Worst book you've ever read?

[CommunistLegoBloc]

Inspired by the film thread, what's the worst book you've read?

I think mine was The Miniaturist purely because it was SO hyped. It was completely overwritten, ridiculous, boring, and you'd think for that amount the author got paid, she'd have bothered to come up with an ending.

Zaphodsotherhead - that may well be so, but you'd really expect better than this. I have never ever abandoned a book before. I can overlook an ability to not spot an error or two by the proofreader, but this really was dreadful writing.

@3rdNamechange - I came to say the same re. the Tattoist.
Absolutely shite, and I totally agree with you it made Auschwitz look like a holiday camp.

Brave New World. I read it a few times waiting to fall in love with it and disliked it more every time.

Atlas Shrugged- I could handle the subject matter, I'm fine reading things that come from a perspective I totally disagree with, but it was so badly written it was painful.

Those Why Mummy Drinks books. Well, the first quarter of the first one, because I could go no further. Mostly annoyed that I didn't like them because I adore the author's Facebook page and think she is great. But I really did not like that book.

Everything Hardy ever wrote, but most especially The Return of the fucking Native; why would you set that as an A Level text, why? English literature is crammed full of amazing works, why do that to people? I wished all the characters had drowned by the time the end finally came. I feel this way about every Dickens I have been forced to read, also. I don't think Victorian literature is my thing.

Moby Dick was really disappointing.

Can't get on with Wolf Hall etc at all.

I also hated Pillars of the Earth

@MattBerrysHair you heathen!

Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

In fact anything by D. H. feckin’ Lawrence.

@xanthippe8

I really loved Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror and the Light, I'll probably read them again soon!

Worst book I ever read was Behind Closed Doors by B A Paris. Relentless, unbelievable cruelty all the way through.

Agree. I was going to mention Behind Closed Doors in my earlier post but couldn't remember what it was called. Horrible book. The worst thing about it is that I'll just be happily going about my business on any given day and then that scene with with the puppy will pop into my head and I'll feel sick to my stomach.

Love the Wolf Hall trilogy though. So glad The Mirror and the Light was released just in time for lockdown.

@vampirethriller yes, someone else who remembers the awfulness of that book!

I bloody loved American Psycho and read it three or four times in my early twenties.

Come Again by Robert Webb was very poor, great idea for a story but just turned to nonsense.

@morriszap that is hilarious , and true.

On the other hand I do actually think only the under 25s should read Hardy. I recently read the Mayor of Casterbridge and fuck me it was depressing. When I was younger I could take it. Now I have seen enough misery in the world not to need to spend my spare time with it.

He was a gloomy bastard, for sure.

Eat pray love.

Another vote for The Miniturist - I didn't finish it and the rarely ever happens, with me. I recently read 666 Park Avenue and that was pretty appalling. I was looking for a light read - I should have known better!

Just remembered Stoner. The most boring and miserable book in history.

Another vote for Moby Dick - and Im fine with long old fashioned novels generally but it was sooooo boring.
Also Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Pretentious drivel.

I loved 'The Go-Between'. Hated 'Lets talk about Kevin' and 'The Slap'. Also hated 'Behind her Eyes', I think it was called by Sarah Pinborough. Utter twaddle.

I’m not sure about all time, but recently a Japan “crime” novel called Six Four. It was sold as a crime, but it’s actually eight hundred pages of mostly the tedious minutiae of the inner workings of a police station. It’s like someone took a classic whodunnit and instead of actually telling that story they focused in on a dull minor middle manger who is tangential to the story and put in a few paragraphs about the crime here and there.

Oh I have another one. Mrs. Dalloway.
Am I allowed to admit this?
It was just exhausting to read. I didn't finish it.

The Fountainhead. Ugh. How did Ayn Rand EVER make it as a writer?

So glad someone mentioned My Absolute Darling. (Spoilers ahead) I know people rave about the writing style, but the abuse scenes just left me with a horrible feeling. And because of the way it's written, several reviews discussed the "sex" between the man and his teenaged daughter, rather than what is was - rape. Not a fan.
Also disliked I am Pilgrim and Shantaram. Oh and Bill Bryson's Road to Little Dribbling was awful too. Full on grump-fest but not even in the familiar, self-deprecating way I love him for!

How did Ayn Rand EVER make it as a writer?

People want to be selfish and be excused for it; if you accept that Rand's way of viewing the world is the right one you don't even need to be excused for it. By being selfish you are being good. She didn't tend to get a lot of positive reviews for the quality of her work, but a certain subset of the population went crazy for her philosophical approach.

Oh I have another one. Mrs. Dalloway.
Am I allowed to admit this?

Definitely allowed! You've just reminded me of tackling The Waves. People may well says it was experimental and pioneering in literary form but in my opinion is was pretentious nonsense. And Orlando...

My Absolute Darling was just appalling. Pure abuse porn. I hated the way he described the 14 year old (!) girl's vagina as a 'neat clam.' The way be sexualised her was disgusting, you could almost hear the authorial lust behind it. His author bio says he was 'raised by two mothers'. It was just a deliberate attempt to mitigate criticism, as if his parentage meant he had a cracking understanding of women and could therefore write this misogynistic tripe. ARGH.

@MercedesDeMonteChristo
I also really like Wuthering Heights having reread it in lockdown. Yes everyone is awful, but that’s what I like about it, there is so much about the characters.

A, reader after my own heart! I love the darkness of Wuthering Heights!

Also a fan of the first two Wolf Halls - yet to read the third. Lots of people I know seem to hate them!

Can't narrow down so top 3:
The Tatooist of Auschwitz - the writing was oversimplified, and it seemed to really underplay the horror of the holocaust
Norwegian Wood - supposedly a classic but I felt like it was overrated tripe
Twilight - enough said