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Top Ten Books to Avoid
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ScottK
(last edited Dec 28, 2008 11:59AM)
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Dec 17, 2008 07:51PM
Kevin I thought I would like Middlesex but I'm with you. I have tried to restart about 3 times , each to no avail. I did, however, enjoy Time Traveler's Wife.
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Susanna wrote: "The ones on my list are the ones I was forced to read in school - my policy since then is "don't finish a book you're not enjoying."The Old Man and the Sea - The book that made me stop reading Hemingway."
Sadness...I really enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea
I have to say The Shack. I can't believe how long it is taking me to read this book!! It's like torture. I feel the need to finish a book that I start, no matter how long it takes, but this book should have been done so quickly, it's not like it was a long book. I like the idea of the book, however there was so much in there that I totally disagreed with, just pick up the Bible for the truth! Sorry, I'll get off my soapbox and quit preaching. I also didn't care for Dive from Claussen's Pier : Ann Packer. I actually liked that Lifetime movie more than the book, which isn't saying much because the movie sucked.
I think I can probably come up with a few haha. I don't like not finishing books, even if I feel the plot is horrible I still would like to know how it ends. But there are more than a few that I just had to stop. Here's my list(in no particular order):1. Twilight series ~ I am a HUGE HP fan. I still enjoy re-reading them. I thought I would like Twilight as well. Not so much. The main issue I have with it is that millions of teenage girls are reading this love story and thinking that Edward's obsession and control over Bella is a healthy, romantic relationship. That to me is terrifying.
2. A Heart-breaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers ~ This is one of the books I've never finished. I just couldn't get through all of the pretension. His personality really turned me off.
3. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert ~ This was a pity-party that ran too long. And, I'm sorry, but when you're trying to make readers sympathetic to your situation but you have enough money to take off and go to Italy, India, and Indonesia for months and months, that does not summon up much empathy in me. I wanted to slap her and yell "Get over it!"
4. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby ~ The plot was strange, and I really couldn't connect with any of the characters. Plus, books that have F*** as every other word really, really bug me. It's just not necessary.
5. Anything by Nicholas Sparks ~ The first two I attempted I felt my IQ points dropping (not that there were many to begin with)
6. The Scarlet Letter ~ probably the most agonizing book I ever had to read for school. It was torturous, and my teacher spent almost an entire semester on it.
That's all I have for right now :)
Katie, a friend of mine had a book discussion about Eat, Pray, Love and though we quickly turned our attentions to board games, I remember that being a very large part of the opinions in the room. I honestly could not get through the book, despite all the hype. Oh well, a book is not for everyone.
Katie: 1. Twilight series ~ I am a HUGE HP fan. I still enjoy re-reading them. I thought I would like Twilight as well. Not so much. The main issue I have with it is that millions of teenage girls are reading this love story and thinking that Edward's obsession and control over Bella is a healthy, romantic relationship. That to me is terrifying.Exactly! Thank you. That's precisely why I dislike that series. If it was just the fact that it reads like poorly written fan fiction, I'd have no complaints. But it's the horrible relationship between Edward and Bella that drives me crazy. If a guy breaks into your house to watch you sleep, steals parts out of your car so that you can't go anywhere, constantly treats you like you're a child, and repeatedly tells you that part of him wants to rip your throat out, you don't respond with "OMG!!! I loooove you!!" You get a restraining order put on his arse.
The fact that this has become the role model relationship for so many young women really worries me. I can't believe some girls are breaking up with their boyfriends because they're not "Edward-like" enough.
Ilze: 2. "The Stranger" by Albert CamusI hated this when I read it in high school. This guy commits a crime and at his trial they bring up that he didn't cry at his mom's funeral. And the guy's lawyer didn't bother objecting for irrelavance. Existentialism at its worst.
I'm a fan of Camus but this still made me laugh. If anything, it's criminal defense at its worst. ;)
The Cider House Rules. I made it about 120 pages into this one, and about every 3rd page I was dropping off, and I rarely fall asleep while reading. I finally had to give up on it after what felt like an eternity of struggling and stapling my eyes open. I finally just had to admit that this book and I weren't communicating, and I was onto something else.
