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Books from must-read lists that are just awful!
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Great question. For me, I've tried James Joyce a few times and I can't do it. I've tried Ulysses abd The Portrait.... and quit pretty quickly. His stuff is consistently near the top of best of all time lists. Also, Heart of Darkness and Moby Dick are two I had to quit. I would rather been swallowed by a whale.
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For me The Moviegoer. I truly felt like an idiot after finishing that one. I didn't get it and even five minutes after finishing it I would not have been able to explain to anyone what the book was about. Heart of Darkness is another--I don't know that the book is "bad" but it was very difficult for me to read and in the spirit of honesty I couldn't follow or understand anything that went on.
And (I might get flamed for this one) Pride and Prejudice. I didn't even make it halfway though that one. I have pondered trying again but haven't actually done so. Another entry on my list entitled "I don't get it."
Heart of Darkness was rough, but Apocalypse Now is a great movie!
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Don't take my word for it--I seem to be the only person on earth who cannot get into it! It has been many, many years since I tried so now that I'm older it might be different. I was about 20 or 21 when I picked that up...now I'm 36 so who knows. :)
Regarding P&P, if I were not such a fan of the film adaptations, I am not sure that I would have made it through the book. I love the story, but d**n, Ms. Austen used a whole lot of words to get the her point.Speaking of a whole lot of words, and I know I am on outside in this opinion, I could not finish The Lord of the Rings. To further make a target of myself, I decided to just let Mr. Jackson entertain me with his version of the story. Oddly, I loved The Hobbit, but then I first enjoyed it as a child.
Another for which I do not understand all of the love is that stupid Outlander series by Dianan Gabbadabbadingdong. The writing is just AWFUL. It appeared that some scenes were written for the sole purpose of demonstrating the author's historical research. Not to mention how much this authors likes to play the rape card. They're rapin' everybody up in here!
Matthew wrote: "I have been thinking that I should probably read Pride and Prejudice since it is on so many must read lists and lots of my Goodreads friends give it 5 Stars. But, now I don't know . . ."The problem with her writing is she goes on and on and on about the most boring things. I tried reading her other stuff and it was painful. I mean I was biting, scratching, punching, kicking, and screaming my way through it. It is just ok ladies gossip gossip gossip and oh should I marry, I don't want to give up who I am and will play these childish games, maybe he will like me then.
I know her fans are going to come after me now but I tell you this, there was no toilet paper or wet wipes during that time. You may have it. I will take my Frederick anytime.
Ha! I had someone highly recommend that Outlander series to me but she definitely doesn't know me very well. I never read it because the setting does not interest me even if the general subject of time travel might. And she did tell me a bit about the story and yep--she mentioned rape of both men and women several times and I was like ooooookay. :P
Ah, so there are at least a few of us who aren't into Austen. Good to know. :)
I like time travel, but I don't the author quite understands the concept of time travel paradox, at all. Big negative for me.
The book that is a boring fest for me and I just can't read it is North and South. It's slow as molasses and mind numbing boring. As to why it's on the 1001 list I have no clue.
Don't get me wrong, I actually consider myself an Austen fan. I like the stories and I believe she was mocking the role of women in her time. She just uses WAYYYYY too many words!!! In all of her books. All of the time.
I loved the first North and South book but the second one I kinda halted on. Not sure when I'll pick that back up. Some of reading that may be nostalgia for me since I watched that mini-series with my mom when I was ten years old or so, so there is a connection for me.
Valerie wrote: "Regarding P&P, if I were not such a fan of the film adaptations, I am not sure that I would have made it through the book. I love the story, but d**n, Ms. Austen used a whole lot of words to get t..."I'm partially with you. While I actually really like the Outlander series and P&P, I couldn't get into Lord of the Rings, even though I really loved The Hobbit. I keep thinking I'll maybe give it another try eventually, I'm not sure I actually will.
I read outlander and the three following books when I was in high school. I enjoyed it then. I loved it. I have been rereading them and I am very disappointed by them. I have to say life experiences have a lot to do with it. I don't think I can carry on in them. I just can't stand it. In my Vaginal Fantasy group there was a discussion about story of o and 50sog. One lady was saying why does story of o upset you about this when in outlander there is accepted rape. She made a great point about that. Of course the lady she was talking didn't understand it and was upset her beloved outlander was talked about poorly.
