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Worst book you had to read?
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Trelawn
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Apr 20, 2014 10:37AM
As book lovers we usually discuss books we enjoy but everyone has books they dislike because they had to study them for school/college. Under different circumstances you might have enjoyed them, alas :-) For me it's a tie between William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Doris Lessing's the Grass is Singing. I know both are highly regarded by many but I freely admit I hate them both. What's yours?
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How did you dislike Lord of the Flies. love that book. For me theres a few standouts.AS Byatt The Children's book was simply awful. Over descriptive flowery language covering a boring story. Also hated The Great Gatsby. None of the characters were interesting enough to bother with. Recent dislikes were the Casual Vacancy. painful to read Jk trying to be over controversial. book was just tasteless and tactless. Loved everything else she's done bit it was a pain.
I live Jospeh Conrad as well.Heart of darkness was a dark book but I enjoyed it. this would be boring if we all agreed though
I've never read any Conrad. Might have to now to make up my own mind :-)
Heart of Darkness is the best book by a French speaking pole in English. But I do agree. they are quite make books.
Thank you :-) I agree there are some books that are more boy or girl books. The worst books I have read in recent years were the Twilight series. Oh where to begin with how bad they are?
The Casual Vacancy is the only Rowling book I've read, and I didn't think it was much good at all. It has put me off attempting any of her others works, to be honest.
I haven't read Casual Vacancy but the Harry Potter series is phenomonally good.
It reflects nothing of her other works. It was her trying to break away from the children's side of things. don't avoid the Harry Potter books on the back if the Casual Vacancy as they are some if the most imaginative books you'll read
I fear I won't be reading the Harry Potter series anyway: it's not really my scene.Another book I vehemently disliked is The Secret Life of Bees. I read it in January and I thought it would never end.
Love The Great Gatsby. The Grass is Singing and Heart of Darkness are both on my TBR list - eek!
I think one book most Irish people would put on the list is 'Peig' - the biography of Peig Sayers. Apparently, she was quite a feisty and fascinating woman in her own right but the book was sanitised by her family ad the church so that her life story read like a litany of very boring whinging suitable for inclusion in the Irish school curriculum. I think this particular book turned more people of Irish than anything else I know (why they could possibly that this was suitable reading material for 13 to 17 year old boys must be a story in itself!). It'd be nice if one day they released an unsanitised version.
Ah Peig. We were fortunate enough to do scoth scealta instead. So much better.@Emma. I cannot imagine any reader where Harry Potter is not their thing to be honest with you. I'd freely recommend it to anyone and every reader should at least try it. Quick look at your read list shows you read Coraline. If that's your thing then so us the world of Harry Potter.
Thankfully I sas never made to read that Brian :-) I had to read An Triail instead, now that was painful. @ Emma The Grass is Singing was , for me, a horrendously monotonous and repetitive read. Mary and Dick are two of the worst characters ever inflicted on literature. But form your own opinion and get back to us :-)
I remember being at Peig's grave and there is an actually dent in it. I don't know whether it is because it has collapsed slightly, or from the many students who danced on it after going through that awful book
A little bit from column a and a little from column b i'd day Seraphina :-)
@seraphina. I nearly woke the child laughing at that.
Brilliant, Seraphina!. Are you sure you didn't put it there yourself! :)
Trelawn wrote: "Thankfully I sas never made to read that Brian :-) I had to read An Triail instead, now that was painful. @ Emma The Grass is Singing was , for me, a horrendously monotonous and repetitive read. Ma..."Never read An Triail myself, Trelawn. I must admit the cover was a bit off putting (looked like the publisher had asked his five year old offspring to design it). I think after Peig I wasn't really ready to try any of the 'classics'. Maybe we should suggest it for one of the Monthly reads :)
Seraphina wrote: "I did add a little foot stamp :)"Lol!
@ Brian while I enjoy the occasional moment of evil genius I don't think I could knowingly inflict that book on anyone :-) so bad, so very bad.
@ Emma while so many things irk me about Twilight; the writing style, the sketchy plot, the repeated references to Wuthering Heights etc what really gets me is the thought that a generation of young girls are reading it and thinking that Bella's destructive devotion to Edward is what love is. Is fosters such an unhealthy view of relationships that it actually makes my teeth hurt.
If you want to read a list of bad books, you should try Declan's shelf of Books I wouldn't wipe my arse with. I laugh just reading it.I have to agree with Paul. Harry Potter was a great series and well written. Not only that, it brought a generation of young people to try reading. I also like Lord of the Flies. I think it's the way the way the world lives. Just look at Survivor to see a modern day version of it.