Jill:I can't believe some girls are breaking up with their boyfriends because they're not "Edward-like" enough.It's awful! I've actually heard that exact same thing said in my house when all of my sister's friends are over. My sister luckily has a good head on her shoulders (she enjoyed Twilight but did not get overly obsessed). But I've heard at least two of her friends say they wished their boyfriends were more like Edward. I'm not that far removed from the teenage set, I'm 25, but I didn't find any parts of those books romantic. Restraining order is right! LOL that's exactly what I would do!
Vicki, unfortunately I finished it. It was for a book club and I always feel bad when I don't finish someone elses selection. This one really pained me though lol
I actually thought of three more
7. Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare ~ I like most of Shakespeare's plays. I'm not obsessed or anything, but I do enjoy many of them, his comedies mostly. This was one of his earliest plays and it is full of gore, rape, and brutality. I had to read it for class and I was horrified. They made it into a movie(it has Anthony Hopkins in it) which is just as disturbing. I knew Shakespeare could get dark...but I didn't know he could go that far.
8. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger ~ Another book I didn't finish. I never had to read it for school. I decided to try it on my own because I had always heard great things. Ugh. There was honestly nothing in this that held my attention. And I got the feeling that if I ever met the character in real life I would have loathed him lol
9. On The Road by Jack Kerouac ~ Stream of consciousness is the bane of my existence. It drives me absolutely bonkers. So, obviously, this book did not appeal to me to say the least. I had to read it for school. The author sounds like a really interesting guy, but the writing took me right out of the story. I just couldn't get past it.
Maybe the elusive #10 will come to me later :)
Dawn wrote: "Well, I just "wasted" a good hour reading this WHOLE post. And it was an hour WELL wasted. How wonderful to read what people think about books. And how for the most part, people agree about certain..."Dawn, I love thrillers, mysteries, spy stories and historical novels. The well written ones could very well be considered "literature" 100 years from now.
Most of the books on my list of ten would be so-called classics that I was forced to read as a requirement in Literature classes. Sometimes, I just went to a synopsis rather than struggle through the boredom.
Here are some authors on my "dislike" list.
Anything by Virginia Wolff, James Joyce or Herman Melville.
Most of Philip Roth's offerings but not all.
In recent times: much of Stephen King's stuff as well as Dean Koontz and all of the vampire crap lying around.
In my chosen genres I will pass on any of James Patterson's non Alex Cross stuff, Stuart Wood's Holly Baker disasters, and everything Tom Clancy did with a co-author.
I could go on but there is so much good stuff available, my TBR list keeps getting longer and longer.
There are bad books, there are worse books, and then there is Blood and Guts in High School by Kathy Acker. Don't. Just, don't.
Funny, I used to read Patterson's books rather diligently as a teen, but didn't particularly like Alex Cross--which is crazy considering I continued to read the series. I've sort of grown out of the genre though I sometimes consider reading some crime/suspense novels over again; I'm slightly curious as to whether or not what originally appealed to me would affect me at all now.
Ofmatt wrote: "Funny, I used to read Patterson's books rather diligently as a teen, but didn't particularly like Alex Cross--which is crazy considering I continued to read the series. I've sort of grown out of th..."I've never outgrown my Thriller/Mystery obsession and I'm 71. Try Alan Furst, Arturo Perez-Reverte or Henning Mankell. Their stories are as much literature as thrillers.
Well, I definitely can't think of 10 off the top of my head, but I have two books in mind that it seems EVERYONE else loved and I loathed:1. Suite Francaise--okay it's interested that the manuscript was written way back when and only found recently...but I HATED every single character in this book. I couldn't even finish it. I tried, for serveral months, but every time I started reading I'd get so irritated that I was wasting precious time reading about characters that were so unlikable.
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime--another book everyone else seemed to love. What was entertaining about this book? Autistic kid with horrible parents tries to solve a dog murder. Why did I even read this?? Ugh.
