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Worst Books of 2005

46 replies

expatinscotland · 06/01/2006 17:14

We've had one for best, now let's hear your worst.

My nomination: Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel.

Couldn't finish it. Too disgusted at the level of child abuse present.

OP posts:
harpsichordcarrier · 12/01/2006 18:40

Lionel S also now has a column in the Guardian, which is also pants
in fact I have never read a sentence written by tht woman that wasn't pants

harpsichordcarrier · 12/01/2006 18:41

i know ggg! in fact he had something like the top four bestselling paperback books in the Sunday Times listing the other week

bakedpotato · 12/01/2006 18:44

Without wanting to rise to its defence exactly, I'll always feel grateful to The Da Vinci Code. I managed to read it when DS was 5 wks because Dan Brown made the job so easy for me (wasn't so braindead I didn't find it irritating, though).

With DD I didn't manage to read anything for 4 mths. Thank you Toby Young's How to Lose Friends... which was my breakthrough book that time.

Spluttering about Line of Beauty... genius!

Enid · 12/01/2006 19:01

i really enjoyed the Line of Beauty

foxinsocks · 12/01/2006 19:02

I too enjoyed Line of Beauty (though didn't like the ending but now can't remember why!)

cull · 12/01/2006 19:12

Da vinci code was appalling!!
The plot was ok, but the writing was too light and rom-com for the topic.

notasheep · 12/01/2006 19:35

But with such light writing i read it in a couple of days-it was a bit Once Upon a Time though!

FrannyandZooey · 12/01/2006 21:32

I enjoyed several books mentioned here, including The Da Vinci Code . I thought it was an easy to read and quite gripping piece of entertainment, nothing wrong with that. In the same league as Heat for anyone who reads that

Bink · 12/01/2006 21:57

My beef with The Line of Beauty is to do with its self-presentation (and reception) as this significant historical document, when it is actually a bit of an easy soapy episodic The-Way-We-Were sort of thang. The Guardian chap who does the boiled-down novels column found it so easy to do I'm not sure anything was lost.

I expect I'd have been quite fond of it if done as a light-touch comedy of manners - hey, like Cheerful Weather for the Wedding, which is not a book of 2005 (more like 1935) but just fabulous. Get it now!

singersgirl · 12/01/2006 23:25

I quite enjoyed "The Da Vinci Code", though it was obviously badly-written tosh. And there wasn't even a proper ending -what a complete let down. I wouldn't read any others of his (unless of course I was stuck somewhere with absolutely nothing else to read). And I also enjoyed "We need to talk about Kevin", though I agree Lionel Shriver is loopy.

I did read "Sickened" by Julie Gregory and thought that was dreadful. The worst kind of sensational.

Oh, and some Joanna Trollope rubbish - "Brother and Sister" or something. Was up at my mum's and couldn't find any other books I hadn't read. Bland writing, dreadful plot, unlikeable and unbelievable characters.

bumbleweed · 04/02/2006 21:25

Saturday by Ian McKewan - so f**ing pretentious!

hannahsaunt · 04/02/2006 22:14

I really liked Saturday ...

But I really didn't like Ben Elton's Past Mortem - started out so well and really quite funny but didn't like the yukky, completely gratuitous sex bit in the middle.

Da Vinci Code was good for reading when sick but not as proper reading.

Am finding Affection by Ian Townsend quite dull but feel obliged to read it so am wading through it (with Ed McBain on the side as light relief)

TwoIfBySea · 05/02/2006 00:59

The Time Travellers Wife. Sorry, I know everyone else loved it but I thought it was more than a tad contrived.

TwoIfBySea · 05/02/2006 01:02

Oh and one by Posey somebody or other, she was one of the ones behind Hi5 so I shouldn't have been expecting much to start with! I can't remember her full name or the name of the book it was so bad I didn't get past page 1. The cover was very Phillipa Gregory which is why I chose it, thankfully it was a library book so no money wasted.

alexsmum · 05/02/2006 01:02

i was really dripped by'we need to yalk about kevin'.horrid in patrs but i couldn't pu ti down

alexsmum · 05/02/2006 01:03

really gripped even!

greenbean · 08/02/2006 21:03

I couldn't get into Small Island either. Glad it wasn't just me.

beansprout · 08/02/2006 21:12

The \books.guardian.co.uk/digestedread/story/0,,1335136,00.html{\Guardian digested read} does sum up Line of Beauty pretty well.

I really can't excuse reading the Da Vinci Code but agree that it was a veritable Booker Prize winner compared to Angels and Demons. Book equivalent of junk food, left me feeling unsatisfied and a bit sullied.

beansprout · 08/02/2006 21:13

Rats, try again

salsa · 17/02/2006 19:26

Small Island - Not fantastic but better than some.
We need to talk about Kevin - clever idea but annoying to read a monologue.
Da Vinci Code - I quite liked this

Has anyone read any Marian Keyes. Awful Awful.

RedRidingHood · 17/02/2006 19:52

Don't know how long its been out but I bought 'Brick Lane' after seeing it on Richard and Judy - thought it was crap.

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