil]

The Wheel of Time series. I quit after the third book as it was taking too long to resolve anything.
The Chronicles of Amber series. It was number 2 on a list of 100 best science fiction and fantasy books and I just didn't find it that interesting.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Political screed.
The Da Vinci Code. It was an excuse to put some word puzzles in book form.

[Paul]

I despised Catcher in the Rye, Coehlo's The Alchemist, Twilight of course (well to be honest most Urban fantasy written by women I can't stomach). I can't get through Charles Dickens, I just can't stand anything i've tried to read from him. Though I love Hemingway for his personal story I never enjoyed his works.

[Paul]

Paul wrote: "I despised Catcher in the Rye, Coehlo's The Alchemist, Twilight of course (well to be honest most Urban fantasy written by women I can't stomach). I can't get through Charles Dickens, I just can't ..."

I didn't include The Alchemist as that seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it book. Complete pseudo religious new-age drivel.

[Kim]

I couldn't stand A Wrinkle in Time. I kept hearing it was a must read sci-fi/fantasy book and I thought it was rubbish.

I also didn't think too much of A Canticle for Leibowitz or the Liveship Trader books by Robin Hobb.

[Kevin]

As many people know me I'm not a big fan of Patrick Rothfuss, John Scalzi, Scott Lynch or Jim Butcher's epic fantasy series.

[Mel (booksandsundry)]

Tolkien, can't stand his books. I enjoyed the movies but LotR was a painful read for me.

[Katie]

Completely lemmed One Hundred Years of Solitude, as much as my Dad's and my taste usually intersects I just didn't get The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever, never really dug Charles Dickens and couldn't get more than a few pages into Wuthering Heights. Also hated The Darkness that Comes Before and although I still might give the book a chance, can I throw in that I absolutely despise the movie of Gone With the Wind and guess what my Mother-in-law bought me for Christmas.......
For those mentioning The Catcher in the Rye that is actually my very least favorite of Salinger, I adore his other stuff but Catcher didn't do it for me the same way Franny and Zooey did.

[Rob, Roberator]

Kevin wrote: "As many people know me I'm not a big fan of Patrick Rothfuss, John Scalzi, Scott Lynch or Jim Butcher's epic fantasy series."

Why are we friends again? ^_^

[Joël]

I've tried the sword of truth 2 times. both times I couldn't finish it, while everyone says I should realy love it.

Then there's the deathgate cycle which I loved about 10 years back, but couldn't stomach when I reread it last year.

Last but not least, I'm Dutch and most fellow country fantasy readers love the books written by Tais Teng. But I realy get a creepy, crawly, cringing feeling when reading his work.

[Kevin]

On the other hand, I'm unlike most where I love Thomas Covenant, Sword of Truth, and every Orson Scott Card book published before Shadow of the Giant, including Shadow of the Giant.

[Meghan]

I don't enjoy Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. I also struggled through Ringworld, and pretty much can't stand anything by Neal Stephenson.

[Kevin]

Alex wrote: "The Warded Man by Peter V Brett. Just couldn't get into it.

Also most of the Hugo nominees last year... Among Others, Embassytown, etc."

I also could not get into Embassytown because of in part due to the language.

[Jim]

I have a list about as long as my arm of literature assignments that everyone thinks I am supposed to like. I don't like The sword of shanananana. I didn't like Flatland at all.

[Dawn]

Totally agree with Catcher in the Rye actually I want to know who liked that book??

The Trial" by Franz Kafka color me stupid because I just did not get it, seemed like a lot of questions with no answers and it seemed like a draft copy but I hear that is part of the charm whatever I will read Metamorphosis before I decide if it is him or not.

Clockwork Orange ugg really teenage boys who have zero grasp of the english language like to steal, beat up people and rape women ahh thrilling. Personally I am proud I finished the book...I did sleep through the movie my lit teacher thought the book was fabulous.

[Doug]

I could never make any headway in Foucault's Pendulum. Too dense (me or the book!) And I agree many times over about Catcher in the Rye. Holden's a whiny little creep. If I were his taxi driver, winter or not, I'd have told him, "Out of my cab. NOW."

[Firstname]

Excellent question:
The first few books of Sword of Shannara were ok, but after that *yawn*. Really don't like Hemingway or Steinbeck. Liked Covenant, didn't like Gap. I respect what Neal Stephenson is doing, I just don't want to have to read the results. Currently I'm tired of vampires, werewolves, the paranormal, and space operas written as soap operas...which I suppose applies to the non-Herbert Dune books, which I do like. Yes, everyone else hates them.

Catcher in the Rye is an interesting problem. I think if it isn't read by about age 14, don't bother. Given the long conversation about Pern, I would recommend the same for that series too.