Books that disappointed you

La_Gordy

judgefudge wrote: »

Room really was a terrible terrible book.

Utter scutter.

shootermacg

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Easily one of the biggest bore-fests I've ever had the misfortune of reading. The fact that I stuck with it is a testament to my ability to put up with banal ****e. it is the literary equivalent of Batman and Robin (the one staring George Clooney) except, I did actually walk out of that.

sealgaire

Dracula

eyeball kid

Could only get half way through Life of Pi. Found it pretty boring. One of the few books I never bothered finishing. But as I never heard anything about it when it was given to me, it wasn't really a disappointment.

Slaughterhouse 5 probably disappointed me a bit. Had read a lot about it prior to reading and was just a bit underwhelmed by it. Still enjoyed it though.

judgefudge

shootermacg wrote: »

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

Easily one of the biggest bore-fests I've ever had the misfortune of reading. The fact that I stuck with it is a testament to my ability to put up with banal ****e. it is the literary equivalent of Batman and Robin (the one staring George Clooney) except, I did actually walk out of that.

I just started that! I've found it pretty good so far but I have no idea where it's going.

La_Gordy

I'm reading IQ84 at the minute. It was all brilliant till it made me massively uncomfortable. Powering through just for the sake of it now.

shootermacg

judgefudge wrote: »

I just started that! I've found it pretty good so far but I have no idea where it's going.

NOWHERE! Abandon this as a lost cause, 1000 + pages of some some big dude making lunch and being a boring git, I also powered through this but my time would have been better spent rubbing peppers into my eyes.

MaggieNF

I was considering reading 1Q84, but the summary on Goodreads bored me enough to make me stop thinking that way

City of Bohane is boring me to tears. Depressing and angry

judgefudge

I hadn't read anything about it before I picked it up, on a whim, because I liked the cover (to be honest). I heard he was a good author though. Anyway, I'm a 100 pages in, I'll reserve judgement til I finish the first book (400 pages)

Sergeant

MaggieNF wrote: »

I was considering reading 1Q84, but the summary on Goodreads bored me enough to make me stop thinking that way

The whole magic realism genre seems to divide people in general. I loved it, and found the slow pace and mundane descriptions of life in Japan in the early 80's to be fantastic.

It's not difficult to read, but it can be rather obscure.

Another vote here for Catch-22. It's one concept and a couple of repeating jokes spread over 400 pages.

markesmith

bluewolf wrote: »

Moby Dick
Just no

Jaysus my sister is obsessed with that book

shootermacg

markesmith wrote: »

Jaysus my sister is obsessed with that book

Are you sure its not the video? ahem ^ ^ I'll get me coat.

shootermacg

Sergeant wrote: »

The whole magic realism genre seems to divide people in general. I loved it, and found the slow pace and mundane descriptions of life in Japan in the early 80's to be fantastic.

It's not difficult to read, but it can be rather obscure.

Another vote here for Catch-22. It's one concept and a couple of repeating jokes spread over 400 pages.

judgefudge

I haven't come across any descriptions of lunches yet. But I actually love reading above food... Particularly oriental food.

Whatsernamex33

I hated the Hunger Games trilogy. Couldn't finish the first one. The film version of it was great though.

There's rarely a book I'd say was disappointing though. :pac:

Sergeant

shootermacg wrote: »

Lots of descriptions of long streets and female pubic hair as well.

Slattsy

markesmith wrote: »

Jaysus my sister is obsessed with that book

Are you sure it's the book, or simply dick she's obsessed with! Ha. Sorry.

For me it has to be A Tale of Two Cities.
Just couldn't get into a rhythm with it. I will try again.

La_Gordy

shootermacg wrote: »

The only part I dispute is ears.

shootermacg

La_Gordy wrote: »

The only part I dispute is ears.

Haven't finished the book then I take it ^ ^.

paglynncashel

The Tin drum by Gunter Grasse.. absolutely turgid read... hated it

La_Gordy

Happy to add IQ84 to this list now.

Giruilla

I stopped reading Norwegian Wood after about 100 pages.. I really don't get whats to like or enjoy about Murakami.

judgefudge

I'm about 100 pages into book three of 1Q84 now. I can't say I'm finding it to be fantastic but it's not the worst thing I've ever read. Got the third book because I just wanted to be sure after I'd read the whole thing (when I abandon books I always feel guilty and wonder if they were just about to get good).

Swiper the fox

I read last week that Kevin Barry's novel City of Bohane has been nominated for the Impac prize. I would nominate it for this thread, I absolutely love his two collections of short stories but that novel is pure rubbish(in my opinion obviously).

I had heard such good things about Netherland that it was also a bit of a disappointment to me.

I'm usually disappointed with the Booker winners also but of course there are exceptions or I wouldn't read them at all.

shootermacg

judgefudge wrote: »

I'm about 100 pages into book three of 1Q84 now. I can't say I'm finding it to be fantastic but it's not the worst thing I've ever read. Got the third book because I just wanted to be sure after I'd read the whole thing (when I abandon books I always feel guilty and wonder if they were just about to get good).

Stop now before its too late! The book continues like this all the way until its over and all you have left, is a feeling that you just wasted your time reading 1000+ pages of nothingness.

echo beach

judgefudge wrote: »

(when I abandon books I always feel guilty and wonder if they were just about to get good).

I am the same and for that reason I can count on my fingers the number of books I haven't finished. Even then I can't bring myself to admit they are abandoned. I keep them in case the day comes I have nothing to read.

I think it is the same as the feeling that you have to clean your plate, and it is equally unhealthy. It made sense in a time of want when all nutrition had to be gobbled up but in a time of plenty it leads to obesity. Same with books. There is now such easy and cheap access to so many good books that it makes no sense to finish reading a bad one but I still do it.

judgefudge

I've already read 1000 pages of it. I'm just not really enjoying it. If it has one of those vague endings where loose ends are left I'll be really angry...

I agree that you shouldn't read books you're not enjoying... But i cant help myself. Which is why there's still a bookmark in one hundred years of solitude. I'll go back to it at some stage.

binncheol

On the Road - Jack Kerouac
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Both were boring as hell

Swiper the fox

binncheol wrote: »

On the Road - Jack Kerouac
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Both were boring as hell

I loved both those although Gatsby had moments that seemed like hard work at the time, I wouldn't ever consider On the Road boring even if it's not your cup of tea.

What kind of books do you normally like?