Christy, I haven't read Suite Française, but did read a book about the author so I've been curious to read her books. But I do agree with you on The Curious Incident of the dog inthe nightime - I found no redeeming features in that book at all.
Nono, I need positive posts avout The Curious Incident of the dog in the nightime. I am always curious about it but don't feel like reading it. But I keep hearing how good it is.
I just read Deck the Halls by Mary & Carol Higgins Clark for the Winter Challenge. I had never read either author before and I will be sure to avoid them in the future. What a waste of perfectly good pages.
Ouch, Darla!
Santina wrote: "I thankfully can't think of 10 books I would want to avoid, maybe I Just haven't read enough, but my top 3 are: Atonement...I can't even finish it.Atonement - I tried at least 3 times without success (when it was recommended, before the movie, after the movie). Thankfully, it came out in a movie, which I did enjoy.
I loved Atonement the first time I read it. But I read it again and liked it a lot less. Briony sucks!
Im with Darla - i read Silent night by same author and is abyssmal, i think someone else read another unoriginally titled carol book by her with same reaction. Whos idea was that question for the Winter Challenge lol
Im also going to go out on a limb and say i couldnt get trough either 'Life of Pi' or 'Secret History', i suspect im in a huge minority though, I dont think i was in a big reading frenzy at the time so maybe not in right mood, but i still cant bring myself to give either another go when theres so much else out there to read.
oooh oooh I hated 'old man and the sea' too - had to do it at school, deathly dull. Also 'lord of the Flies' I know its clever etc etc but had to do that at an all boys school of hideous spiteful kids, so was a bit too close to home
Mod
Not sure I have 10 either, but here's some:1. Wicked. Yes, I know how it ends but man, does that book just suck! I think it's poorly written and was annoying to read. I even returned the book when I was done because I couldn't stand to look at it anymore. (Bought several more in the process.)
2. The Ruins - Scott Smith. I kept waiting for the climax. It was very anti-climactic and that turned me off.
3. Catch 22. Same as the OP.
4. Any Sandra Brown "Thriller" published after 2004. Ok, thrillers are fun and easy to read. Except these. I have tried to read her thrillers after 2004 and they are all just regurgitating older plots. Not very well written and lack of depth with characters. Sorry.
5. Third Degree - Greg Iles. I really like Iles, but this book was horrible. Slow plot, slow characters that I couldn't even like. I want those 3 hours of my life back.
6. The Scarlet Letter. I do believe I fell asleep trying to read this book. Thrice.
7. Alone - Lisa Gardner. Like the author. This book? She could do (and has done) much better.
8. Memoirs of a Geisha. It was a slow drain of nonsense.
I'm sure there's more...
So I disagree with most of the stuff people have listed that I've read, maybe because I'm rather selective about what I read, so I find almost all books I read at least tolerable (I'm good at predicting what I'll like). I agree with those who disliked Dan Brown and Nicholas Sparks and that guy who wrote A Million Little Pieces, not because I've made a real attempt to read them, but because I've cracked them open for a paragraph or two of awfulness.As a rule, I avoid vampire books. Twilight, Anne Rice, etc. left me utterly cold. The exception is Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, but its vampires are pretty zombie-like anyway. I don't know what it is about the modern vampire story that bores the hell out of me. Someday maybe I'll give Dracula a shot.
Jon wrote: "Im also going to go out on a limb and say i couldnt get trough either 'Life of Pi' or 'Secret History', i suspect im in a huge minority though, I dont think i was in a big reading frenzy at the ti..."Oh I liked Life of Pi...
Vanessa wrote: "Not sure I have 10 either, but here's some:1. Wicked. Yes, I know how it ends but man, does that book just suck! I think it's poorly written and was annoying to read. I even returned the book ..."
Here here! - I really didn't like Wicked either - and it is worse if you compare it to the musical which is just magical.
