Question #8: No way. No how. Not now. Not ever.

[Frances]

The Da Vinci Code. I have absolutely no desire.

[Nelson]

Ditto.

[Pat aka Tygyr]

Of current books I have no desire to read The Lost Symbol. I majored in English Lit and my all time book that I really hated (and I at least like something about most books I read) is and was The Vicar of Wakefield! Yuch from 1st page to last. The characters were stilted, the story line obscure, the only good thing was I aced the essay test on it because one of the questions allowed me to rant and rave about why this book should never ever be on a reading list again!

[Nancy]

I'll try pretty much anything once, but the book I refuse to ever tough again is Conrad's Heart Of Darkness. I had to read it in high school and just hated it. And then I had to read it for nearly EVERY English class I took in college... and I was an English major. In a liberating display I used one of my many copies as fireplace kindling once. I know, I know... how horrid of me but for some reason I absolutely DETEST that particular work of literature. I also don't read Joyce anymore.

[Carla]

Frances wrote: "The Da Vinci Code. I have absolutely no desire."

i'm with you on that one, Frances. i have my reasons which i will not state here. just like i have no desire to read the harry potter series. no thank you. and before any one wants to call me a "book snob", it's not that at all....i just have no desire.

[KaiPea]

Classics, I'm pretty much gave up on reading them I usually end up asleep the moment I read the first sentence.

[Lioba]

The Ambassadors by Henry James! I was supposed to read it for this class at uni and I couldn't force myself through it. Some of the pages consisted of 2 (!) sentences.

Anyone here who liked it?

[Carol]

I will not read any Stephen King's books...I have absolutely no desire to read them.
I will also not read James Patterson's "Innocent Man". I lived in the town and know the location of the apartment...I actually began reading it until I developed the visual - could not and would not continue; but will read any of his other books.

[[deleted user]]

You've really missed something if you haven't read King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. No horror, just the delightful story of a young girl lost in the woods, with only her radio to listen to Red Sox games back when Tom Gordon was their closer.

[Mimi V]

Peg wrote: "You've really missed something if you haven't read King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. No horror, just the delightful story of a young girl lost in the woods, with only her radio to listen to Re..."

i think King's short fiction is far superior to his novels. Shawshank Redemption came from a King short story, also Stand By Me. The Green Mile was so cool, being released in serial form. his novels, however, are usually way too long. he needs a good editor (that he'll listen to. LOL)

[Heather]

I'm not a big fan of reading all those "classic literature" type of books that apparently everyone should read. I don't want to read Dickens or Shakespeare or War & Peace. Sue me! ;)

I also don't have the slightest interest in reading Harry Potter.

Each to their own though! I love chick lit books, thrillers, mysteries, travelogues, some fantasy etc - all things others have said they hate. Still, I read primarily for entertainment & relaxation. I don't wish to be depressed, to struggle through it just to say I've read X book or just spend my time trying to decipher the language.

[Kate]

While playing "The Match Game" elsewhere on this site, I found my answer to this question. I am an animal lover. I speak on behalf of my pets when they make funny faces. But I don't want to be manipulated into crying by a narrator/dog.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

[Kate]

Part 2: I must say I'm NEVER going to read Nicholas Sparks, either.

[Leslie T.]

Anything by Ian McEwan. I tried to read Saturday. I tried to read Atonement. I will never try again.

And the Harry Potter series.

[[deleted user]]

Naomi wrote: "Peg wrote: "You've really missed something if you haven't read King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. No horror, just the delightful story of a young girl lost in the woods, with only her radio to ..."

Stephen King's "On Writing" is amazing and I wish everything he wrote could be so, but everything I've tried to read of his was trash. I couldn't figure out how "The Green Mile" and "Shawshank Redemption" came from the same guy.

Thank you for your clarification - good to know.

[[deleted user]]

Leslie wrote: "Anything by Ian McEwan. I tried to read Saturday. I tried to read Atonement. I will never try again.

And the Harry Potter series."

Thank you for the confidence to not read Ian McEwan, as well. Not only do I have the most difficulty trying to read him, but hearing him being interviewed makes my skin crawl. Nothing personal, but he is not for me no matter how hard I try.

[Chris]

Melynna wrote: "Okay, I've been thinking about this question for a few days and hadn't come up with anything. Now that I'm halfway through this Breaking Dawn piece of crap, I can firmly say that I w..."

