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Original poster

What books were you 'supposed' to enjoy but thought were a pile of crap? And why?

237 replies

MrsMerryHenry · 03/05/2009 23:39

A Suitable Boy

Writing style far too poncey and utterly incapable of moving me.

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obese1kenobi · 04/05/2009 23:28

Mrs Merry- shorten away- I'm reverting back to usual self at midnight- just observing Star Wars day- May the Fourth an all that

And Frank - I'm with you on the the adults reading HP thing - same as Twilight - p'raps there should be age bands on them...save people making dicks of themselves in public..!

luckylady74 · 04/05/2009 23:28

So pleased that others agree with me re 'The Island' and 'The Alchemist', but I could hardly say they were awful to the people who raved about them to me.
What was that book about 7 different ways to get to heaven? It was all about the way people were incidently involved in other people dying and some of it was set in 'heaven'. I was actually talking to out loud to the book about how dreadful it was.

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 23:19

God, you managed 3 Harry Potter books? You could climb Everest with those levels of endurance .

I know what you mean about losing respect for people - once I read the first line of Da Vinci, about 20 intelligent friends of mine plummeted in my estimation.

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 04/05/2009 23:18
FrankMustard · 04/05/2009 23:17

MrsMerryHenry - I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought PS I Love you was crap - loads of people I know who I had respect for, have ruined their own reputations in my eyes by telling me it was a great book!

I'm afraid I also don't see the adult mania over Harry Potter - yes, good books for kids and I have myself read 3 of them but more to see what the fuss was about really and whilst they were pretty enjoyable, I can't understand why grown men and women queued up outside WHSmiths every time a new one was about to come out!

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 23:13

But, obese1 (do you mind if I call you that for short? It feels somehow...wrong) I loved Flowers...when I was 12!!

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Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 23:12

Seriously? Or are you taking the mick? Obviously they're similar to the condition experienced by dementia sufferers, which is why I thought you'd be the ideal person to ask .

PS I love you - hahahahahhaha! It did make me cry, Frankie - with laughter! Utter crap - but I just knew they'd make a movie of it.

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obese1kenobi · 04/05/2009 23:10

Yes Mrs Merry - Flowers was THE 80's teen drivel.

nevergoogledragonbutter · 04/05/2009 23:10

i know everything about tonsil infections

FrankMustard · 04/05/2009 23:09

Cecilia Aherne's "PS I LOVE YOU"

Loads of people recommended that I read it, saying it woud reduce me to tears, make me laugh and be an all-round enjoyable read.

It was AWFUL - poorly written, twee, encouraged no empathy for the characters and I found myself irritated by the main character to the point of exclaiming out loud as I read it - much to DH's amusement!

I still haven't let on that I've read it to the people who told me it was great - I don't want to offend them!

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 23:09

I knew from p1 that I'd enjoy it - the opening paragraph is so important. If the first para doesn't lure me in, style-wise, I don't bother buying.

How's you, db? Do you know anything about tonsil infections? There's another thread I'm on in which I'm wary of not wanting to give too much medical advice, seeing as, like, I'm not actually a medic!

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nevergoogledragonbutter · 04/05/2009 23:07

Glad you enjoyed the poisonwood bible mrsmh.

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 23:02

Flowers in the Attic!!!! You've taken me back in time.

I loved Catcher, loved the annoying teenager's voice for some reason. Have you tried Vernon God Little, custardo?

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Tortington · 04/05/2009 22:53

catcher - becuase it just whined and was self indulgant ssssssssssssssssssssssshit.

salmon fishing..........soppy, lmp wristed - easy to read - great - but don't bloody bother becuase its wank.

obese1kenobi · 04/05/2009 22:51

But loved the Girl with the Pearl... so much i read it twice!

Twilight- my 16 yr old is reading it- tis Flowers in the Attic-esque teen drivel for the norties generation.

edam · 04/05/2009 22:48

Thing is, I only really get to read (as in, pay sustained attention to a book) late at night in bed, so my tolerance threshold for anything self-important/indulgent is very, very low.

edam · 04/05/2009 22:46

Glad to see other people couldn't be bothered with Joshua Ferris. Pile of steaming shite IMO. Very irritating style and never saw why I should care about the characters.

Started Poisonwood Bible and gave up - again, couldn't really work up any enthusiasm for the characters, felt as if it was trying too hard to Say Important Things about colonialism/reference Conrad.

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 22:42

I also loved slng's comment about A Suitable Boy numbing her labour pains! They ought to put that on the book jacket.

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lockets · 04/05/2009 22:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 22:36

Oh, and I adored Poisonwood.

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Original poster
MrsMerryHenry · 04/05/2009 22:36

I've tried reading both Beloved and The Idiot about 3 times. Each time I find them impossible - though I love Morrisson, always have since I was 13.

I really like some of your hated books:

The Lovely Bones (except that she should have ended it much earlier)
Captain Corelli
Life of Pi
Anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Also hated Alchemist - pointless, uninspiring drivel. A friend of mine (who calls himself an intellectual) said it changed his life.

I'd forgotten about that Jonathan Strange book - I asked DH to buy it for me in hardback for a birthday once; tried reading it and really wanted to enjoy it. Several years later and I'd forgotten I even own it. Says it all, really.

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Nighbynight · 04/05/2009 22:25

Captain Corellis Mandari is one of the worst books I have ever read.

Ukrainian tractors - was terrible. The idea was good, but the story telling was mangelhaft.

Beloved - must admit, I gave up on this one. I enjoy some of what Toni Morrison writes, but I hate the way she uses big themes (child abuse, child death) to get drama into her plots.

Gabriel Garcia M is good if you like that sort of thing, I think (which I dont).

fishie · 04/05/2009 22:23

yes she did crackfox. attention seeking.

oh yes, beloved. couldn't do it.

obese1kenobi · 04/05/2009 22:20

God yes- Beloved! Awful.
Lovely Bones- grim.
The Alchemist - inspired? nope.

pointydog · 04/05/2009 22:18

salmon fishing in the yemen - poor