Age and life experience definitely has an effect. The girl who recommended Outlander is at least a decade younger than I am.
So I read the first few chapters of Pride and Prejudice and was surprised I actually enjoyed it. I just skimmed through it at a used bookstore and put it back. I sound probably read more female authors so maybe I'll go back to it soon.
I fall into the 'decade younger' category lol, but honestly, I just want to find and smack that woman who was offended by not everyone loving Outlander. People have different likes and dislikes, and I can certainly see the perspective of someone not liking it.
Brittney wrote: "I fall into the 'decade younger' category lol, but honestly, I just want to find and smack that woman who was offended by not everyone loving Outlander. People have different likes and dislikes, an..."Exactly, just because I may not like it doesn't mean that someone that does is better or worse. That is the wonderful thing about having so many options. I enjoy many books the majority of people don't like. I don't mind it at all. There are books I want to punt kick across the room or scream to people don't read it! Most people enjoy those books. Just not me at that time.
Atonement is a great example of that. I can't stand it but the majority of people love it. Another book that boils my blood is orange is the new black. After some discussions with books I have even changed my view or felt stronger for the way I felt.
Not only age and life experiences have a effect on the books you read but so does the mood you are in, or at least it I for me.
One book I really lil but was very different to read was Naked Lunch oh, what a painful book but a powerful message.
I have never quite understood those who get angry when someone doesn't like what they like or calling people names if they dislike a book that they love, as if it's a personal affront to them.I didn't like "It" and boy hidy, did I get a couple of really nasty comments over that one--people saying I'm too immature for it and that I simply don't have the "constitution" to appreciate such a novel and whatnot. Wow.
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Sometimes we can joke with each other about not liking a book because we all know we are kidding each other (except Justin really is stoopid for not liking The Martian ;))
To each his own, I say!
I'm in the same boat with Atonement. I've given it a try a couple of times, but I have a hard time making it very far. I have a rule with myself that if I can make it to page 50 for a book with less than 300 pages, or page 100 for a book with more than 300, and it hasn't capture me by that point, I'll put it down with no regrets. Atonement is one of those books I completely shattered that rule for. I couldn't get into it. I think I even gave the movie a try once, and didn't make it very far in that either lol.
Matthew wrote: "I have seen some people called names on other book groups because they didn't like a book. One time I saw someone told that they would not be able to provide decent commentary on Stephen King book..."Exactly!
I have a really difficult time giving up on a book. Even if I really don't like it. I feel like the book won. :(It is rare I will list a book as abandoned. Even if I can't stand it I will try to push through it. Call it pride, stubborn, or idiotic. It is just me. Once I finish a book I don't like I feel like like there should be a celebration and I am so happy to say I read it and i hated. :P
Well now I want to check out Atonement!! lol
RachelvlehcaR wrote: "I have a really difficult time giving up on a book. Even if I really don't like it. I feel like the book won. :(It is rare I will list a book as abandoned. Even if I can't stand it I will try t..."
I used to be like this. The older I get, the more I realize that I will never have time to read every book that I hope to read. So, I've gotten better at putting a book down.
By the way, if you all do not love every book that I love, then you are clearly all a bunch of *****.
(just kidding. clearly I am the *****)
I really didn't like Lord of the Rings either. Everyone always thinks I'm crazy when I admit it, but I thought the series was so boring!
Valerie, I am not too far off from you age wise. If anything the older I get the more my snobby side comes out. I know I am a books snob, wine snob, beer snob, and music snob. Okay, so I am sugarcoating it, it more of my bitchy side coming out. If I am not interested in a book I will not touch it. If I want to read it I will even if it's painful. I view is I need to read the book to bash it. :PEmily, for Lotr I grew up reading them and loved them. She the movies were popular I didn't want to touch them. That's my snobby side right there. I have been rereading them and I still love them. I know many People that can't stand the books because they find them boring. I like the dialogue. Then again I can read books a lot of people find boring. Just not north and south and i am still working on war and peace. Oh that war and peace. Why can the war scenes be like song of fire and ice. :P
Rachel, in some ways we may just be soul sisters. I have some of those very same snob labels, my SO says I just need to remove the "beer", "wine", "movie", etc and be honest that I am a snob.After being hounded for years about the Twicrap books, I finished all of them so I could bash them in detail to those friends who would not accept that they were not my cup of tea.
