I just read a terrible book

The Essex Serpent, I did enjoy it. Although, until this thread reminded me, I'd forgotten I'd actually read it. So, make of that what you will.

I read a DH Lawrence but so long ago I've forgotten which, possibly the Rainbow. My abiding, perhaps only, memory of it was there seemed to be an awful loot about clothes. Unless I'm mixing it up with the Freeman's catalogue.

Lady Chatterley’s Lover
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan - and they made a film of it !

I have found that Bryson's books have got less and less engaging as he has got older (or maybe as I have got older).

Conversations with friends by Sally Rooney. Maybe it’s my age but I really don’t understand all the hype about this book at all. I found the writing and characters pretentious and lacking in depth and maturity.

Both The Da Vinci Code and SPQR have joined the very small pile of books that I just couldn't finish. The Da Vinci code because it was just such bollocks, and SPQR because all of the life and energy of Mary Beard's TV appearances just didn't carry over into the book, and it was just really, really blah. I found the Cambridge Latin Course at school more interesting!

I didn't like this either - I thought it was sordid. He spent a lot of time letching over her when she was a child.

I also detested The Reader. That anyone would rather go to jail as convicted Concentration Camp guard directly responsible for hundreds of murders than admit they were illiterate.

Not really; it was (almost) banned for the use of certain four-letter words.

My dislike is nothing to do with how tame it was, anyway. It's just very badly written!

Normal people.

I finished it because it was a book club read. And resented every minute wasted on that drivel

Yinka where is your husband?

Rubbish, I gave it a go thinking it might be different but was the same old Bridget Jones type, my man dumped me, I need a new man, when will I get a man, oh the man I thought I wanted is no good, and this old friend might actually be the one, navel gazing tosh.
Except in this one the woman is a virgin and a christian. yawn.

Oh I see ALL has already come up 😂 it’s like a reverse fan club. A Little Life Hate Club. I was actually tempted to go see the play just to continue my deep seated hatred but I’m trying to be a bigger person. I would just love to see it and discover why they’ve bothered casting an actor to play the character of Malcolm. I would have saved the money and just stuck a wig on a lamp and sat it in the back.

I have just googled the end of "haven't they grown" to save me sone hassle.

Secret history by Donna tratt was one I ploughed through at 20 and wondered what all the fuss was about.

Recently on kindle (which makes it much harder to speed flick to the end) was SNAP about a mother who disappeared 13 years ago and her son who brings up the kids left behind. Very pedestrian.

I say this all the time on here but A Little Life is mine. I hate it too because when you say you thought it was awful people always bleat ‘oh I know it was soooo heart wrenching, it’s hard to get though.’ No, I didn’t dislike it because I found it too bleak or gritty. I disliked it because it was very poorly written, badly plotted, lacked realism entirely, and had a cast of characters who were entirely interchangeable and had no character traits. I spent the last quarter snorting with laughter every few pages at the absolutely theatrical silliness of it all. But so many people love it. Plus to make it worse it was recommended to me by a friend who says it’s her favourite book, so I felt I had to be diplomatic and say it wasn’t for me rather than I saw her in a whole new light for liking it.

@PermanentTemporary
@ThreeKneeRepeater

I was expecting to love this but also hated it. It was like the author couldn't decide what kind of book she was writing. I found it ridiculous and completely lacking in charm.

Same

I'm force feeding myself this vapid pile of drivel. Probably should give up but I always have that slight feeling it may improve...

Hated Cloud Atlas and liked the film much better. In general, I really enjoy the premise of David Mitchell's books, but his writing style is to turgid and pleased with itself I just can't get on with them.

Lisey's Story by Stephen King is just appalling. I like King, some of his books are better than others, but this one....the run on sentences that are split between chapters. The cutesy little language the titular character and her husband have. The fact that nothing happens for like 90% of the book. I remember reviewing it at about 80% done on Goodreads saying I still didn't know what a 'bool' was, which is something Lisey and husband are always blathering about. I still don't, even though I read the whole book, because I erased my memory. Compare it to something like Joyland which was a really tight coherent story and it's almost like he didn't write it!

Having said that - Joe Hill, Stephen King's son, is a terrible writer. I don't know why I keep trying his books - thus far I've liked none of them.

God yeah, how the fuck do so many people love that book? It is beyond AWFUL.

Yes I gave up on 'The Seven Deaths..'

A Little Life - absolute misery porn. I just don't get why people love it so much.

Cloud Atlas, absolutely hated it

Same here!! Everyone was raving about it! I was that disappointed I applied for refund (kindle version) and got it!!

Well, it wouldn't have bothered me if the story was good and the characters happened to be gay- I've read plenty like that and enjoyed them- but this book was written with a specific cast of characters who were all gay, ethnic minority women- it felt like it had a point to prove, rather than actually concentrating on being a good, engaging book. It didn't seem to be about anything else - that's why I think it would be helpful if the book description mentioned what the main theme of the book is- rather than trying to trick people into believing it was a book portraying life in Britain from the perspective of a variety of black women, which would actually have been more appealing and what I thought I was buying. It's a niche book, marketed in a deceptive way to fool the masses.

Some guff by Dawn French. Didn’t finish it and have now wiped it from my memory.

I loved A Walk in the Woods. Where does @Orangetapemeasure live that there are bears on her daily dog walk?

Oh no, I love A Walk in the Woods, have read it a few times, although I love Bill Bryson's style of writing generally.

It's interesting that many of the ones mentioned are by celebrities who got a big book deal. A lot of these books would not have been published on their own merits. It's a bit sad that there are probably loads of great writers who will never get a big book deal, but because someone is well known money is thrown at them to write something.