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?

Agree with so many, Shantaram etc

I’ll add to the list - Emma. I don’t care if it’s a classic, it is utterly dreadful shit.

Also The Night Circus. I really loved the imagery the author created with her use of language but the plot was awful. It’s the literary equivalent of “fur coat, no knickers”.

@Pumperthepumper
So glad someone else hated My Brilliant Friend.
What a pile of shite.

I can’t remember the name of the book but it was soooooo shit - about a woman who gave birth to one white twin and one brown one and assumed she had drunkenly cheated on her husband and couldn’t remember so gave the baby away to an Indian villager?!

I heart NY by Lindsey Kelk. Shallow Shite though to be fair I might have liked it at 18.

Recently Save Me by Mandasue Heller
I usually enjoy her books but this one was awful involving a guy who would willingly abandon his children for a bimbo and with clunky one dimensional characters

Also anything by Susan Lewis queen of the weepy pathetic heroine and Jodi Picoult

Oh I’ve been meaning to read the night circus but it’s yet to leave the bookshelf!

Bleak House.

Anything by Dan Brown, books in the style of Mills and Boon, generay any light reading romantic novels drivel (although I accept plenty of people love that style), 50 Shades
The Twilight series is dreadful and my guilty pleasure
The Jack Ryan series - not a patch on Tom Clancy's writing

It's a toss up between that Twilight vampire book, he's a controlling bully and 50 Shades, badly written if she bites her lip one more time I'm going to slap her.

Lincoln in the Bardo. How that got published, let alone won an award......

I love reading so have really enjoyed reading this thread. So interesting! And I agree with most of the common themes although surprised at how many people gave 50 shades even a look in! I'm especially interested in the reasons that people give for hating books. Often because they don't like any of the characters even though some books are written with that intention eg The Slap. By no means great literature but the point of the book is that they are all awful people. I read it whilst living in Melbourne and having met a Greek Aussie boyfriend so understood all the cultural references so enjoyed it from that point of view but certainly didn't come away thinking it had changed my life or anything.

A Little Life was well written (in most parts) but just so awfully depressing - I did regret persevering.

I enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant but read it a time in my life when I desperately needed cheering up (and actually had just finished Little Life so the feel good factor was welcome!!).

Girl on the train awful drivel and obvious from about halfway through what the plot twist was. Film was dire too.

Recently read a book by Joanne Harris which I stuck with because my Mum had recommended ad she's usually pretty spot on and the ending was so awful that I was really annoyed I stuck with it - won't read any more of hers.

I know its not the point of the thread but the best book I've read in the last few months was 'My Year of Meats' by Ruth Ozeki. Not especially highbrow but beautifully written and really unique

Most Dan Brown.
Twilight
The Fault in our Stars (but I know that might get some hate, sorry. I really didn't like it )
50 shades. I didn't mind the first but they got worse and worse

' the best book I've read in the last few months was 'My Year of Meats' by Ruth Ozeki. Not especially highbrow but beautifully written and really unique'

I hated that one so much

Paolo Coehlo writes utter dross. I remember when everyone was reading those books and they were so shit.

I liked the Slap.

Jodie Picoult books are rubbish I agree.

Oh another gem -The Ice Twins.

It was so ridiculous I thought I may have missed a really clever point so read it again. I had not.

@ihavebrillohair I hated monkey sister book-we are all completely beside ourselves. Also didn’t like monster love-horrible topic but just felt a bit pointless and like reading something just designed to shock and horrify. It didn’t make any sense to me at all.
50 shades I couldn’t read-was truly awful.

Loved the goldfinch though!

Another vote for 50 shades- I couldn't abide hearing Anna saying "oh my" any more so I never finished it. It was so contrived it made me feel sick.

Girl on a train. Badly-written, dreary shite. Followed by the equally dreary badly acted film.

Moby Dick

Room.
I raced through it the first time, but had some raised eyebrows over the second half, it was on the re-reading I realised how utterly stupid and unbelievable it was.

Haha Countess!! Different strokes and all that...

Fifty Shades. Utter shite
The Girl with all the Gifts. Gave me the absolute boak.
11/22/63. After the umpteenth iteration of the main protagonist going back in time I lost the will to live.
PS I love you. Dire.

Cloud Atlas - I couldn't finish it. Girl on the Train. What a rubbish ending.

Oh yes @NorfolkNellie Lincoln in the Bardo was unreadable.
I understood the concept but it slowly became much like Finnegan’s Wake, so much random babbling. I suspect it won awards more for the novelty factor than the plot and readability.

Oh god yes I’d forgotten about Room. I hated the kid and his Silly Penis so much.

Oh and Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha. I felt totally cheated after The Commitments!