AMEN!!! I read the Twlight books because all my college-age friends were and I was pressured to join the bandwagon. I got through them all in about a weekend. This woman cannot write. The entire Twilight series is just a thinly veiled metaphor for Mormonism and her skill is abominable. I have literally read essays and stories with more varied sentence structure by the middle schoolers I teach and tutor.

[Haley]

I personally cannot stand the House Of Night series. I read part of the first novel and found myself hating the main character. I will never touch any of those books again. :P

[Peggy]

I will never read Sci-Fi, any kind, will never read Romance books, ever. Loved Harry Potter though. I read them all at once while recovering from a broken neck. I couldn't move so my son gave me all of his Harry Potter books and set them up in front of me. They were easy to read and I could fall asleep and wake up and go right on reading.

[Christine]

For me it is anything by Jodi Picoult. Won't do it.

[Tulara]

I don't read romances novels or cheesy teenage vampire stuff (vampires are owned by Anne Rice). I read Tom Clancy at first, then the books went where I chose not to go. I also read Clive Cussler once - it was about a jungle and that's the last book I read by him.

[[deleted user]]

I thought it was just me. I forced myself through Jodi Picoult's most recent and felt no differently than if I were pushed around on a crowded bus.

Thank you. Cheese is best eaten on a cracker, not squished between covers.

[Brian]

Ulysses by James Joyce. Well maybe, but probably not. I always wonder if those who claim it's the greatest book in the world have found that they have used up a tremendous amount of time and energy that they could have used reading good books that they would have actually enjoyed, but having been rooked, want to pull in the rest of us. Sort of like that town that got suckered into seeing that traveling show in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

[Brian]

Janice wrote: "I don't read romances novels or cheesy teenage vampire stuff (vampires are owned by Anne Rice). I read Tom Clancy at first, then the books went where I chose not to go. I also read Clive Cussler ..."

All due props to Anne Rice, but owned? Janice, please let me introduce you to Mr. Stoker.

[Rose]

Ulysses--I took a five-session class on this book, and it was wonderful. The professor included clips from different videos, along with audio selections. He shared a great deal of background information, enriching out appreciation of the book.

Rose

[Brian]

Rose, sounds like fun. There's a highly praised unabridged audiobook version available, too.
But...
I have to say that any book that requires a multi-session class to enjoy it may be a little too much by half.

[Rose]

I think multi-session classes are a bonus. I'm going to be doing one myself on Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White (so you can see I'm biased).

Rose

[Brian]

Obsessedreader wrote: "I think multi-session classes are a bonus. I'm going to be doing one myself on Wilkie Collins' The Woman in White (so you can see I'm biased).

Rose"

I keep hearing about The Woman in White, so I'll definitely have to put it on the list.

But, back to Joyce: You've talked me into putting him back on the list (currently I'm reading Mary Renault's books about Greece and Alexander, then on to some of the works of Octavia Butler). And after all, any literature Joseph Campbell likes has got to have a lot to recommend it. I did read Dubliners and liked it well enough, so I've got a bit of a start.

Are you going to read Finnegan's Wake?

[Bisi]

Connie wrote: "Lynsea wrote: "The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I have 2 copies I refuse to read."

Lynsea - I really liked The Pillars of the Earth. It's a very looong book but some good action. My fr..."

Same here. I was pleasantly surprised by The Pillars of the Earth. World without End wasnt bad either.

I haven't been able to get into the Harry Potter series, I'm afraid. I do try to give every book a chance :)

[Rose]

I am not going to read Finnegan's Wake (unless the same professor heads up a new class).

Also, I must comment on Pillars of the Earth: I was totally into this book--for about 700 pages. Then it started morphing into a bad romance novel (I thought, did Danielle Steele take over the writing?). I was so relieved to finish it. No more Ken Follett for me.

Rose

[Brian]

Peggy wrote: "I will never read Sci-Fi, any kind, will never read Romance books, ever. Loved Harry Potter though. I read them all at once while recovering from a broken neck. I couldn't move so my son gave me al..."
No Sci-Fi? You're missing out on a lot of cool stuff! I dare you to try A Canticle for Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller, Jr. I'll bet you'll like it.

