The worst book you have ever read.
Discussion
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!You might be right on age though, I read Stephen Donaldson's Chronicles of Thomas Covenant when I was about 14 or 15 and loved them. Tried rereading in my 40's and they just seemed so shallow.
ATG said:
I may well have posted this already, but, if I have, it bears repeating nonetheless.
Understanding the Present by Brian f
king Appleyard. Self-important, confused and paranoid ramblings of a narcissistic pseudo intellectual.
Not worth the 77p at AbeBooks.
Having trawled the thread, I see I have slagged this book off in three separate posts. And by quoting myself, I suppose I've now done it a fourth time. That's how sUnderstanding the Present by Brian f
king Appleyard. Self-important, confused and paranoid ramblings of a narcissistic pseudo intellectual.Not worth the 77p at AbeBooks.
t this book is.ATG said:
ATG said:
I may well have posted this already, but, if I have, it bears repeating nonetheless.
Understanding the Present by Brian fking Appleyard. Self-important, confused and paranoid ramblings of a narcissistic pseudo intellectual.
Not worth the 77p at AbeBooks.
Having trawled the thread, I see I have slagged this book off in three separate posts. And by quoting myself, I suppose I've now done it a fourth time. That's how sUnderstanding the Present by Brian f
king Appleyard. Self-important, confused and paranoid ramblings of a narcissistic pseudo intellectual.Not worth the 77p at AbeBooks.
t this book is.
br d said:
I would always skip the Frodo and Sam heading into Mordor chapters, I found all that "dear master" stuff nauseating.
Sam was the only character I didn't like. I didn't mind the Bombadil stuff, it was odd but bearable.
What frustrated me about the Tom Bombadil thing was that he went to lengths to introduce Tom and tell us all about him - then we never see him again!Sam was the only character I didn't like. I didn't mind the Bombadil stuff, it was odd but bearable.
Aaaarrgh!
TheJimi said:
br d said:
I would always skip the Frodo and Sam heading into Mordor chapters, I found all that "dear master" stuff nauseating.
Sam was the only character I didn't like. I didn't mind the Bombadil stuff, it was odd but bearable.
What frustrated me about the Tom Bombadil thing was that he went to lengths to introduce Tom and tell us all about him - then we never see him again!Sam was the only character I didn't like. I didn't mind the Bombadil stuff, it was odd but bearable.
Aaaarrgh!
br d said:
I agree completely Jim, there was a later reference at the Council of Elrond as to whether Bombadil would hold the ring as he clearly had the power to but it was agreed he would probably forget he had it and just leave it somewhere. Bombadil is odd, I see him as sort of Father Nature but he doesn't seem to fit in the story anywhere. I suspect when Tolkien had the Hobbits setting off he liked the idea of them being saved by Bombadil and then just got carried away with the character and was just enjoying him too much!
There's a whole other book of himhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_To...
spikeyhead said:
br d said:
I agree completely Jim, there was a later reference at the Council of Elrond as to whether Bombadil would hold the ring as he clearly had the power to but it was agreed he would probably forget he had it and just leave it somewhere. Bombadil is odd, I see him as sort of Father Nature but he doesn't seem to fit in the story anywhere. I suspect when Tolkien had the Hobbits setting off he liked the idea of them being saved by Bombadil and then just got carried away with the character and was just enjoying him too much!
There's a whole other book of himhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_To...
That book was much later so the Rings might have been his first crack at Bombadil, I just think he let it run away a bit!
br d said:
TheJimi said:
br d said:
I would always skip the Frodo and Sam heading into Mordor chapters, I found all that "dear master" stuff nauseating.
Sam was the only character I didn't like. I didn't mind the Bombadil stuff, it was odd but bearable.
What frustrated me about the Tom Bombadil thing was that he went to lengths to introduce Tom and tell us all about him - then we never see him again!Sam was the only character I didn't like. I didn't mind the Bombadil stuff, it was odd but bearable.
Aaaarrgh!
I think the main source of my frustration here was that I really liked the character of Bombadil, and wanted to see more of him.
The Minaturist by Jesse Burton. This tripe got published, became a best seller and was adapted for television yet there are decent people living on the street.
The author starts with the vaguely paranormal idea of a maker of dolls furniture who can see the future but never fully develops the idea, brings up a plot device of having to sell a load of sugar against a deadline but drops that as well. A decent editor should have sent the author back to do some rewrites.
In the front of the copy I had the misfortune to read, and have since probably thrown away, the author thanks her friends for not telling her it was st. They were blowing smoke up your ass love, it’s crap.
The only thing in its favour is that we were inspired to visit Amsterdam. Excellent city.
The author starts with the vaguely paranormal idea of a maker of dolls furniture who can see the future but never fully develops the idea, brings up a plot device of having to sell a load of sugar against a deadline but drops that as well. A decent editor should have sent the author back to do some rewrites.
