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Original poster

The worst books you read in 2017

139 replies

BestIsWest · 17/12/2017 12:02

Inspired by @SouthEastDweller’s best books of 2017 thread, what’s your worst read of 2017?

Mine is unquestionably The End OfThe World Running Club. Just dire. Misogynistic macho drivel. And there wasn’t even much running.

OP posts:
traceyturnblatt · 27/12/2017 15:20

Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw.

It had the potential to be brilliant; a doctor who helps ill otherworldly creatures but the amount of italics to emphasis everything was so annoying!

I'm not exaggerating when I say that there was italics on every page and it seemed like the author didn't trust her writing enough to get the emotion across so she italicised everything.

I hated it.

Beltane18 · 27/12/2017 14:54

I loved The Secret History as well, really loved it. Not sure whether to bother with The Little Friend or not - though it would have to be in the library anyway.

IrenetheQuaint · 27/12/2017 14:42

Cote is right that I did read worse books in 2017 than The Goldfinch, including a weak early Mary Renault and a ridiculous time-travelling romance I downloaded on my library app for a long journey. However, The Goldfinch was my greatest disappointment of 2017, as I loved The Secret History and found The Little Friend unforgettable - weird, but mostly in a good way.

Beltane18 · 27/12/2017 13:17

oh this is helpful

I agree re the Goldfinch, luckily it was doing the rounds at work, I got to p60 I think and then decided to hand it on.

I will cross Goats and Sheep off the list.

I swear, fiction needs to be divvied up by "stuff happens" and "nothing happens".

Tessliketrees · 27/12/2017 11:41

Honourable mention for The Luminaries which started off okay but suffered for it's silly rules. Not one of the worst I have read but a shocking waste of potential.

Tessliketrees · 27/12/2017 11:39

Oh wow how did I not find this board sooner.

At first I only thought of The Girls but then reading through the tread reminded me of Nocturnal Animals, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, A game for all the Family and The Goldfinch.

I avoided The Power and Essex Serpent as I thought they both looked pants.

EmmaGrundyForPM · 26/12/2017 14:28

I had to read a dreadful book called "Penguin Lessons" for my book group. Young man backpacking around South America adopts an injured penguin and has lots of jolly japes.
Dreadful book.

CoteDAzur · 26/12/2017 14:25

I very much enjoyed TheGoldfinch. It was a beautiful journey.

Surely it can't be the worst book of the year for anyone, unless you've read just 1 book in 2017 Wink

Londoner11 · 26/12/2017 14:07

The accident by CL Taylor. Plot wasn't very realistic.

TeachesOfPeaches · 25/12/2017 19:08

I also read The Goldfinch and really struggled to get on with it at first as I found it extremely turgid. However, persevered and began to enjoy it and then read The Secret History straight after which I enjoyed.

aroomwithaperfectview · 24/12/2017 17:20

I don't remember much about The Couple Next Door except for being very disapointed. I really enjoyed Good me Bad me.

elkiedee · 24/12/2017 16:58

I enjoyed Vinegar Girl, not as much as some of her other books but it was a good read. Not the only book mentioned here that I liked better so I'm hoping it works that way for The Power.

Oywotchadoin · 24/12/2017 00:39

The Companions. Beautiful cover but it was downhill from there

SatsukiKusakabe · 24/12/2017 00:34

Yes The Goldfinch - all over the place in terms of writing quality too. Cliched, far fetched finish (from the middle on) to interesting premise, and the weird summing up at the end - if you haven’t got the message across in the 600 odd pages before it’s too late. You definitely could have given the impression of him being directionless without the pages and pages of that stuff in Vegas.

IrenetheQuaint · 23/12/2017 23:35

You're probably right, CurlyHaired, but there were an awful lot of directionless words to plough through (and I gave up about two-thirds in).

CurlyhairedAssassin · 23/12/2017 23:25

“but then lost any vestige of direction or structure”

I agree but I think that feeling fit with the whole premise - it was almost a metaphor for his life. He just lost direction.

IrenetheQuaint · 23/12/2017 23:08

The Goldfinch. Started well but then lost any vestige of direction or structure, and full of cliches. V disappointing.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 23/12/2017 10:30

I have Vinegar Girl out of the library. I don't think I'm eve going to open it now.

codswallopandbalderdash · 23/12/2017 10:05

Ditto girl on a train but was compelled to keep reading

codswallopandbalderdash · 23/12/2017 10:04

Oh God, Vinegar Girl, it was so bad

Beltane18 · 21/12/2017 12:04

love this list, so useful

I have crossed the Streetcat one off my list.

I tend to read one star reviews on Amazon now because sometimes you get stuff that won all the prizes etc and people don't want to speak against it.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 20/12/2017 22:48

Girl on a train was utter shit!!!

Yep-terrible crap.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 20/12/2017 22:47

A street cat named Bob - James Bowen - feel so guilty about it and I know it was supposed to be a 'heart warming tale' but honestly nothing happened!

I thought this was shite! And everybody else was going on about how wonderful it was. Sentimental drivel!

midsomermurderess · 20/12/2017 22:16

I had a go at Anything You Do Say as I was looking for something easily digestible and I thought it was dire. Completely unbelievable characters and situation. I rapidly discarded it.

buckeejit · 20/12/2017 21:33

I also loved the book of dust but love PP so much that I'd forgive him anything. It felt a bit like what the hobbit is to Lord of the rings but I loved the characters & the audio narrator was fab (Michael Sheen)