Books to avoid like a bookworm on a diet

monkey9 · 08-02-2008 11:26am

Gowranistan wrote: »

Catch 22 is possibly the best book i have ever read. I thought Catcher in the Rye was very dissappointing considering all the hype,although reading it directly after guillivers travels did give me a cynical attitude to pretty much everything. I read all of the dark tower series and while I thought the story was fantastic, including himself as a character and the whole deus ex machina thing really annoyed me. The ending was a serious let down too.

Gulliver's Travels...is that any good? I read it when i was i was younger. An abridged version obviously. But how good is the original unabridged version??

skybluejay · 08-02-2008 1:33pm

Gowranistan wrote: »

I thought Catcher in the Rye was very dissappointing considering all the hype

Hype wrecks books... I appeciated seminal-type books like that so much more when I was about thirteen and I hadn't been told for years that I HAD to read them...

Gowranistan · 08-02-2008 1:46pm

monkey9 wrote: »

Gulliver's Travels...is that any good? I read it when i was i was younger. An abridged version obviously. But how good is the original unabridged version??

It's not great.... I just read because it was in the house. The storyline is basically a conduit for Swift to satirise the problems with the world as he sees it. He keeps changing the setting so the reader gets a different perspective. It's more about the message that Swift is trying to convey than a story.

bogman44 · 18-02-2008 2:51pm

I hate not finishing books and i used to try and finish whatever i started. But Kate Mosse's Labyrinth made me realise that there are far too many good books out there to be wasting time on bad ones. Although i did read all 700+ pages of it. what possessed me?

zorkmundsson · 10-03-2008 6:01pm

"the line of beauty" by alan hollinghurst(?). won the booker prize a few years ago. spectacularly rubbish.

hornby's "how to be good" is awful aswell. "high fidelity" is the only one worth reading, i reckon.

also, anyone dissing "atomised", "lolita", or pratchett is more than welcome to step outside.

randomguy · 10-03-2008 11:45pm

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance - the first half is interesting, but his trite epiphanies, self-proclaimed profundities and half-baked philosophy all become way too much to be bothering with about half-way in.

If they did an abridged version, just the narrative of him examining his own insanity - the story of him, his son, and the bike - I'd read it.

clicli · 12-03-2008 3:37pm

The Wheel of Time series, I nearly lost the will to live while trying to read that rubbish recommended to me by a lot of friends!

Dashticle · 12-03-2008 5:30pm

clicli wrote: »

The Wheel of Time series, I nearly lost the will to live while trying to read that rubbish recommended to me by a lot of friends!

I thouht the first five or so were good, the next nine completely unnecessary, and the last whatever two or so were complete ****e. I still bought all of them though, thinking I wanted to see it out to the end, then the author goes and pops his clogs. Thanks a lot, asshole.

The worst book I ever read was one part of a series called Gor which there was some controvery about a while back.

Acacia · 13-03-2008 12:13am

Also started the Wheel of Time, one of my friends loves it, I wasn't too pushed. A book to avoid is Dave Pelzer's memoir trilogy 'My Story'- 'A Child Called 'It'' is okay, but the other two just rehash material from the first. And it's poor quality writing- it seems very artificial ( not fake, just seems like he thought about making every detail as dramatic as possible). It's also full of clichés. I know the man had it tough, but everything he writes is either him praising himself for overcoming his childhood, or someone else is telling him how brilliant he is. And the end of the book is so syrupy- his wife just goes on about him for four pages- what a fabulous person he is, how nobody can come close to the excellence that is Dave, yet he's so modest. *puke*. I admire him, but it's all a bit too much frankly.

Lockstep · 13-03-2008 11:54am

Lord of the Rings is doubtless a book with load of potential and had magic, mystery and action.

It was also incredibly, mind numbigly boring. I forced myself to read it and can't rememeber any of the last book except for "Sam forced Frodo to eat a whole wafer of their precious lembas bread" or something. It was just overly detailed which took away from the essential action of book.

First few chapters was Frodo just humming and hawing about whteher or not he should leave.

I loved the Hobbit, it was far less cluttered with description. Most of us only need the bare bones of a description and we can compose the rest ourselves in our heads.

If anyone is planning an abridged LOTR let me know, otherwise I'll do my best never to open the book again.

Enid Blighton books are painfully transparent claptrap.

I expected Pratchett to be a lot more "balls out humour" but his style is far more subtle. It makes it easy to read.

seagull · 18-03-2008 1:26pm

In general, I really enjoy books by L.E. Modesitt jnr. I found the Soprano Sorceress series to be extremely tedious and trite. Avoid it.

gaf1983 · 02-04-2008 3:11pm

[QUOTE=zorkmundsson;55356007
hornby's "how to be good" is awful aswell. "high fidelity" is the only one worth reading, i reckon.[/QUOTE]

Gave up How to be Good about 60 pages into it. It's like a bloody soap opera.

