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.

Was it called Flowers in the Attic - Incest? no thanks!

Without hesitation, 50 Shades. Unfortunately, I had it on my Kindle, otherwise I'd have hurled it out the window. Truly dire writing.

Couldn't finish Catch 22, or Captain Corelli.

Oh I hated a Prayer for Owen Meany too. I was given the impression this was something of a moral failing.

Worst book I ever read was Ralph’s Party by Lisa Jewell. I read a great review of it in the Guardian (in the days when it was ok) and when I actually came to read the book myself, I realised the review was just a great big marketing ploy. It was terrible and I felt hoodwinked.

The Go-between. Was forced to read it at school and hated it!

Feeling like a rebel for liking on chisel beach!

Agree with Hilary Mantel, hard going and not worth reading. Tried Ayn Rand, unread able and no plot, awful

The True blood series, I hated the writing style but really liked the plot so persevered through the entire series.

According to yes by Dawn French, anything by Giovanna Fletcher.

@Binterested - I loved Ralph's Party, even though it's not the sort of book I usually go for.

I loved Reservoir 13, and also the Slap (frequently hated on here).

50 shades, although I didn't get very far. Unutterably awful. The second ⅔ of the Goldfinch.

Pretty much all of the Famous 5 books, but they are more of a guilty pleasure than just terrible books.

PS I Love You by Celia Aherne was crap - I am bemused by its success.

The Photographer's Wife by Nick Alexander, someone got it for me , think it's self published. Truly dire, the message of the story is don't be female.

@NeedToKnow101 I also loved reservoir 13 and The Slap. I don't get the hate for that book, its not like the author is saying his characters are great people.

House of Leaves.

The actual story itself was alright, but the formatting, different fonts, footnotes ( that outnumbered the actual text) made it such a difficult book to read. No one wants to be rotating a large book to read sentences laid out in a spiral or sideways up the page for too long.

The Dry - appropriately named, so dull and I was promised a gripping thriller. Nothing happens.

The Secret History - this book taught me to go with my instincts and give up if it bores you. I got to the end and felt nothing - so many words, so little meaning.

The Man who didn't call - cringeworthy

Just an example...

@TheNavigator, I promise you that, difficult it may be to imagine, PS I Love You is a masterpiece compared to her later novel A Place Called Here!

50 shades. Like something 15 year old me would have written. So devoid of any kind of reality.
In the children's stakes There's a Bear on My Chair because the author uses sat when it should be sitting. I'd never binned a book before that.

@GreenGordon ha! All books I'd say were really well written!

50 Shades.

I was ready to give up by the second chapter, but kept on as I thought it must improve, as otherwise how could it be so popular right?

American Psycho. I think the author is a serial killer.

I’ve struggled to get through Lord of the Rings. I’ve had the book for years, but have hardly made a dent in it. Remember it several months later, start it again and the cycle repeats.

50 shades terrible terribly written.

Most of the time if I'm not enjoying a book I won't bother finishing it.

There was also a 'Richard and Judy' award winner the Roanoke girls- nasty story. Will never read anything they recommend.

My rule of thumb - if it wins an Oscar the film will not be for me.

Book - I go with recommendations or amazon suggestions etc.

I like a lot of the books here - couldn't get through Captain Correlli's Mandolin and frankly, I have read some tedious shite so that must have been awful.

Tattooist of Auschwitz could have been a brilliant story in the right hands, unfortunately the writer was not good enough, not intelligent enough to do it any justice. Ended up being not only badly written but it also actively made me cross with the author.

50 shades and Twilight. Thank goodness I didn't spend any actual money on them! Mind you my sister raved about them. I question her very dubious taste in 'literature'.
Captain Corelli's Mandolin- just couldn't finish it.

I think it's fascinating how the same book can have inspired one person and yet another person hates it with a passion! Just goes to show how books can 'speak' to something in someone or resonate with a person and just go 'clunk' with someone else.

I will defend Northanger Abbey with my last breath, but agree with everyone who said that Labyrinth was awful. Very 'I speak French, you know, look, here's how much French I speak, look at me, speaking French here...'