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What is the most tedious book you have ever read?

368 replies

Figmentofmyimagination · 26/02/2015 20:12

I am going out on a limb here for my first thread - I am struggling through The Well of Loneliness by Radcliffe hall. Aargh. I read it out of "historical interest" because I was interested by her boldness and by the obscenity trial etc but bloody hell she should have got herself an editor. The writing is truly dire. I am not sure I am actually going to make it to the end.

OP posts:
aoife24 · 28/02/2015 18:31

Sons and Lovers. God, I hated having to read this a school, what's his face getting all wanky over Clara's shoulders, it bored the arse off me. It was our set book for highers. I gave up and wrote about Graham Greene's the Comedians instead.

funnyossity · 28/02/2015 17:00

That reminds me I once read an account of village life in early communist China, written by a compliant Westerner. Probably my dullest book ever.

Thanks to this site I decided against the Morrissey autobiog. I think I got the best bits off a radio review anyway!

urbinosparrot · 28/02/2015 16:06

I''ve just given up on three tedious books in a row. Therapy by David Lodge (second attempt), and The Mimic Men by V. S. Napaul.

Also The Vermillion Gate, about the rise of the Communist party in China and the true story of a couple of dedicated party members. Brilliant book for those nights where you can't sleep - I never managed more than two pages at a time without nodding off. Dull doesn't even begin to describe it - dozens of names and dates of every political meeting ever held. Including committees and sub-committees. I gave up by page 100, which took me an eternity to reach. This was also a second attempt.

Zadie Smith also bores me to tears, with a special mention for The Autograph Man.

On the other hand, I enjoyed The Hare with Amber Eyes which a pp mentioned upthread .

TheCrowFromBelow · 28/02/2015 13:00

Our Mutual Friend. Snooze.

Testament of Youth. Snore.

Loved WH, have just re-read it and about to start BUTB. Books are so personal! I love Dune. And Anna Karenina.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 28/02/2015 12:55

Agree re Moz's autobiog. I am a huge Smiths fan and still had quite a lot of affection for the man himself until I read that. I thought the first 15 pages or so were brilliant, but then it went on and on and on and got worse and worse and worse and more and more and more self indulgent. An absolute wank-fest.

magimedi · 28/02/2015 12:34

I think Wolf Hall must be the most 'marmite' book of all times.

Personally, I loved it.

Also loved H is for Hawk - but I have always had a longing to try falconry.

Sallystyle · 28/02/2015 11:00

The 100 year old man
Da vinci code
Room
Lemon cake sadness one
The Bone Clocks
Wolf Hall

mumhum · 28/02/2015 10:03

H is for Hawk. Wanted to like it but so dull........

CornishCrumpet · 28/02/2015 10:00

The ground beneath her feet by Salman Rushdie and Wolf Hall. The only two books ever to beat me!

PuppyMonkey · 28/02/2015 09:49

Oh yes, can't believe I forgot Sons and Lovers - had to do it for A level. Put me off Lawrence for life. Confused

thelittlebooktroll · 28/02/2015 08:25

Heartisaspade, I so agree with you about Rachel Cusk.

roundtable · 28/02/2015 07:24

Don't like over descriptive books so found LOTR tedious, Dickens painful and Labyrinth dull, dull, dull.

It's like the authors were writing screenplays instead of novels and wanted to leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. I like reading books that spark off my imagination not restrict it.

There must be more but I can't think at the moment.

OneDecisionMade · 28/02/2015 03:55

50 Shades
Fell asleep in film version too

goodasitgets · 28/02/2015 03:53

So so glad to see Sophie's world on the list Grin
I think I've tried to read it once a year since it came out, I get about 10 pages from the end and give up
Tomorrow it's going in the recycling

BOFster · 28/02/2015 02:58

Shock Guns, Germs and Steel is a cracking read!

Isn't it funny how opinions vary so wildly?

playftseforme · 28/02/2015 02:38

Anna Karenina. Had been recommended it... I finished it, and thought about the hours of my life I will never get back.

MsAmerica · 28/02/2015 01:48

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, by Jared M. Diamond. What a wordy bore!

MarchEliza · 28/02/2015 00:40

Ulysses...

Also, to a lesser extent, Catch 22.

heartisaspade · 28/02/2015 00:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 27/02/2015 23:58

Ha ha Mudra - I wouldn't even stay awake through the cover blurb.

Sophie's World as mentioned upthread was another of my 'Who fucking cares?' abandonments. Anita Shrieve too. Couldn't give a shit about your angst ridden middle aged nonsense.

MuddhaOfSuburbia · 27/02/2015 23:52

have only read the first and last pages of the thread so am assuming that every post in between says MORRISSEY: AUTOBIOGRAPHY

RumPunch · 27/02/2015 23:49

Wuthering Heights. Took 3 attempts but I refused to be beaten. I'll never get those hours back Sad

GiddyOnZackHunt · 27/02/2015 23:45

Loads of the books mentioned were books I really liked.
I bloody hated Lord of the Rings. Gave up after 300 pages. I just didn't care.

aftereight · 27/02/2015 23:16

Not RTFT but
Cloud Atlas (tedious) though I did like certain chapters
& One Day (duuuull)

Shlurpbop · 27/02/2015 23:12

Brick Lane.
Dreary and just couldn't finish it.