MzFusspot · 10-04-2008 1:41pm

I also thought 'How to Be Good' was pig-awful.

Anything at all by Ben Elton.

Wheel of Time starts out really well and then 4 or 5 books in loses it completely, best not to start with it really because you'll make yourself read to the end and you'll get to the end of book 11 and want to go dig up Robert Jordan and smack him round the place for wasting precious hours of your life.

Kitty_N · 27-04-2008 5:05am

Nick Hornby's High Fidelity is still one of my all time favourites but I could not stomach Fever Pitch. I have only a very passing interest in soccer and found myself skipping pages upon pages of boring football facts. I get that it illustrated something about the character but it got to the stage where I was just skimming ahead to see if I could find any semblence of a plot.

Also, Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby came very highly recommended to me and I loved Fight Club so I thought I'd give it a shot. Big Mistake. It took me three attempts before I could eventually finish it. There was a nice twist towards the end but obviously someone should have informed him that an impressive twist does not ultimately equate a great novel.

Goat Mouth · 27-04-2008 10:21pm

Kitty_N wrote: »

Also, Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby came very highly recommended to me and I loved Fight Club so I thought I'd give it a shot. Big Mistake. It took me three attempts before I could eventually finish it. There was a nice twist towards the end but obviously someone should have informed him that an impressive twist does not ultimately equate a great novel.

Ha ha weird, I loved Lullaby but hated Fight Club.

rozmagoz · 20-05-2008 2:38pm

Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell) has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. Utter pretensious crap. And I actually wasted time finishing it in the hopes that at some point it would redeem itself but alas! Rubbish. Avoid like the plague!!

LMulhaire · 21-05-2008 9:33pm

Can't read The Name of the Rose without falling asleep, bit of a problem when you do most of your reading on the bus! I think someone mentioned Pamela. I completely agree, it was the world's first and worst novel. But please if anyone has given up on 18th century literature altogether read Tristram Shandy.

Acacia · 21-05-2008 10:19pm

I had to read both Pamela and Tristram Shandy for college. :eek: 'Classics', my foot. Pamela's not too bad but Tristam Shandy...oh...my..god...maybe it was funny and 'witty' back in the 18th century when you had nothing better to do but drink tea and read books in your stately home but I don't think anyone would bother with it now (unless they're forced to read it in college, of course!) I could only struggle through a few pages before flinging it across the room. Life's too short. :pac:

An Sionnach Rua · 25-05-2008 9:25pm

Someone (i.e. not me) should compile a list...

Any Harry Potter book
Dune

Ugh...

Goat Mouth · 26-05-2008 8:14pm

An Sionnach Rua wrote: »

Any Harry Potter book

+1. Especially the Final Book.

What a poxy waste.

Diamond007 · 27-05-2008 12:59am

The boy in the striped pyjamas....

**Shudder**

Rev Hellfire · 27-05-2008 7:53am

Behold the horror that is ShadowKeep by Alan Dean Foster

I picked this up many years ago in a batch of second-hand books, the sheer awfulness of the writing and story can't be expressed but rather must be experienced.

I used to get a great chuckle loaning this out to people and tell them that it was pretty poor at the start but really gets good once they get into it a bit.

boogle · 28-05-2008 3:08pm

Tried reading Wuthering Heights once, what a snorefest. I'm currently about 50 pages into Vanity Fair and I'm stuggling to find it intresting.

I agree with the Kate Mosse critics, I (stupidly) read both Labyrinthe and Sepulchre as I got them as gifts. Utter tripe.

crotalus667 · 28-05-2008 7:28pm

boogle wrote: »

Tried reading Wuthering Heights .

I find with books like that the audio version can be a lot better

boogle · 28-05-2008 7:52pm

crotalus667 wrote: »

I find with books like that the audio version can be a lot better

I've never done audio books before, something about turning the pages yourself

I suppose if somebody interesting was reading it to me then that might jazz it up a bit. Maybe Stephen Fry or James Earl Jones...

Tar.Aldarion · 28-05-2008 7:57pm

kickoutthejams wrote: »

Lord of the Rings is doubtless a book with load of potential and had magic, mystery and action.

It was also incredibly, mind numbigly boring. I forced myself to read it and can't rememeber any of the last book except for "Sam forced Frodo to eat a whole wafer of their precious lembas bread" or something. It was just overly detailed which took away from the essential action of book.

First few chapters was Frodo just humming and hawing about whteher or not he should leave.

