The worst book you have ever read.
Discussion
CopperBolt said:
Most recent one I gave up on as being tiresome(apt I suppose) , was The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.
Googled on it after I gave up to see if it was just me and several reviews mentioned he seemed to write it whilst pissed and it showed.
Brilliant book, one of the best noir novels of all time. Admittedly you shouldn’t spend too much time trying to get the plot to hold together, but as a style - just superb. Googled on it after I gave up to see if it was just me and several reviews mentioned he seemed to write it whilst pissed and it showed.
One of the few books where the film perfectly matches the tone of the book.
Yes, I am a fan....
Currently re-reading the 4th book in the Earthsea series by Ursula le Guin: Tehanu.
For those that don't know, the first three were written as a trilogy for young adults c.1970 and are absolutely fantastic. Thoughtful but full of adventure.
Twenty years later she wrote Tehanu, which is a sort of bash-you-over-the-head feminist essay on the first three.
But more damningly: Nothing. Happens. At. All.
For those that don't know, the first three were written as a trilogy for young adults c.1970 and are absolutely fantastic. Thoughtful but full of adventure.
Twenty years later she wrote Tehanu, which is a sort of bash-you-over-the-head feminist essay on the first three.
But more damningly: Nothing. Happens. At. All.
lauda said:
I’ve looked through this thread and agree that some of the books mentioned are boring or cheesy or badly written. However, none of them compare to How Late It Was, How Late by James Kelman.
I read it off the back of having read (and loved) Trainspotting and reading something where Kelman’s book was compared favourably to Welsh’s. Both are by Scottish authors. One is funny, shocking, heartbreaking and a work of genius. The other is an execrable pile of unreadable turd.
I’m pretty sure none of you will have read it and I can only advise that you maintain that situation. Even 20 years later, it stands head and shoulders above anything else I’ve ever read as the worst by a considerable margin. It won the Booker Prize....
I've read it.I read it off the back of having read (and loved) Trainspotting and reading something where Kelman’s book was compared favourably to Welsh’s. Both are by Scottish authors. One is funny, shocking, heartbreaking and a work of genius. The other is an execrable pile of unreadable turd.
I’m pretty sure none of you will have read it and I can only advise that you maintain that situation. Even 20 years later, it stands head and shoulders above anything else I’ve ever read as the worst by a considerable margin. It won the Booker Prize....
f
k, it was fking...fk!...This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
RizzoTheRat said:
This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
Did you get to the bit where they are sat round chatting about what to do ("the Council of Elrond")?Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
That's what made me give up the first time I read it in my youth.
It's a shame as after that it does get going. But that bit's like reading the minutes of a council meeting.
RizzoTheRat said:
This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
Not at all controversial, I totally agree, absolute drivel. Can’t entertain the books or the films. Utter tripe. Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
civicduty said:
RizzoTheRat said:
This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
Not at all controversial, I totally agree, absolute drivel. Can’t entertain the books or the films. Utter tripe. Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
I found it a titanic disappointment after "The Hobbit" - which I absolutely loved. I couldn't wait to read the epic book.
But I thought LOTR was mostly tedious and self-indulgent tosh.
The Ipcress File was a big disappointment - I've enjoyed some other Len Deighton stuff.
Not sure what he was on when he wrote this one
At one point I got so confused I genuinely believed that maybe some pages were missing - I checked the page numbers and they weren't
I gave up at that point.............
Not sure what he was on when he wrote this one
At one point I got so confused I genuinely believed that maybe some pages were missing - I checked the page numbers and they weren't
I gave up at that point.............
RizzoTheRat said:
This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
We read this to all our kids The Hobbit when they'd moved on from Pooh. We did it to send them to sleep but it didn't quite work that way and it was, more or less, an inducement to get through the pre-bed sequence without fuss. They loved it. So did we, although neither of us as much as Pooh. Sometimes we and the kids would end up laughing. Not something that happened with Hobbit.Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
The kids, one in his late 40s, another in his early 30s, still talk about it. They weren't so keen on LotR. I preferred it.
The film got me in the first few shots. Like everyone, I suppose, I had an image of The Shire in my mind from when I started the book. LotR nailed it. Identical to my image, so much so that it felt uncanny.
So I enjoyed both books and films, although the Hobbit went on for too long.
civicduty said:
RizzoTheRat said:
This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
Not at all controversial, I totally agree, absolute drivel. Can’t entertain the books or the films. Utter tripe. Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
I Heard You Paint Houses if pretty terrible too.
Johnnytheboy said:
It's fashionable to dislike Lord of the Rings on here Derek. Didn't you get the memo from the Hivemind? 
I think it depends when you read it, I've read it many, many times but the first time I was 12, the majority of the follow on reads were in the 15 years after that. I can understand that if fantasy isn't really your thing and you came to the book as an adult it could easily seem awful!br d said:
Johnnytheboy said:
It's fashionable to dislike Lord of the Rings on here Derek. Didn't you get the memo from the Hivemind?
I think it depends when you read it, I've read it many, many times but the first time I was 12, the majority of the follow on reads were in the 15 years after that. I can understand that if fantasy isn't really your thing and you came to the book as an adult it could easily seem awful!RizzoTheRat said:
This is probably going to be controversial...
Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
I like LOTR... But you're right. Lord of the rings.
Started it about 3 times but never made it more than about half way through the first book. The thing is it's a decent story, I just find it to be so badly written full of tedious drivel that's irrelevant to the story. I really enjoyed the films though, bit strangely I found the Hobbit an ok book but fairly rubbish set of films (possibly due to them dragging one short book out to 3 long films).
There are large swaths of the book that are largely irrelevant to the plot and in some places, completely disjointed. Things like Tom Bombadil, which I surmise was Tolkien's idea of comic relief... And all that singing.
Basically there are entire chapters of the book you're better off skipping. Same with the singing. Peter Jackson was right to cut what he did for the films.
LOTR is a good series of books if you can get past the fact they were written in a different time. They were published in 1937, so Tolkein probably started writing them decades before. If you know what to skip, it's a great series of books that are well written and compelling.
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