I have just read possibly the worst book in the world

I dimly recall having to study Coriolanus for A level lit. Not one of the bard's finest. I much later saw a production of it at Newcastle Theatre Royal with Charles Dance in the lead and not even he could invigorate the misery of this text.

"..and grabbed it as the cover looked good."

The problem OP is that you judged a book by its cover.

Far from the Madding crowd.

Oooh yes, well done whoever brought up James Herbert!

Similarly crap, IMO, is Jodi Picoult. Her female protagonists are hugely irriating and unlikable, IMO.

I once read a bizarre one from The Works called Meat by some guy called Joseph DeLacey, I think.

Horrible, it covered torture, cannibalism and child rape all in one. I like books that "make you think," but that just left me with a nasty taste in my mouth.

mrschemist you read my mind, was gonna post and nominate every james herbert book (well the two i read anyway)
had same morbid curiosity, thought once was a pile of utter tripe, and thought maybe it gets better. it doesnt. could swing for the bugger who gave me a load of his books thinking i'd like them. cheers for that.
same plot, same sex scene (aft at "secret hole", or how bout "glistening erection" blee..) just the scary thing that changes.

I loathed 100 years of solitude. Not too keen on magic realism as a genre, though it does see quite convenient for getting out of a hole with a character, make them live to 500 or disappear in a literal puff of smoke...

morgan I had my suspicions about that Sarah Rayner one although it seemed to have good reviews (at least the ones that were written up on the cover of Two Week Wait). As you say, emotionally manipulative drivel.

LOL at Shanghaidiva re Austria. What is it with those Austrians? Closely followed by Belgians for weirdness.

Also hated Middlemarch and Wuthering Heights (get a grip,fgs). But love Mansfield Park, probably because I loved the tv version with Sylvestra Le Touzel who should be on that thread about Damian Grammaticas having the world's best name.

marshmallowpies our charity shops are the same, there are usually several copies of whatever the latest prize winner/recommended by R & J/ Oh Darling you must read... novel.
I live in a fairly well-heeled area where spending £8 on a book you read once, or never finish and then get rid of is very common. I read them for around £1.50 a time and donate them again if they were ordinary. I'm getting fussy about shelf space in my home.
In fact the only times I buy a new book is when the FWR boards give me a recommendation that is too good to pass up.

Oh god, somebody mentioned Paul coelo. Veronica decides to die is the worst book ever,really,what the actual fuck? Just jaw droppingly shite!

Another vote for Pemberley - I wish I never read it - almost ruins my own thoughts on what would happen after the end of P&P. And by the secretary of the Janeite society, too.

Yes, in defence of Marian I think she has been pigeon-holed in chicklit as a genre because there's nowhere else very obvious to put books which are comical, light-hearted and dealing with very serious issues all at the same time. Particularly not when they're written by a woman I think if she were Mike Gayle or Tony Parsons she would be marketed simply as adult fiction.

One Day - meh
Starter for Ten - quite funny
Love Kevin, Slap, Kate Atkinson, Room (if you find it unbelievable you need to move to Austria)
Jodi Picoult, Dan Brown, Shack book, Eastern Jewel (book club read) - utter shite.
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet -shite of the highest order. Seemed to be about internal audit in the 17th century

I like Marion Keyes's books. I liked One Day as well. I am not dissimilar to the heroine though.

Lesley somebody other. Wrote a book called 'Stolen' about a girl who'd been kidnapped. She written about 5000 books which mil keeps giving me. They are all utter toss.

I didn't get far with Room or The Slap either.

yyy to Eat Pray Love. Snooze, Sleep, Coma...

The Accordion Crimes was awful.
The Incredible Lightness of Being very very annoying.
Hated Middlemarch, Gone With the Wind, Moby Dick.

1950shousewife - I've read that Lionel Shriver tennis book!!! I thought I was the only one! It was HORRIBLE!!!!! the characters had no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I think that's her theme actualy.

akaemmafrost - have you read Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes? All the way through? Because yes, it starts off as empty-headed Irish girls on the lash in NY etc. but it evolves into quite a dark book on rehab. I lent it to a friend who only read the first chapter and wanted to give it back for much the same reason you said - but I made her continue with it because I knew she'd like the in-depth stuff later on. She did.
Of course, you may have read it all through in which case I apologise! :)

YY to Jodi Picoult writing THE SAME BOOK over and over again

Read My Sister's Keeper, promptly bought The Pact. Gave up about 20 pages in as I realised it was exactly the same.

Once by James Herbert sticks in my memory as a shit book because it was the first book I read that I honestly thought, 'what is this fucking drivel? Who writes like this?'

Still read it all. Possibly due to a morbid curiosity about how many cringeworthy fanjo euphemisms he could shoe horn into the book. Secret hole, anyone?

Another vote for The Island by Ian Hislop's wife Victoria Hislop. It could have been an interesting story/subject, but it's SO BADLY WRITTEN that even after all these years I am STILL FUCKING ANNOYED that I bought it because I was taken in by all the glowing reviews from what were obviously her friends.

At least Lionel Shriver and Ian McEwen can WRITE, even if some of you don't like their style.

bran - I am! Will heed your advice.

Cloud Atlas - completely agree

I love Kate Atkinson crime stuff , One Day . Quite liked The Help , Paris Wife, Room ( 1st half) . Didn't rate The Slap . Just read a Sarah Rayner book One Moment One Morning for Book Club and it's emotionally manipulative tosh - pile of rubbish - think I will be biting my tongue a bit when we discuss it - like Jodi Piccoult but worse . Did enjoy Language of Flowers but expect that splits opinion .