I loved the Hobbit, it was far less cluttered with description. Most of us only need the bare bones of a description and we can compose the rest ourselves in our heads.

If anyone is planning an abridged LOTR let me know, otherwise I'll do my best never to open the book again.

Enid Blighton books are painfully transparent claptrap.

I expected Pratchett to be a lot more "balls out humour" but his style is far more subtle. It makes it easy to read.

I'd avoid The Silmarillion if I were of your opinion. Or maybe try it hehehe.

Lockstep · 28-05-2008 9:18pm

Funnily enough, a friend of mine has an old man who lent me the CD version.

It's actually pretty damn good. The description really comes across well when heard.

Tar.Aldarion · 29-05-2008 1:30am

I love the book, but I also love all his books and LOTR, maybe you should listen to it?
And lost tales and unfinished tales, mmmm.

ncmc · 11-06-2008 12:47pm

I know some of these have been mentioned, but they are so bad, they deserve to be mentioned many, many times....

In no particular order:

-Perfume, Story of a Murderer
-The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
-The Historian
-Anything by Jodi Piccoult (with the exception, maybe, of My Sisters Keeper)
-The Black Dahlia (first and last book I ever threw in the bin, couldn't inflict it on anyone else)
-The Rule of Four
-Deception Point and that other one by Dan Browne (I know i'm gonna get lynched, but I enjoyed the Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons)
-Blaze- Stephen King
-Anything written in the last 5-7 years by Patricia Cornwall, I always enjoyed her early stuff.
-Anything by Kellerman, his publishers should be locked up for life.

there are tonnes more but I can't think of them right now!:D

crotalus667 · 11-06-2008 4:20pm

ncmc wrote: »

-The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

OMG im a 1/3 of the way in and loving it :eek:

ncmc · 11-06-2008 5:08pm

crotalus667 wrote: »

OMG im a 1/3 of the way in and loving it :eek:

Just something about that book left a bad taste in my mouth, I can't put my finger on exactly what it was about it that I didn't like. In saying that, it probably isn't a book to avoid at all costs, as it is very original and shocking and I could see some people loving it! I guess it more belongs in 'ncmc's most hated books' thread! I'd be really interested to know what you think of it when you are finished.:D

ilinor · 11-06-2008 10:12pm

anyone voted for Kate Mosse, yet? She should be on this list, definitely. What a waste of paper.....

Valentia · 12-06-2008 4:30pm

Sadly his dark materials. I've never come across so pointed, contrived, full of itself crap. Sorry now, I know a lot of people like it but I couldn't help saying to myself throughout "do you take me for an idiot or what?"

I even tried the audio book, read by the man himself, and that was worse. I hate it when authors make up a scenario to get themselves out of a hole without their being a remote sense of plausibility to it. Pullman did that to death IMO. I just got a terrible amateurish, writers group feel from it.

crotalus667 · 12-06-2008 5:37pm

Valentia wrote: »

Sadly his dark materials..

OMG yet another book/'s I loved

.

Valentia wrote: »

I hate it when authors make up a scenario to get themselves out of a hole without their being a remote sense of plausibility to it. Pullman did that to death IMO.

Which bit are you reffering to ???

Valentia wrote: »

without their being a remote sense of plausibility.

in all fairness it is fantasy:p

cautioner · 16-06-2008 3:46pm

I know it's hailed a modern classic and all that, but after finishing the Catcher in the Rye I honestly considered it a waste of my time.
I've thought about it and have yet to find any kind of point to the story. I think it's just popular because the language used is somewhat interesting and it's a little bit edgy.
And RE His Dark Materials, they're possibly my favourite books ever.

Valentia wrote:

I've never come across so pointed, contrived, full of itself crap.

I suppose I can kind of see where you're coming from, but any author who encourages people to question authority is fine by me.

dr.bollocko · 16-06-2008 3:59pm

JD Salinger's Catcher is one of the finest novels written in the last 100 years man.
And if any author who encourages people to question authority is fine by you and you still dont like this book, then you kinda completely missed the point of the book!

cautioner · 16-06-2008 4:24pm

I just admitted that I missed the point of the book. What's your take on it if you don't mind me asking? No-one I've asked has read it and I'm really quite keen to find out what the great appeal that I missed is.

smacl · 26-06-2008 3:48pm

ncmc wrote: »

Just something about that book left a bad taste in my mouth, I can't put my finger on exactly what it was about it that I didn't like. In saying that, it probably isn't a book to avoid at all costs, as it is very original and shocking and I could see some people loving it! I guess it more belongs in 'ncmc's most hated books' thread! I'd be really interested to know what you think of it when you are finished.:D