-- Wife of GR author Michael J. Sullivan: The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)
I try to forget the ones I hate. From youth, I admit I hated MOBY DICK and THE HOUSE OF GREEN GABLES. I'm an English teacher, so it takes a lot to make me give up.More recently, I have developed a prejudice against protagonists who are unlikeable or unimaginative and any novel whose ending is clear from the first pages:
She's Come Undone. I hated her...no, I didn't care about her. That's it.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Continued to read it to get through it, and could not even remember the plot!
All He Ever Wanted. Could not get through it. She's to formulaic for me.
Digital Fortress. This is actually the worst of Dan Brown's book. So many to choose from.
Traveling Mercies. I usually like Anne Lamott, but this (and its sequel) seemed forced. Spiritual contentment is not that hard to find, Anne!
I only have six books but here are what I think to be the six worst books ever written.
1) The Bible- I know that this could cause much controversy, but please respect my opinion on this. I think that this is undoubtedly the most dangerous piece of fiction ever written.
2) The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger. Why is this book so popular? It is about an uninteresting boy who, throughout the novel, does absolutely nothing of consequence. I found it boring and completely over-rated.
3) Peig. It is argued that this book is probably the main reason why Gaeilge isn't as widely spoken in Ireland anymore- it used to be compulsory reading at school and everyone hated it, and in turn, the Irish language.
4) The Devil Wears Prada. Boring garbage.
5) Mein Kampf- not only is it an evil piece of work, its an incredibly boring one too.
6) Any book my Dan Brown.
1) The Bible- I know that this could cause much controversy, but please respect my opinion on this. I think that this is undoubtedly the most dangerous piece of fiction ever written.
2) The Catcher in the Rye- J.D. Salinger. Why is this book so popular? It is about an uninteresting boy who, throughout the novel, does absolutely nothing of consequence. I found it boring and completely over-rated.
3) Peig. It is argued that this book is probably the main reason why Gaeilge isn't as widely spoken in Ireland anymore- it used to be compulsory reading at school and everyone hated it, and in turn, the Irish language.
4) The Devil Wears Prada. Boring garbage.
5) Mein Kampf- not only is it an evil piece of work, its an incredibly boring one too.
6) Any book my Dan Brown.
1) The Bible- I know that this could cause much controversy, but please respect my opinion on this. I think that this is undoubtedly the most dangerous piece of fiction ever written.Why even put this on your list, Roisu? You've stepped into the realm of insulting a person's religion, not just discussing why you didn't like a book. This was inappropriate.
Roisu wrote: "I only have six books but here are what I think to be the six worst books ever written.1) The Bible- I know that this could cause much controversy, but please respect my opinion on this. I think ..."
I have always considered Paul to be the original fan ficcer. ;)
Mod
Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions.
Getting upset will not change their minds.
Lori wrote: "Religion can be an oh-so-touchy topic. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions.
Getting upset will not change their minds."
Well said :)
Agreed - I just don't think it should be included in the first place. I thought of two more that I was discussing with my little sister today:
P.S. I Love You by Cecilia Ahern ~ The plot was all over the place and I thought the language and writing was juvenile.
Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris ~ I read this b/c one of my friends told me about it. She said I would "laugh out loud" through the whole thing. Not so much.
Katie wrote:"Why even put this on your list, Roisu? You've stepped into the realm of insulting a person's religion, not just discussing why you didn't like a book. This was inappropriate. "
This is not a discussion on the various faults and merits of the Bible, so I shall keep my response as brief as possible.
Katie, I put the Bible as my number one book to avoid for various reasons. It would take me far too long to discuss those reasons, so I shall limit myself to two reasons. I hope that shall suffice in getting my point across, even if you do not agree with me.
The first reason that the Bible is my number one book to avoid is this: it has been used, and is still used to justify the deaths of millions of people. You may argue that this is not the Bible's original purpose but the fact remains that it has. I give you one example from the Bible that urges the murder of homosexuals:"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB). I have no problem whatsoever with homosexuals and thus find that quote sickening. There are many examples in the Bible where murder is urged, even the murder of children. Indulge me for a moment and imagine this: imagine that a Harry Potter book was released that made people justify the mass murder of others. That may not have been the books original purpose, but the fact remained that it did. Would you like to see it removed from the shelves? Would you be happy that such a book had ever been released?