In the front of the copy I had the misfortune to read, and have since probably thrown away, the author thanks her friends for not telling her it was s
t. They were blowing smoke up your ass love, it’s crap. The only thing in its favour is that we were inspired to visit Amsterdam. Excellent city.
Edited by CoupeKid on Saturday 2nd May 15:19
Edited by CoupeKid on Friday 2nd April 14:11
DocJock said:
The Man In The High Castle.
The only book I have started but not finished. Rubbish. It nearly made me forego the TV series adaption which was a reasonable watch.
PKD can be a bit like that. His ideas have great promise but his detail he gets caught up in often becomes weird and distorted. It's when a good book takes acid. The only book I have started but not finished. Rubbish. It nearly made me forego the TV series adaption which was a reasonable watch.
I feel the same about Do Androids Dream About Electric Sheep and Blade Runner even though I think the book was quite good.
One opinion that will really get me hung by book fanboys... Starship Troopers the movie was better than the book. Heinlein just can't help trying to shoehorn his philosophy (libertarianism) and creating a world that ignores is glaring faults. That requires a greater suspension of belief than aliens, starships and FTL travel.
br d said:
ATG said:
ATG said:
I may well have posted this already, but, if I have, it bears repeating nonetheless.
Understanding the Present by Brian fking Appleyard. Self-important, confused and paranoid ramblings of a narcissistic pseudo intellectual.
Not worth the 77p at AbeBooks.
Having trawled the thread, I see I have slagged this book off in three separate posts. And by quoting myself, I suppose I've now done it a fourth time. That's how sUnderstanding the Present by Brian f
king Appleyard. Self-important, confused and paranoid ramblings of a narcissistic pseudo intellectual.Not worth the 77p at AbeBooks.
t this book is. No publicity is bad publicity. Nearly a 4% increase - it's 80p cheapest now! 'Understanding the Present - Science and the Soul of Modern Man'?
WTF would anyone read that? It's a dated book, not relevant, ffs it was published in the early 90s!
Where to start...
My Partner, was horrified that all I read was Sci Fi and Fantasy when we first met, "But I like Sci Fi and Fantasy...." anyhow, she insisted on introducing me to a "worthy"...
We need to talk about Kevin
I thought, fine I'll read it..... Lordy, if it wasn't the need to reach for a Thesaurus every five minutes with this book it was the incredibly disturbing and depressing spiral into a pit from which there was no escape that seals it as my worst book read.
Pretty sure 90% of why we don't have Kids is this book.
The joke finally being that said partner "never finished it" ..... Cheers Love
Prize winning it may have been but a more miserable way to spend time I have yet to encounter.
My Partner, was horrified that all I read was Sci Fi and Fantasy when we first met, "But I like Sci Fi and Fantasy...." anyhow, she insisted on introducing me to a "worthy"...
We need to talk about Kevin
I thought, fine I'll read it..... Lordy, if it wasn't the need to reach for a Thesaurus every five minutes with this book it was the incredibly disturbing and depressing spiral into a pit from which there was no escape that seals it as my worst book read.
Pretty sure 90% of why we don't have Kids is this book.
The joke finally being that said partner "never finished it" ..... Cheers Love
Prize winning it may have been but a more miserable way to spend time I have yet to encounter.
Edited by T1berious on Monday 11th May 12:14
dartissimus said:
In the blurb inside the back cover, after listing his skills and experiences, he was described as "an expert fencer and a dead shot".
Kyril Bonfiglioli described himself as "an accomplished fencer, a fair shot with most weapons and a serial marrier of beautiful women ... abstemious in all things except drink, food, tobacco and talking ... and loved and respected by all who knew him slightly."His books are good though!
TheJimi said:
Agree with that Brad
I think the main source of my frustration here was that I really liked the character of Bombadil, and wanted to see more of him.
...and Bombadil was totally missing from the films, in my minds eye he could have been played by an avuncular Noddy Holder!! I'm another who 'didn't get' LOR , yet I can see how it would draw you in. My nomination if I haven't already mentioned is a dreadful book called 'Perfume ' which I read on recommendation by a good friend. The fact he remains a friend to this day is testament to the bond we have and in no way relevant to the book. Which was awful. I might have mentioned that I think the main source of my frustration here was that I really liked the character of Bombadil, and wanted to see more of him.
manwithbeard said:
Lord of the Flies, William Golding - set work for my Eng Lit O Level 1970.
Utterly dire.
Nothing entertaining, uplifting or inspiring, in the whole book.
As if a teenager doesnt have enough crap to deal with.
I'll raise you "Catcher in the Rye". I didn't mind Lord of the Flies.Utterly dire.
Nothing entertaining, uplifting or inspiring, in the whole book.
As if a teenager doesnt have enough crap to deal with.
I may have been the only person in my senior class who managed to read all of "Catch 22:
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