Wow, I loved Wasp factory and quite enjoyed Black Dahlia, but am with you for sure on Perfume. A few from my 'wish I hadn't bothered' list;

Lila - Pirsig, (I liked Zen & the art of motor cycle maintenance)
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka, total drivel
Possibility Of An Island - Michel Houellebecq, again liked atomised and platform but this was pretty tedious
American Tabloid - James Ellroy
Amsterdam - Ian McKewan

As you can guess, I make the mistake that if I read one good book by an author I assume all their stuff is good. More often than not wrong.

beautiation · 27-06-2008 2:03am

rozmagoz wrote: »

Cloud Atlas (David Mitchell) has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. Utter pretensious crap. And I actually wasted time finishing it in the hopes that at some point it would redeem itself but alas! Rubbish. Avoid like the plague!!

I agree with you to an extent, his imagination of a dystopian future wasn't very original, his eco-message was heavy-handed and the links across time between his characters were not half as profound as he tries to suggest. But I thought each of his four stories from the present or the past were incredibly well written myself, especially the composer fop from the 30's who had me in both stitches and tears at points. Each to their own!

Millenium People by JG Ballard. The whole thing is one continuous over-extended metaphor about the upper class being as downtrodden as the working class in their own way, and it didn't work at all for me, just seemed like very weak satire.

Pale Fire by Nabakov- Was entranced by his unconventional writing style in Lolita, here his prose seemed forced.

greenapplesea · 02-07-2008 2:40pm

Any Danielle Steel. Or Cecelia Ahern. Rubbish!

Echelle · 02-07-2008 11:14pm

Douglas Kennedy, "The woman in the fifth" I am two thirds way through, dumb plot,badly written,lots of factual errors.A real waste of time.So annoying, glad I got it in a bargain bin....

Beldarin · 03-07-2008 4:32pm

Never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never
waste your money on Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
Oh My God its an awful read, I read it like i was watching a trainwreck

Please just take my word for it...
:eek:

dr.bollocko · 03-07-2008 4:34pm

Thats nice use of alliteration there.
And the iambic... ehhh.... unimetre? really gets the point across.
Oh wait.
Wicked.
Is that the one about like the Wicked witch of the west or some ****?
Isnt that a musical now?
Not a good sign.
Never a good sign.

Beldarin · 03-07-2008 4:40pm

Yeah, thats the one, the life story of the disturbingly misunderstood wicked witch, who by simple fact of being born green skinned and with razorsharp fangs, doesn't settle in to rural life somehow
I believe they have indeed made it into a musical, though in a seriously edited form
i bet ya anything they have not included the carnival show where a guy gets raped by a tiger, or the guy with 2 d**ks, who manages to do both mother AND daughter at the same time, among many other charming highlights, and no, it aint all about kinky stuff, but somehow those images just wont die....
Ick

dr.bollocko · 03-07-2008 4:50pm

Happily get through the rest of my life never having read that.
Woohoo.
Thanks Bald erin.

madser · 23-07-2008 7:41pm

Ma he sold me for a few cigarettes, I read it a few months and for a true story told through the eyes of a child I found her memory and and detail of her story very unbelievable.:o

StormWarrior · 30-07-2008 8:39pm

Two books I had to read at school that I absolutely HATED were George Eliot's Silas Marner and Cynthia Harnett's The Wool Pack. I found them both so unbearably dull that I was bored to literal tears by being forced to read them. Pointless, boring garbage!

Acacia · 30-07-2008 10:07pm

StormWarrior wrote: »

Two books I had to read at school that I absolutely HATED were George Eliot's Silas Marner and Cynthia Harnett's The Wool Pack. I found them both so unbearably dull that I was bored to literal tears by being forced to read them. Pointless, boring garbage!

Oh god, 'Silas Marner'. I had to read it for my Leaving Cert. If I remember correctly there's an entire chapter dedicated to a discussion about a cow. I remember my teacher commenting that that particular chapter was held in regard as one of the best examples of English literature ever.

mct1 · 05-08-2008 5:22pm

Although it goes right against the grain to mention Ben Elton's indescribably bad Gridlock in the same thread as George Eliot's evocative novel, I have no choice.

My brother in law keeps sending us Ben's books - I always found him quite an endearing comedian but am less impressed with his literary skills. We both gave up on Gridlock after Ch 1 and now his books go straight to Oxfam as soon as the gift wrap comes off. Sorry, Ben.

youcancallmeal · 05-08-2008 5:45pm

Lance Armstrong's second biography 'Every Second Counts'. Pretty much a rehash off most of the first book which wasn't even that good to begin with. I don't think I've ever disliked somebody so much after reading their biography.

Books to avoid like a bookworm on a diet

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