The second reason that the Bible is number one on my list of books to avoid is this: it deludes people. I apologise for sounding condescending, but when you consider that people believe creationism that is taught in the Bible instead of Evolution, it is, quite frankly, frightening. What I find even more alarming is that Creationism is still taught in schools. Katie, if you have any proof that Creationism is true, I would be delighted to hear it.
You may wonder why I did not mention the Koran. The answer is this: I have not read it yet, though I intend on doing so.
There, Katie, is just two of many examples that I could give you in justifying my choice. I might also remind you that the title of the discussion does not require you to justify your reasons for your choices in your list of Top Ten Books to Avoid.
This is not a discussion on the various faults and merits of the Bible, so I shall keep my response as brief as possible.
Katie, I put the Bible as my number one book to avoid for various reasons. It would take me far too long to discuss those reasons, so I shall limit myself to two reasons. I hope that shall suffice in getting my point across, even if you do not agree with me.
The first reason that the Bible is my number one book to avoid is this: it has been used, and is still used to justify the deaths of millions of people. You may argue that this is not the Bible's original purpose but the fact remains that it has. I give you one example from the Bible that urges the murder of homosexuals:"If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives." (Leviticus 20:13 NAB). I have no problem whatsoever with homosexuals and thus find that quote sickening. There are many examples in the Bible where murder is urged, even the murder of children. Indulge me for a moment and imagine this: imagine that a Harry Potter book was released that made people justify the mass murder of others. That may not have been the books original purpose, but the fact remained that it did. Would you like to see it removed from the shelves? Would you be happy that such a book had ever been released?
The second reason that the Bible is number one on my list of books to avoid is this: it deludes people. I apologise for sounding condescending, but when you consider that people believe creationism that is taught in the Bible instead of Evolution, it is, quite frankly, frightening. What I find even more alarming is that Creationism is still taught in schools. Katie, if you have any proof that Creationism is true, I would be delighted to hear it.
You may wonder why I did not mention the Koran. The answer is this: I have not read it yet, though I intend on doing so.
There, Katie, is just two of many examples that I could give you in justifying my choice. I might also remind you that the title of the discussion does not require you to justify your reasons for your choices in your list of Top Ten Books to Avoid.
Patterson's Alex Cross series was mentioned earlier, and I have to say that, although I would still read Patterson, I feel TNBBC and GR have helped me branch out and refine my tastes so I don't feel the desire for him anymore.I read the women's murder club series, but I've stopped b/c there's just better written work out there. I read #1 of Alex Cross and thought Patterson went way overboard with the race stuff, though I think the publication date had a lot to do with it (and I grew up in the 80s in MD, just outside of DC, so I don't think I'm out of the loop on what it was like around there at that time).
I think Patterson works so hard in all of his books for either shock or gross-out value that sometimes I lose the merit of what he's written. But, they're fast, easy reads, and usually keep me turning pages.
Anyone else think it's completely ridiculous that he has a new publication every month????
I'm an atheist, but I disagree pretty strongly with calling the Bible a book to avoid. It's impossible to have an understanding of Western literature and culture without having some rudimentary knowledge of the Bible. Without it, Milton, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Faulkner, even (thematically) Cormac McCarthy become unintelligible. I also disagree with blaming the Bible for the Crusades and murders carried out by Christians. It's not too different than blaming the holocaust on Darwin. Or blaming violent movies for drive-by shootings. I believe that some people will commit cruel acts no matter what. They may justify this with a Bible verse or a scientific principle, but we can't reject an entire work as evil simply because someone used it to explain why he did something amoral.
However, it's entirely appropriate for a person to dislike a book they find offensive. And they're justified in thinking that others might dislike the book for the same reason. In this case, it's all a matter of taste.
Mod
And ask that going forward we do not place religious text on our top books to avoid. I am here to make sure that every member is made to feel welcome. I have noticed in the past that religion and politics do not a happy forum make.
