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.

Apple Tree Yard

Dross

The Illusionist by Jennifer Johnson. Absolute tripe.

Minette Walters books...so dark and frankly effing depressing.

My absolute darling. It was just disgusting.

Actually, I didn't really like 'Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine'. Certainly not awful. But curiously unengaging.

According to Yes by Dawn French is truly awful. The plot was ridiculous and it’s poorly written. I stuck it out until the main character, a woman in her 30s, had sex with an 80 year old man but couldn’t take any more after that.

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig - I had to force myself to finish it and even then I only skim read it at best. (I did love reading his Father Christmas books to my children though, so maybe I'm just not at his adult book level yet!!)

I didn’t hate it but Elenor Oliphant didn’t live up to the hype for me.

Fifty Shades, all of them. I read the first one only because both my adult daughters bought it on the same day. Utter drivel, sounds as if it was written by a 13 year old.

Next worst, probably The Girl on The Train.

I don't like Jilly Cooper's novels.

I couldn't get past the first chapter of the first Harry Potter book, tried several times. My daughter has read them all and loves them.

I didn't enjoy The Hobbit, possibly because I'd read (and loved) The Lord of The Rings first.

Old Man and the Sea- might partly be because it was a set text, so forced to read it. But the whole premise of a bloke gone fishing for days is just dull

Old Man and the Sea- might partly be because it was a set text, so forced to read it. But the whole premise of a bloke gone fishing for days is just dull

I quite liked The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. I could totally imagine that as a film.

50 Shades of Shite
Twilight
Any sappy romance novel crap

OTOH some of you have mentioned some of my all time favourites.

I love Wild Swans, A Suitable Boy, Capt Corelli's Mandolin and Shantaram for the first 2/3 of the book.

The choice - absolute drivel. None of the characters were likeable but the main character was incredibly whiny and naive. The only book I’ve not finished.

And I LOVED Donna Tartt Secret History too!

@MotheringShites

I’ve had several I hated this year, but none more than A Little Life. I HATED it so much.

Didn’t like The Testaments either.

A little life - how can something be so depressing and also so boring at the same time?

I loved Sophie's World as a 14 year old. Tried to reread it and struggled to see why I had loved it, I should have left it as a happy memory.

Couldn't finish Captain Corelli's Mandolin - I left it on the bus deliberately because I couldn't be arsed carrying it round with me when I couldn't be doing with it. I like to think it found a grateful new reader.

I want to read ‘Captain Corelli and The Milkman’ @Commentutappelles 🙂

'The Testaments' for me too which was a massive disappointment as I love Atwood. The teenage central character hit every twee, anticipated stereotype and I actually found myself reading it and saying 'I bet she...' and she did.

Goldfinch .

Love this thread by the way !

Wolf Hall. Managed about 6 pages and gave up. Boring pretentious shite - and about sums up what I think of her too - pretentious

Wolf Hall. Managed about 6 pages and gave up. Boring pretentious shite - and about sums up what I think of her too - pretentious

I read absolutely anything. For me, every book gives me something. I read Lord of the Rings when I was about 9 or 10 and loved it. I read it a few years ago and could not believe how awful it was. And I know I will be hated for saying it, but so much effort for so little reward ...

The third policeman was a bag of shite.

The rat scene in American Psycho has stuck with me for all the wrong reasons.

50 shades made me laugh out loud but don't think that was the intent

Th time travelers wife couldn't read it ,it was boring