Valerie wrote: "Rachel, in some ways we may just be soul sisters. I have some of those very same snob labels, my SO says I just need to remove the "beer", "wine", "movie", etc and be honest that I am a snob.Aft..."
LOL. We just might be.
Ouch, you read all of them? I don't know how you did it. I am near the area it was written about. My small city was mentioned a lot in the book and everything she said in is was wrong.
I laughed when she was about to be raped by the college guys in town. I am like oh you mean the sweet Japanese foreign exchange students, yeah that's going to happen. Also there is no way a local will walk from the downtown movie house to McDonald's. It's way to far. If anything she'd hit the 24 hour Safeway lil everyone else does. What a joke of a book. Also I love how she claims there is no good Mexican food in Forks. The town is made up mostly of Mexicans. It is the place to get good Mexican food. The crazy in our city was a nightmare. There were tour boats that would dock and people would go to all the places Bella went to. Then in Forks the only good thing was that it finally brought in a little diversity. People would pay a lot for those crappy tours.
I could only stomach up to the third book. I have the fourth, I just will never read it. As for the movies, i only saw the first one to da nope, no more.
I HATE, detest, and loath Atonement. That book is one of the biggest pieces of shit I've ever read. 50 Shades of WTF is on this list for me as well. And Twilight.
I read North and South but didn't enjoy it as much as the mini series. Then again, Richard Armitage.
I also can't get into Pride and Prejudice but I want to give it one more shot.
A Tale of Two Cities bores the crap out of me. I just finished A Clockwork Orange and I regret it. I love that movie so much but the book is horrible.
I now have a rule: all books get roughly 100 pages for me to get into it before I quit it. I have too much to read without wasting my time on crap. The only book I broke that rule for so far is Red Rising by Pierce Brown and only because a GR friend begged me to keep reading. Now I'm waiting for the second book to come to me at the library.
Brittney wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Regarding P&P, if I were not such a fan of the film adaptations, I am not sure that I would have made it through the book. I love the story, but d**n, Ms. Austen used a whole lot o..."For Fellowship of the Ring, read up until they get to Tom's place and then skip all of that. It's pointless and really has no purpose. It's kind of Tolkein's version of the bread chapter in Les Mis.
Heather, I have to admit that I gave up during the Tom Bombadil part. I wanted to punch him in the throat. So, you are saying that if I just skip that part, then I should be able to make it through? I've also considered trying to give it another shot via audio book.
Ok, since we've been chatting about differences of opinion regarding books, and how some people get a little crazy. Yesterday, I almost posted my pet peeve that I think often kicks off the crazy. Then last night in another group someone did the VERY thing that I irritates me. Queue the rant in 3...2...1...WHY in frak does anyone think it would be less than insulting to respond to someone's comments with something along the lines of, "You missed the point" or "You just don't get the author," etc and likewise???
They could just as easy say, "You big dumb crack head. You clearly are not intelligent enough to breathe, let alone read this book. Fortunately, my superior intellect allows me to grasp subtle nuances that escape your plebeian grasp of the world. Here, try this picture book, maybe it is more your speed."
Now, had the same comment been phrased more along the lines of, "I took the author's meaning to be XXX" or "I thought xxxx about that," you know, express that they had a different opinion. Not a problem.
Just don't insult my intelligence. M'kay?
**END RANT**
Thank you for indulging my outburst.
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Ha! Yes! If you ever catch me doing that, feel free to give me a virtual smack!
LOL. I have felt that way. Or, before I take your book suggestion, what are your favorite books so I know if your recommendation is an indication that I should avoid this book at all costs. :D
Pretty much. I have the audio versions but haven't listened to them. At this point, I can't imagine the characters in other voices but the actors.
Reading List Completists
Books mentioned in this topic
North and South (other topics)The Lord of the Rings (other topics)
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again (other topics)
Outlander (other topics)
The Name of the Rose (other topics)
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What books have have you seen on must read lists that you are not happy you read?
For me it was The Name of the Rose and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Both of these were highly recommended, highly spoken of, and were on many must read lists, and both were extremely painful for me to read!