Lets agree to disagree at this point and move on from here.
Thanks for understanding.
Bah to happy forums. The subject of this thread is controversial. It's bound to start arguments, i.e. "How could you hate that book? That's my favorite book ever! What's wrong with you, you cultureless heathen?"I wouldn't belong to this group if all of the threads were happy knitting-circlesque chit chats. Agreeing to disagree is inevitable; no one wants to continue a debate forever and there's zero chance of convincing another person to see things through your own eyes. But anyone who reads and talks about what they read is taking part in that so-called Great Conversation and politics and religion are two major tenants of that. What's the point of talking about books if we can't discuss these things?
Mod
All I can do when I see a fire start is quickly fill a bucket with water and run to put it out......
Leslie wrote: "I try to forget the ones I hate. From youth, I admit I hated MOBY DICK and THE HOUSE OF GREEN GABLES. I'm an English teacher, so it takes a lot to make me give up.More recently, I have developed a..."
Roisu! Interesting your number one Book to avoid is the Bible, it deludes people! Must say I like your mind yet Im not sure about your reasoning!
The only true English Interpretation of the Bible is the King James Version, so if you haven't read it in its original form and misinterpret the true meanings of The Bible then it can delude a person! Its all in ones interpretation of the wording..
Avoid it, well its also a possibility because maybe to remain ignorant and to avoid understanding a large part of what we call the Western World is the key to harmony! Blaming the Bible for past historical events and facts is seeking an excuse to justify immoral actions. So until you are well versed on all religions and accept to have different beliefs to others then I suggest avoiding most books because the power of words is infinite and it is all in a persons mind and a matter of taste as to what some find contriversal and which texts are better to avoid!
Has Alice Sebold's The Almost Moon been mentioned yet? I just finished reading it. It was like a train wreck!
My god, this thread is awesome. I gasped at a few of the responses, but I've been sitting here laughing for a while, too. My own responses, in no particular order:- One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez - this book felt like a drawn out tooth extraction to me. Half-page-long sentences and nothing really happening, characters with the same name, and it's long and urgh. I really just did not gel with anything about this book. A story can forgive a writing style, but I just hated the style (or perhaps the translation was to blame), and the story here just wasn't the point.
- Wolfblade, Jennifer Fallon - urgh, pap. Generic whiney characters and self-indulgence. I thought this would be a fun, easy, trashy fantasy novel. But I just hated it and couldn't be bothered persevering.
- Xenocide, Orson Scott Card - I loved the two books before this one, but my god. I have never read anything that felt so commissioned in my entire life. It reads like something an author has been paid a lot to churn out, riding on the success of its predecessors. Which is almost what it is. I was so, so disappointed, because Speaker for the Dead, the book before Xenocide, was so amazing. Alas.
Wicked....hated every stupid, inane moment of it!!! Will never read another one of his books.
I'm going to have to diss the Weir and her The Lady Elizabeth.
Kandice - Middlesex is one of my favourite books - give it a bash :)
What's wrong with it, Bettie? I haven't read her fiction, but her non-fiction is basically OK. (Well, y'all can skip Henry VIII and His Court, because it's dry as dust.)
Susanna wrote: "What's wrong with it, Bettie? I haven't read her fiction, but her non-fiction is basically OK. (Well, y'all can skip Henry VIII and His Court, because it's dry as dust.)"Misfit had a description for something else that summed up my feelings for
The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel - I'll get back to you when I find it
:O)
Misfit had a description for something else that summed up my feelings for The Lady Elizabeth: A Novel - I'll get back to you when I find it
Damnation - couldn't find it but it had to do with sugar and mary sues; I found it patronising, inelegant and entirely insipid so that's why it's a wall-banger IMO
The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lays of Beleriand (other topics)The Catcher in the Rye (other topics)
The Martian Chronicles (other topics)
The Old Man and the Sea (other topics)
The Things They Carried (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
V.C. Andrews (other topics)Charles Dickens (other topics)
Steve Berry (other topics)
John Steinbeck (other topics)
Dan Brown (other topics)
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