[Peggy]

Brian wrote: "Peggy wrote: "I will never read Sci-Fi, any kind, will never read Romance books, ever. Loved Harry Potter though. I read them all at once while recovering from a broken neck. I couldn't move so my ..."

Tried it, hated it. My husband loves sci fi and has tried to get me to read sci fi for years. It just isn't something I want to read. Too many other books out there.

[NATUI]

Nothing immediately pops into my head because I'll give anything a shot. There have been times visiting my parents when I swore up and down that I would never read one of her crappy romance novels. I always hold out until it's ten o'clock at night, and I am dying to read anything I can get my hands on rather than watch another marathon of TCM with my dad. I think the reason I avoid the "romance" books so much is because I know my mom has read them. My mother and a baron/count/privateer just don't mix. Ugh. :)

[Sherry]

NATUI wrote: "Nothing immediately pops into my head because I'll give anything a shot. There have been times visiting my parents when I swore up and down that I would never read one of her crappy romance novels..." You make me laugh. I can see how you feel! LOL. I'm not much for romance novels either. But I have read a few!

[Jane]

I won't read the Twilight series.... Many years ago I swore I wouldn't read The Bridges of Madison County. Finally, I was persuaded to give it a try...What a waste of my time. I won't cave to pressure this time!!

[Heather]

I also will never read the Twilight series, nor any other Vampire series by anyone besides true writers like Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, etc. It seems like everyone is cashing in on this current obsession with supernatural romance, and I'm not even slightly interested in reading these (mostly) sub-par authors. Similarly, you'll never catch me reading any feel-good bestsellers like Eat, Pray, Love, Confessions of a Shopaholic, or most of the crap Oprah recommends. Quite frankly, the majority of books on the Bestseller list.

Now, I know this makes me seem like a huge snob, but my stance on it is that there are far too many wonderful, beautifully-written books in the world that will go unread by me purely due to their sheer number (my bookshelves at home are a testament to this fact!). Thus, by reading many of the aforementioned books- or their "relatives"- I am wasting valuable time that could otherwise be spent devouring greats like Margaret Atwood, Salman Rushie, and John Irving. I'm being economical :)

[[deleted user]]

Heather wrote: "I also will never read the Twilight series, nor any other Vampire series by anyone besides true writers like Anne Rice, Bram Stoker, etc. It seems like everyone is cashing in on this current obsess..."

While I agree with you on a fundamental level, I don't think you're being fair to the Oprah bookclub books. You seem to be forgetting that those books have included A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, multiple Toni Morrison books, Middlesex (which was fantastic), The Road (Cormac McCarthy), books by Faulkner, Anna Karinena (Tolstoy), One Hundred Years of Solitude (Marquez), East of Eden (Steinbeck).

It's easy to write of "most of what Oprah recommends" because I used to feel the same way. When I look back at the complete list of recommendations... there's not a lot of crap there. There are also wonderful books, like A Fine Balance, that I may not have read if my mom hadn't picked it up BECAUSE it was an Oprah book.

What wouldn't I read? I will not finish the rest of the Twilight series. I read the first book, because I figured there might be something behind the hype.
I will also never read Black Boy by Richard Wright. I want to like it, I just can't.

[Heather]

Oh, I completely agree re. her bookclub suggestions. Most of them are excellent (some exceptions notwithstanding!), and I think it's great that she's exposing people to such wonderful books. I meant more the books she recommends on her show- Eat, Pray, Love, The Secret, her current endorsement 'Women, Food, and God'. They couldn't be further from my kinds of books (and the people I know who've read them usually confirm my suspicions on their quality!), so I make a point of avoiding anything she's structured a show around.

[[deleted user]]

Ok. I totally understand you now. We're on the same page with those. I have a hard time bringing myself around to them. But then again, I had a hard time making myself read Piccoult too, and I've liked that (in little doses).

[Heathermomo]

Salman Rushdie - anything. I tried Midnight's Children twice and never got more than 10 pages in. Aaaaargh!

[Morgan]

The Host by Stephanie Meyer, just dreadful.

Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad. I tried reading it after I had just finished reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson, and I read 10 pages. And then I literally chucked it at a wall in my house with all my might. AWFUL BOOK (The first 2 were not nearly as bad).
I also have a strong vendetta against the Pretty little Liars tv show. The books = one million times better. The lying game show is quite good however