The worst book you have ever read.
Discussion
Ilovejapcrap said:
miniman said:
kev b said:
The Catcher in the Rye, seems to be regarded as a classic but the best I can say is that it is probably of it's time.
Possibly the only work in fifty years that I regret wasting my time reading.
My review for my wife's book club: Possibly the only work in fifty years that I regret wasting my time reading.
t. jshell said:
Anything by Dan Brown. Utter shyte!
This. I read "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" when he was the new hotness, and they seemed perfectly plausible to me. I can't quote the Bible, nor am I intimately familiar with the subject matter. But it did reference people and places that I knew to exist, so it all made sense. So I went and read "Digital Fortress" and "Deception Point", which both deal in areas where I do have some experience and expertise. Then I realized he was talking complete and utter sh!t. They were both ridiculously implausible throughout.mko9 said:
This. I read "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" when he was the new hotness, and they seemed perfectly plausible to me. I can't quote the Bible, nor am I intimately familiar with the subject matter. But it did reference people and places that I knew to exist, so it all made sense. So I went and read "Digital Fortress" and "Deception Point", which both deal in areas where I do have some experience and expertise. Then I realized he was talking complete and utter sh!t. They were both ridiculously implausible throughout.
I read The Da Vinci Code, and it seemed plausible, but then the ending was utter cock! I hurled the book across the room in contempt! Never done that before, or since.Most books by Stephen King have the same tosh sort of non-ending. A cop out, because they simply can't life up to the hype through the book?
grumbledoak said:
Thomas Covenant: Lord Foul's Arse is the only book I've simply thrown in a bin.
I couldn't get far into Catch 22 before giving up. Twice.
That was one of my favourite books series for years, but maybe because I started reading it whilst on magic mushrooms.....I couldn't get far into Catch 22 before giving up. Twice.
Later in the series I simply gave up halfway through one book, it was so tedious and repetitious, Stephen Donaldson has such a slow and drawn out way of writing, every minute detail is in triplicate.
Nimby said:
Robert Heinlein - "The Number of the Beast". Loved his previous stuff but this was just awful.
I gave up on that as well. And on Stephen Donaldson's 'Runes of the Earth' (first book in the Last Chronicles - a quadrilogy, FFS).I read the first two of Peter James' 'Roy Grace' series back-to-back and resolved never to read another. Terrible cut-and-paste writing - whole paragraphs from the first book turn up in the second; terrible characterisation. Out of curiosity I looked up the synopsis for the latest in the series (the thirteenth!) and some of the main character's back story is still unresolved.
I've read one of Peter F Hamilton's SF doorstops and won't be going there again. Even the synopses on Wikipedia are hard going.
'The Bourne Identity' is the first and last Ludlum novel I've ever read.
Halmyre said:
I read the first two of Peter James' 'Roy Grace' series back-to-back and resolved never to read another. Terrible cut-and-paste writing - whole paragraphs from the first book turn up in the second; terrible characterisation. Out of curiosity I looked up the synopsis for the latest in the series (the thirteenth!) and some of the main character's back story is still unresolved.
I've never noticed the similarities from book to book, but then I don't read them back to back, and because I read a lot in-between I probably forget most of that kind of detail. I stopped reading Colin Forbes stuff because I found the writing quite awkward and a bit patronising, and there are similarities between several books, not least that many of them feature a frantic dash across Europe.Saw the thread title and immediately thought Catcher in the Rye...dammit, already done. OK then, Catch 22...also already done.
A few years ago I bought one of those compilation of classics for about a quid. First one up...Last of the Mohicans. Ye Gods, just impossible to read. Stick to the film.
(did enjoy a Jeffrey Archer novel once, can't remember which one, found in a rental villa on holiday!)
A few years ago I bought one of those compilation of classics for about a quid. First one up...Last of the Mohicans. Ye Gods, just impossible to read. Stick to the film.
(did enjoy a Jeffrey Archer novel once, can't remember which one, found in a rental villa on holiday!)
The Bible? Several times in lonely far away hotel rooms I have plucked this from the drawer and decided to give it a go, just to see if the magic will swamp my brain and convert me....
....nah. Twenty minutes in and it is obviously a load of tosh. If religious zealots actually read the bible it would probably cure them of their illness!
....nah. Twenty minutes in and it is obviously a load of tosh. If religious zealots actually read the bible it would probably cure them of their illness!
Northbloke said:
Saw the thread title and immediately thought Catcher in the Rye...dammit, already done. OK then, Catch 22...also already done.
A few years ago I bought one of those compilation of classics for about a quid. First one up...Last of the Mohicans. Ye Gods, just impossible to read. Stick to the film.
(did enjoy a Jeffrey Archer novel once, can't remember which one, found in a rental villa on holiday!)
I have to disagree on Catch 22 and Last of the Mohicans, loved them both, but have to admit I struggled to see the point of Catcher in the Rye although I was pretty young when I read it, might try it again.A few years ago I bought one of those compilation of classics for about a quid. First one up...Last of the Mohicans. Ye Gods, just impossible to read. Stick to the film.
(did enjoy a Jeffrey Archer novel once, can't remember which one, found in a rental villa on holiday!)
I've always liked the idea of a decent autobiography but have really struggled to find one. The closest I've been to enjoying one was David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon which was reasonable. Every other autobiography I've ever read has grossly reduced my respect/admiration for the author/subject.
The worst so far by absolutely miles is 'A Drink With Shane McGowan' it's only partly autobiography as he was too pissed to string the words together himself but hasn't been helped at all by him having a professional co-author.
King Herald said:
The Bible? Several times in lonely far away hotel rooms I have plucked this from the drawer and decided to give it a go, just to see if the magic will swamp my brain and convert me....
Ditto and great shout.Although thinking about it there are some laugh out loud moments in there like all the coveting your neighbour's ox stuff.
droopsnoot said:
Halmyre said:
I read the first two of Peter James' 'Roy Grace' series back-to-back and resolved never to read another. Terrible cut-and-paste writing - whole paragraphs from the first book turn up in the second; terrible characterisation. Out of curiosity I looked up the synopsis for the latest in the series (the thirteenth!) and some of the main character's back story is still unresolved.
I've never noticed the similarities from book to book, but then I don't read them back to back, and because I read a lot in-between I probably forget most of that kind of detail. I stopped reading Colin Forbes stuff because I found the writing quite awkward and a bit patronising, and there are similarities between several books, not least that many of them feature a frantic dash across Europe.brrapp said:
I've always liked the idea of a decent autobiography but have really struggled to find one. The closest I've been to enjoying one was David Niven's The Moon's a Balloon which was reasonable. Every other autobiography I've ever read has grossly reduced my respect/admiration for the author/subject.
I can recommend Lee Iacocca's and Ray Kroc's autobiographies.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Iacocca-Autobiography-Lee...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grinding-Out-McDonalds-Ra...
One of my friends was rather an intense chap when he was younger. Having a couple of weeks to kill between two university courses (IIRC) he sat and read the Bible from cover to cover.
I asked him what he made of it, and his immortal response was the "God comes out of it like a right ahole".
I asked him what he made of it, and his immortal response was the "God comes out of it like a right a
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