Worst Book

[pshrynk]

It's my understanding that even back in Dickens' days, teenagers didn't read his stuff. It was considered adult literature.

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

It's sad when that happens - I don't support the general dumbing down'of education that's happened over the past few decades, but something that's too challenging can result in exactly this dislike. I would encourage you to watch an adaptation, though - it really is a wonderful story, and I often find that a film can help people understand a book because the characters are more real to them. I prefer the Ronald Colman version, but the later version with Dirk Bogarde is more true to the book.

I didn't start appreciating the classics until I was in my 30s. I was hospital bound while pregnant with my daughter, and in walks my husband with "Pride and Prejudice" . He sat at the foot of my bed and started reading to me aloud. From then on I wondered what else I had been missing out on (and what other things out there school had given me a bad taste) and have found several classics I now adore.

[applesauce]

Originally Posted by LuvReadin

It's sad when that happens - I don't support the general dumbing down'of education that's happened over the past few decades, but something that's too challenging can result in exactly this dislike.

My twins have been in uni 2 years now. The must read books at school for them was so different. I think their most enjoyed was The Boy In The Stripped Pyjamas and The Outsiders. I think the only one they read that I did was Animal Farm.

I am extremely jealous of all the YA stuff they had on offer when I had to beg my way into the adult section.

applesauce

[AndrewH]

Originally Posted by MickiTee

The worst book I've ever read has to be A Tale of Two Cities, which we had to read at school. Its left me with an abiding hatred of all ADULT English classics especially Dickens. I can't even watch adaptations on TV.

Ditto! It was the only book I've ever fallen asleep reading.

[covingtoncat73]

Originally Posted by AndrewH

Ditto! It was the only book I've ever fallen asleep reading.

Well, I liked A Tale of Two Cities. I thought it was the best Dickens after A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield.

I also wanted to point out that falling asleep while reading, at least for me, doesn't mean a bad book. I love reading myself to sleep. A good book may have me staying up later but, if I'm reading it in bed, I'll eventually fall asleep reading it.

[silasgreenback]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

I also wanted to point out that falling asleep while reading, at least for me, doesn't mean a bad book. I love reading myself to sleep. A good book may have me staying up later but, if I'm reading it in bed, I'll eventually fall asleep reading it.

That's such a satisfying way to know it's finally time to turn in. The only downside is sometimes bending the pages.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by hard-boiled pat

oh man... 'savages' was such a horrible read that i sent don winslow a tweet telling him i would rather crap and then wipe with $19 than buy his book... he retweeted it to his 2700 followers LOL

Well to me this indicates that he has a bizarre sense of humour and the ability to poke fun at himself.

I have read at least two of his books (as I mentioned earlier) and will probably read more although not Savages unless the apocalyse happens and it is the only book left in the universe.

Lots of authors I love have written books that I hated Dammit but probably if the books I hated were the first I read I would not have read another.

Have I mentioned Robert B. Tanebaum before Wipe all the bad tastes of bad books from your mind.

Helen

[Mencken]

For me, two books that I hated come to mind. It's been so long ago now that I can't remember now why it was I didn't like them. Whatever it was, I disliked them so that I have no desire still to read them.

First one was The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kinsolving. A friend whose taste I trusted recommended it. From the first damned page it sucked canal water. I remember thinking as I read, Damn, this sounds like Molly Ivins talking; every paragraph ends with a little zipper that I think was supposed to make me think the author was witty. No thumbs up for this book. I'd just cut my thumbs off first.

The other book I just hated was Eudora Welty's Losing Battles. This was a time when I decided I was going to quit reading "trash" and read something "serious." I chose Welty because I'm a good Mississippian; I thought it'd be a good place to start while showing fidelity to my heritage. I labored on for I don't know how many interminable pages like a husband laboring through a bad marriage. It was boring, boring, boring, boring, boring, and then it stayed boring until I quietly put it down and went and got something, Book of Lists, I think.

I'm lucky my first foray into "serious" books didn't ruin me for life.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Mencken

...

I'm lucky my first foray into "serious" books didn't ruin me for life.

Good. Tastes vary and there are definitely good and bad classics.

Bad being James Joyce
Good being Charles Dickens

[spindlegirl]

Originally Posted by covingtoncat73

Well, I liked A Tale of Two Cities. I thought it was the best Dickens after A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield.

I also wanted to point out that falling asleep while reading, at least for me, doesn't mean a bad book. I love reading myself to sleep. A good book may have me staying up later but, if I'm reading it in bed, I'll eventually fall asleep reading it.

Likewise, reading is a relaxing activity, and Prior to my e-reader I had a giant stack of paper books by my bed. I still choose reading as my bedtime relaxation.

[LuvReadin]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

It's my understanding that even back in Dickens' days, teenagers didn't read his stuff. It was considered adult literature.

Not sure that's true. Most of his books were serialised, and that generally indicates something considered suitable for reading by the family after dinner, and of course, the language we now consider dated wouldn't have been so then.

Plus, I think children at least the ones that were educated) generally seemed more able than those of the same age now. Thanks to their wider availability now, I've lately been reading quite a few of the late 19th/early 20th century books ostensibly aimed at what we'd now call teenagers, and I've been struck by how difficult some of them are. Angela Brazil's school stories and the Tom Swift adventure series, for instance, are quite long and densely written books, and even taking into account the development of the language over those years, contain some pretty difficult words. Compared with books for similar age groups today (Twilight and the like), they seem quite a lot harder, yet I read AB's books as a young teen, and don't recall that being the case; I doubt I'd have remembered them with such fondness if I had. I also remember the debate about the Harry Potter books being too 'difficult', yet quite young children were reading (and clearly enjoying) them.

[pshrynk]

I was thinking that the "political" stuff like A Tale of Two Cities was more in the adult range and "adventures" like Moby Dick and Robinson Carusoe were kid type books. I know I have the eras all off on that, but my brain is not working fully function today.

[ccowie]

This is a fun thread. I love reading about the books people have hated.

I've read some bad books, but the ones that bother me the most are those that are supposed to be well written by authors that will get promoted no matter what they write. At the top of that list for me is "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Atwood.

Being a good Canadian I've read all her books, which really makes me more of a good masochist because I don't like much of her stuff. But, The Blind Assassin was rediculous.

[bigjantailor]

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance... yes, I know how to define quality and if I did not I would use a dictionary.

Have fun, Jan

[Doitsu]

I really hated Lars Kepler's The Hypnotist (NPR review).
IMHO, this is easily the worst Nordic thriller that I've ever read, and I've read lots of them.