Disappointing Reads from 2015

I have however just finished "Her" possibly The.Worst.Book.Ever

I started a thread about Her because the ending was so bad. I don't just want my money back, i want the hours I wasted. First time in ages that I've called the main character a cunt out loud.

Ditto The Orphan Choir. Main character needed handing a massive grip. Whenever I read Sophie Hannah I'm inspired to write a book myself, because I know I could do so much better and I ain't great

Margaret Atwood though was great

The Ice Twins .......had such high hopes.......

Lordy, didn't realise anyone even attempted Rachel Cusk these days! Some of my favourite old threads on MN have involved discussion of her writing.

My most disappointing read from last year was a novel I bought at Gatwick as we were flying out for summer holidays - The Girls by Lisa Jewell.

Ha just spotted the above post!

I liked Elizabeth is Missing but I don't think it was amazing. I read it in one sitting though so I think that helped.

The worst book was Girl on the Train. It was so far fetched and badly written, but I had to read it to see how on earth the author was going to tie everything up.

I've had several books recommended to me that I didn't bother getting because they'd been on the list for me: Gone Girl and the Miniaturist immediately sprimg to mind.

I really really didn't get on with The Miniaturist. It made me cross, it felt extremely derivative of that genre and the miniatures actually didn't add anything to the story.

I also read ALL the books in the Cazalet Chronicles (thinking 'something must happen soon') only to find that a) nothing happened, and b) the author died so nothing else was going to happen either. Underwhelmed.

The last in the Divergent series was such a let down that I couldn't actually remember if I had finished it or not. Ditto the prequel for the Maze Runner books.

I love Driving Over Lemons though. It's a very gentle read.

The Taxidermist's daughter by Kate Mosse was dire to read. You might as well read the last two chapters to get the point of the story, the rest is padding. Shame I usually like her books.

The Illusionist by Rosie Thomas, couldn't finish it, which surprised me as I have liked all the others that she has written. She is very varied in style of writing and type of story.

i loved The Children Act and Stoner went straight to my favourite books ever list.

My disappointments from 2015 were:

Dare Me by Megan Abbott. "Cheerleader Noir" wtf? Don't bother.
Norwegian Wood (Murakami). I loved The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle but I thought this was self indulgent with really crappy female characters.
The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill. Billed as 2015's The Handmaid's Tale. Um, no.
Disclaimer by Renee Knight. Really quite poor.
She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb. Schlocky night-school creative writing class rubbish.

I read Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood and really enjoyed it.

The 100 year old man. Loathed it from the first page.
The Martian, Andy Weir. Plodded on in the hope of discovering what all the fuss was about and wished I hadn't bothered.
Notes on a Scandal, Zoe Heller. My reading notebook just says "tedious".

The Handmaid's Tale I read when it was first published in the 1980s and recall I loved it at the time - might feel differently now I am in my fifties.

Rachel Cusk, didn't she write that book with the pink cover. I only bought it for the cover. Didn't like it, don't remember it...

Rachel Cusk's book about being the mother of small children must have prevented several hundred births, I should think.
There's one Jane Smiley I liked and found perceptive and well-told : I think it's called Duplicate Keys. Long short stories maybe ?

Agree re Harry Queberrt Affair and five people you meet in heaven - both awful for exactly the reasons already specified: weird normalisation of abusive relationship and just utter tripe.

On the other hand I like the Handmaids Tale.

I have however just finished "Her" possibly The.Worst.Book.Ever

Sorry but has anyone seen / can anyone please link to the thread a couple of days ago re recommending a gripping book for a long flight?

Interesting. Will avoid these!

An old one, but the worst book I read last year was Aftermath by Rachel Cusk. It's an extended essay about her divorce. She's always been an irritatingly self-regarding writer, but here she reveals herself as an unpleasantly selfish individual too (not wanting to "share" the children or pay maintenance to her SAHP ex. He's a man! He should be able to make lots of money, so why should she fork out?). I wouldn't mind that if it was written well, but she aimed at profundity and landed on pomposity.

I didn't much rate The Buried Giant (he misunderstands the origins of conflict. Memory my foot) but wouldn't say I was disappointed as the reviews were pretty cautious and gave an accurate warning of what to expect.

Dust by Hugh Howey. It wasn't terrible, it's just it was meant to pull together all the strands in the Wool trilogy and the explanation of it all never really made sense.

Some Luck by Jane Smiley. Utterly dreadful. Goodness knows how she managed to write two others! Hundred years of dullness!

The Jungle Book. Book club read. Rocked up to said book club to find 13/15 members hadn't finished it. How is it a classic?

Driving over lemons wasn't good either.

Slightly concerned about the Sophie Hannah comments - I've just picked up A game for all the family to read!

I did like the Goldfinch, but the Nevada bit was not pleasant, I agree, so bleak and unhappy, and I didn't like, what's his name, Boris? at all. I knew someone IRL exactly like him and they are not charming, essentially good types.

Oh yes - The Goldfinch - really did NOT like that. It went on and on and on. So boring reading about drug and alcohol fuelled crap behaviour. I liked the first part, but when he went of to Nevada(?) I was skipping pages/page skimming. Was MIGHTILY relieved when it finished. I thought it would never ever end.

When God was a Rabbit - I did get through it, but it was pretty dire.
But Elizabeth is Missing - I really enjoyed, and thought the author pulled off "dementia" very well - the slipping between now and the past.
Agree Spool of Blue Thread wasn't up to the usual Anne Tyler standard - found it irksome and unsatisfying, which is unusual.

I absolutely hated we are all completely beside ourselves.

Also after the crash by Michael bussi that someone mentioned up thread. Utter dross and very disappointing as I'd been really in the mood for a good thriller but no such luck at all.

Glad to see some other Sophie Hannah haters. I read The Orphan Choir too, possibly the most ridiculous story I have ever read. I actually got it in poundland and wished I could get a refund!

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves wasn't great either, I found it rather daft but it was enjoyable enough.

The 100 year old man was entertaining though, but that was a couple of years ago now!

Wasn't keen on Jonathen Franzens Purity either. Was ok in many parts but boy did it drag

Hated the 100 yr old man book - gave up after a few pages, thankfully. Stuck with Paper Towns, despite the vile female character. She was so not worth it! Also hate the following, while I'm on a bit of a rant:
Margaret Atwood's latest.
Anything by Cecilia Ahern.
Anything by Charles Dickens. No, I haven't read them all...actually I've read one and a bit, but that was quite enough, thank you. Didn't get that far with the Ahern books - started two; appalling grammar and syntax. Richard & Judy lied...