Books That You Detested

[Becomingme]

Gizzard wrote: "Whether you like Love in the Time of Cholera probably depends on whether you believe that unrequi..."

Gizzard, I think how and where you grew up may have a difference...I have not read any of Marquez's books, but I LOVED

Like Water for Chocolate, I have both the spanish and english versions...same with The House of the Spirits(I have both versions). From what I understand, Marquez is similar in that they are considered Magical Realism...which, if you are into things that are more real, you'll probably dislike it...but I get it...I think vanilla is the finest of the flavours...but some like chocolate better (I used to hate chocolate as a child)...and don't get me started on Liver...blech...but my mom LOVES the stuff! ;-D

[Karin]

The Almost Moon

I loved The Lovely Bones and Lucky, reread both more than once, and couldn't wait for another Sebold book, so I didn't take the reviews to heart when it did come, and I regretted it, couldn't get through it any further than the first 1/4 of the book or so, it was just so disturbing and felt wrong. I Bookcrossed it. Ironically, out of the 8 or so books I bookcrossed (most of which I did like but wasn't going to reread), this is the only one that ever surfaced. I'm still hoping for a good new Sebold but I won't go blindingly buying books from a certain author anymore.

[Cate (The Professional Fangirl)]

This one:

. Why? http://wp.me/p1CKWU-70

[Lauren]

The Metamorphosisby Kafka. Absolutely awful.

[Cate (The Professional Fangirl)]

Lauren wrote: "The Metamorphosisby Kafka. Absolutely awful."

LOL I had to read this for school. Cliff notes!

[Sherin]

A Fine Balance.

I've to tell you that it has nothing to do with the author or the style of writing.

(view spoiler)[ And it has everything to do with the sadistic end. :p (hide spoiler)]

I felt a good many hours of my life were merely wasted.

[Priya]

Sherin wrote: "A Fine Balance.

I've to tell you that it has nothing to do with the author or the style of writing.

[spoilers removed]

I felt a good many hours of my life were merely wasted."

Oh, its a matter of taste, I think. This is a book I read at one sitting.The message, plot and language all came together for me.

[[deleted user]]

Two books that I disliked and would never recommend: The Bird Sisters and She's Come Undone. Depressing and pathetic female characters...

[Allison]

White Oleander

[Sherin]

Priya wrote: "Sherin wrote: "A Fine Balance.
I've to tell you that it has nothing to do with the author or the style of writing.
[spoilers removed]
I felt a good many hours of my life were merely ..."

I know.. It's a favourite of many people.. :)

[Lauren]

Cate wrote: "Lauren wrote: "The Metamorphosisby Kafka. Absolutely awful."

LOL I had to read this for school. Cliff notes!"

It was so awful. I read it in high school, barely finished it, and have never touched it again. Completely ruined me wanting to read Kafka since.

[Cate (The Professional Fangirl)]

^ It's a clear example that "classic" doesn't always mean "good".

[Cate (The Professional Fangirl)]

lol.

[L]

I liked The Da Vinci Code a lot, so I tried to read Angels and Demons. I thought the story got so ridiculous I think I literally threw it down with only about 50 pages left. I've never done that before. I refuse to finish that book.

[Anna]

I love Jodi Picoult except The Tenth Circle

The comics were interesting I just detested every person in the book!

[Lauren]

Lauren wrote: "Cate wrote: "Lauren wrote: "The Metamorphosisby Kafka. Absolutely awful."

LOL I had to read this for school. Cliff notes!"

It was so awful. I read it in high school, barely finishe..."

I've been wanting to read some more of Kafka's work and see if it was just Metamorphosis that I didn't like or if he doesn't live up to the hype. I love German literature though, and am learning to speak and read German these past few years so hopefully I can get into him.

[[deleted user]]

So many books I've disliked, I've tossed them out. And some were by leading names and authors I've previously enjoyed. To be fair, sometimes a writer produces a true work of the heart, and it strikes a cord. But truth is, maybe all their creative emotion went into that particular story - and yet the publishers, riding on a success wave, will force more out of that author who then produces a work of pure slog and pressure. There are also authors who don't like to formula write and will change their story and their style. And that, often and unfortunately, irritates their fans.

[Cassie]

I chose to read Summer of My German Soldier for a project in a Literature for Adolescents class, and I absolutely hated it. I found the abuse perpetrated against the main character (a 12 year old girl) by her father absolutely stomach churning. There was no sexual abuse--everything shown in the novel was physical abuse, but it was just so excessively violent that I couldn't concentrate on the story. The father would just appear and start beating her--in public, in private, wherever. It made me hate the story, and seemed to totally distract from the plot line with the German soldier. I was very glad when that project was over.

[Shelli]

I enjoyed reading this thread....I agree with others that I find it interesting what people's likes and dislikes are...I moderate another group here and have had to deal with people who feel bad or get upset that a book they loved got "trashed." I feel that as long as people are respectful, people have the right to say how they feel about a book...good or bad...loved it or hated it. How boring if everyone felt the same all the time. I have one book that I can use the word "detest" with:
Eat, Pray, Love
....others that I did not like include:
The Almost Moon
Room
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
The Poisonwood Bible
Mudbound
Books that other people loved so I read them and they were just ok at best for me:
Wuthering Heights
Slammerkin
Sarah's Key

[Irene]

Shelli, Could not agree more. In fact, I often find conversations with differing opinions, whether on books or politics or religion or social situations, the most enlightening, if conducted with mutual respect. When someone holds a radically different view of a book from mine, I go back and rethink my view. Maybe there was something about the book that I overlooked or did not understand or whatever. My opinion may not change, but it may be clarified. That is one thing that I so appreciate about this group. I have never found anyone disagreeing in a disrespectful manner. And, I have never had anyone indicate that a differing view was not acceptable. So, thank you Ladies for all the great conversations.

[Michelle]

Allison wrote: "White Oleander"

Wow, really? That is one of my all-time favorites, lol.

Also, I *loved* The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I've been raving on about how I intended to read it for "Banned Books Week"!

Then again, I just finished A Discovery of Witches and didn't like it at all. But I had a large number of people recommend it to me.

[Elizabeth (Alaska)]

The participants in the classics group will not be surprised to see me adding Gulliver's Travels as my contribution to this thread. I haven't yet written my review, but it won't be nice.

[Shelli]

Michelle wrote: "Allison wrote: "White Oleander"

Wow, really? That is one of my all-time favorites, lol.

Also, I *loved* The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I've been raving on about how I i..."

Michelle....I almost listed A Discovery of Witches as one that people loved that was just ok!!! I read it in August....parts of it I really enjoyed...other parts I really didn't. I didn't like the main witch character at all...but I really enjoyed the vampires.....I felt like the author couldn't decide if she wanted the book to be more like
The Historian or Twilight !!! I felt jostled back and forth between two kinds of books!!

[Michelle]

Michelle....I almost listed A Discovery of Witches as one that people loved that was just ok!!! I read it in August....parts of it I really enjoyed...other parts I really didn't. I didn't like the main witch character at all...but I really enjoyed the vampires.....I felt like the author couldn't decide if she wanted the book to be more like

Yay!! I am no longer alone, lol.