To ask about the worst book you have ever read.

[Whereisthecoffee]

Title says it all really. What book or books have you absolutely hated and why?

Also I really liked some of Jon Mcgregor’s earlier books but I found Reservoir 13 slow and dull. Nothing happened, it was just pages and pages of nothingness

Agree with those who hated The Slap but did really like The Goldfinch
Haven't attempted 50 shades and don't think I'll bother.
Shantaram also awful

The Essex serpent. Should have been right up my street. Got so bored with it I couldn't finish it.

Oh god Reservoir 13 was terrible.

All of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Anything by Sophie Kinsella, how she is still being published is a mystery!

The great Gatsby, pile of pants

I used to Love Martina Coles books but than she kept regurgitating the same story over and over again and all the same phrases, Belly full of arms and legs, etc .

That Dan Brown crap book.

I like intelligent crap (eg the earlier Kay Scarpetta books before they jumped the shark) but Dan Brown - ergh, so badly written. Description as dialogue, anyone?

Sentences clunkier than J K Rowlings' - her Harry Potter books probably the next on my "badly written" list. Clunky ugly sentences and boy oh boy did she need an editor.

Shantaram. So bloody slow and obvious. I got a third of the way through and literally chucked it in the recycling. Would have burned it if I could.

Genuine Fraud by E Lockhart, absolute pile of crock and a rip off of The Talented Mr Ripley!

Also hated her other book We Were Liars, the ending deemed it completely pointless and I felt I had wasted my time.

Both of her books are filled with references to literature too and they just scream look at me I'm well read and I've wrote these books.

Sorry I absolutely hated the both of them and have never felt this way about any other books 😂

I also DNFd Bright Young Things by Scarlett Thomas, hated the pretentiousness of it all.

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Turgid.

I liked Eleanor Oliphant, I'd read it again too

We Need to Talk About Kevin.

Started it twice because it had ha so much hype I thought I genuinely must be missing something. Just couldn’t get past about page 30.

Oh, I’ve read some booked by Mary Kubica in the past and enjoyed them, this year on holiday I picked up her latest, “when the lights go out” .... it was AWFUL. I stuck with it for the “twist” but even that was a non event pile of crap!

I m so glad others have said The Miniaturist I thought I was being uncultured not enjoying it!! I also thought the girl on the train and gone girl were awful none of the characters were likeable!!

American Psycho.

I swear I have PTSD.

Truly horrific descriptions of sadistic rape, torture and murder. Vile.

One Day was pure shite too

Well, it is one of those awful books where the woman has to die SPOILER in order for the "hero" to realise he's human.

As Catherine Clémènt put it: "for the tragedy to happen, the woman must die."

Most literature is about blokes realising - surprise surprise - they're human & have emotions. Women know this from the start ...

Another one for Fifty Shades, never have I not made it past chapter one. It was utter tripe. Never understood the fascination with the book or the films.

I agree with lots on here (although love a couple mentioned) but one not mentioned so far is I Don't Know How She Does It by Alison Pearson which annoyed me intensely at the time I read it.

@WhipItGood do you mean written in first person cause if so me too I really struggle with books written in that POV

Oh and the Ladies Detective Agency books, just come across to me as the writer being a patronising, aren't these foreigners funny, kind of guy.

Dwangela I felt the same about We were liars. I kept waiting for something to happen.

Oh, and a book called ‘One moment one morning’ a thriller where nothing happens and the main character spends the whole time banging on about how awful it is her rich husband has died when so many disgusting poor people and plebs are still alive.

Plus I gave it a bad review on Amazon and the author sent me a load of abuse for it.