Is Cuckoo's Calling any good. Have many read it.My copy remains unopened
I have to say, I'm surprised to see that Lord of the Flies is mentioned here a couple of times. It was the first book I read that made me think that there really were 'books for boys,' and not just books for kids or adults. It was the first book I read that made me think 'Wow!'
I terms of terrible books I've read, The Field by Kevin Maher was particularly rubbish. I found no redeeming aspect to the book whatsoever. There have been other books which were saved from 1* ratings by the standard of writing but were otherwise sh!te. The Forgotten Walt is one and Broken Harbour is another.
Actually, just remembering Broken Harbour is annoying me. I think it's about to get the wipe... treatment.
@Paul. We read Cuckoo's Calling as a group read, and the overall opinion was that it was good. I reall enjoyed it for the two main characters, Comoran and Robin.
I terms of terrible books I've read, The Field by Kevin Maher was particularly rubbish. I found no redeeming aspect to the book whatsoever. There have been other books which were saved from 1* ratings by the standard of writing but were otherwise sh!te. The Forgotten Walt is one and Broken Harbour is another.
Actually, just remembering Broken Harbour is annoying me. I think it's about to get the wipe... treatment.
@Paul. We read Cuckoo's Calling as a group read, and the overall opinion was that it was good. I reall enjoyed it for the two main characters, Comoran and Robin.
Cheers I just noticed the threads so I'll have a peak. Bought it but haven't read it., Casual Vacancy based nerves possibly. Read the blurb for The Field in a book shop and it put me right off. Glad it did from the sounds of it.
I first came across Lord of the Flies when I was ten. We were on holidays in the Isle of Man and my brother and I were sharing a room we were told had been used by Alan Hansen in the pastWe fought over the room but decided to share it and on the second night we watched the English film if Lord of The Flies and I was suitably impressed. loved the book when I read it a few years later as well.
Defunitely one for the boys I think . Possibly The Yorkie Bar of Literature
Re Lord of the Flies, if you boys want to claim it for yourselves go right ahead. I'll even throw in the Goonies for free :-)
And you can keep Marian Keyes, Maeve Binchy and Stephenie Meyer. I like to keep Rowling in the middle, though. My brother and sister both loved her stories. That's pretty rare.
I don't read Maeve Binchy, I've been known to laugh out loud at a few Marian Keyes i.e. Watermelon but I most certainly don't want Stephanie "why don't you love me Edward?" Meyers :-)
@ Emma I am proud to say I've never even held a copy of Fifty Shades of whatever. The closest I have been was hearing a few lines of it on Top Gear and that was enough.
You lot can have Jackie Collins then and be happy with it. We'll Keep Anne Mccaffery cos boys love Dragons
50 Sheds is some top notch writing though.
@ Jamie Lynn I'll check those out. I read a review of Gabriel's Inferno the other day and I nearly chocked laughing. It was one of the funniest and most scathing reviews I've ever read.
Can't imagine she's too many male readers
I heard that E.L James sold half of all books sold last year (or maybe it was 2012). If that's true my faith in humanity has just taken a big hit.
Most sales were to casual and one off readers though I'd assume. still sad
That is quite a depressing statistic.
This is what a dunce I am. I had no idea who E. L. James was and had to look it up. I am now red. I wouldn't even waste it by wiping my arse with it. Icky.I beg you, Paul, don't give me Jackie Collins. I liked the Lord of the Flies. Otherwise I'll have to give you Harold Robbins.
You're not a dunce Susan, the word in blissfully ignorant :-)
I wouldn't wish Harold Robbins on my worst enemy. At least some women seem to like Lord of The Flies
I've walked out of book Shops that have had massive prominent displays inside the entrance of 50 Shades. it says a lot about there general target audience.
I can't believe it either, Paul. It's a real book. I love the line about taking his boots off. I know the feeling well when I take my bra off. Such relief!
Susan wrote: "I can't believe it either, Paul. It's a real book. I love the line about taking his boots off. I know the feeling well when I take my bra off. Such relief!"Fifty Sheds 1 & 2, are hilarious. And there are a couple of websites that have analysed Fifty Shades bit by bit, adding their own comments, and they're hysterical too.
I know Maeve Binchy and other women's fic writers aren't everyone's cup of tea, but at least they are pretty well written. I say that because it's my genre, and I think - hope - I can say that my writing is of a decent standard even if it's not likely to win prizes. :)
I agree with you Isabella ,I have no problem with anything that's well written even if its not my thing. There are many books I wont read as they don't interest me but that doesn't make them poor books. Bad writing on the other hand I cant forgive. Nothing worse than a good idea poorly written
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