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Original poster

Tell me a book where you said, "wow, that was blankety blank awful!"

154 replies

MrsMuddle · 21/12/2006 20:18

Following on from the other thread, which books did you hate with a passion? I'll start with The Accidental by Ali Smith, and also Mr Golightly's Holiday by Sally Vickers. Both appallingly awful books, IMO. Next...

OP posts:
ItalianJob · 23/12/2006 19:05

choosy - I read that Little Blue Dress one a few years back, it was a bit odd, no idea why I bothered to finish it.

Didn't think "the Little Friend" was that bad, just was very disappointing it didnt' have a proper ending.

TWIF- completely agree with all chic lit except Marian Keyes, I have a real soft spot for her, Rachel's Holiday was very good.

Socci · 23/12/2006 19:27

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poinsettydog · 23/12/2006 19:29

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho was the biggest load of shite I have read in a long long time.

Pruni · 23/12/2006 19:42

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satine · 23/12/2006 19:55

Agree about The Island by Victoria Hislop - really badly written. Anything by Cecilia Aherne is just unreadable.

Tinker · 23/12/2006 20:02

Was going to say Maggie O'Farrell but see someone's beaten me to it.

That India Knight one was also dire but we like her now on mn for being rude about SWMNBN

expatinscotland · 27/12/2006 01:39

I didn't like 'The Last King of Scotland' by Giles Foden.

I'm not sure why.

I just didn't.

I thought it was awful.

I forced myself to read it b/c I wanted to see why it won the Whitebread.

I never found out.

DeckTheHallsWithFRAUsOfHolly · 27/12/2006 02:46

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

danceswithreindeer · 27/12/2006 07:36

Can't remember the exact title but Mr Norris and Jonathan Strange (something like that)....so d*mn boring I actually gave up and I NEVER give up on books.

oxocube · 28/12/2006 09:26

Call me Elizabeth. Poorly written, unbelievable even though was supposed to be a true story, unlikeable main character, dull, smug, self-satisfied .... shall I go on?

SantaGotStuckUpTheGreensleeve · 28/12/2006 09:30

Everything by Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams.

And the Rachel Papers by Martin Amis - pure dross.

expatinscotland · 28/12/2006 20:59

Anything that takes itself too seriously.

moonshine · 29/12/2006 10:22

Had to add mine...
The Unbearable Lightness of Being

And totally agree about The Alchemist - I just did not get all the fuss and pontification.

roseylea · 29/12/2006 10:26

Silas Marner, Socci? Why? (sentimental? unrealistic?) I loved it in an aww, sweet kind of way.

THe worst book ever...can't remember the title or author but there was one that looked like it should have good good but was an appalling mess of maudlin over-description. It'll come back to me later!

taylormama · 29/12/2006 10:29

hate anything by Jane Austen, The Count of Monter Cristo utterly defeated me after 300 pages and 9 million more to go, i am permanently disapointed by Jodi Picoult novels - they should be great but just aren't ...

LetitShnowLetitShnowLetitShnow · 29/12/2006 10:58

I agree Jonathan Norrell and Mr Strange or whatever the heck it was called was tedious, strung-out and poorly written.

And I wholeheartedly agree with We Need To Talk About Kevin. Lionel Shriver needs some therapy and at least some notion of child psychology before she picks up a pen again.

grouchyoscar · 29/12/2006 11:11

hmmmn....used to read a lot on the commute to work but the 2 god awful ones I remember are
Jack Keroac on the road....wtf! oh his mate's gone bonkers again and their off again. Felt I should read it as a modern classic but I gave up 3/4 of the way in
and
India Knight 'My life on a plate' hated it, it just smacked of all the things I find awful about being female and I detested the expectations and asparations it peddled as 'normal' Finished it and left it on a train for someone else.

Dinosaur · 29/12/2006 11:17

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

sunnywong · 29/12/2006 11:22

Time Traveller's Wife

rubbish

Dinosaur · 29/12/2006 11:22

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

BadHair · 29/12/2006 11:23

Goodbye Johnny Thunders by some chick lit woman. Worst book I've ever read by a long chalk, even though I didn't have particularly high hopes for it in the first place. Utter, utter shite, and to be honest the whole damned print run of them deserve to be pulped. What a waste of time and trees!

When We Were Orphans was also very disappointing. Was the ending really supposed to be that obvious or did I miss something?

sunnywong · 29/12/2006 11:26

Awwwwwww... I have a very soft spot for old Ishiguro, but agree the plots are a tad frustrating.

Moll Flanders, that was another load of tat

And Dickens. Don't get me started on Dickens

eidsvold · 29/12/2006 11:32

another one for the Alchemist

eemie · 29/12/2006 11:40

morningpaper, agree about The Island. Every time she mentioned a 'fragrant smell' I felt like throwing it on the compost.

Expat, agree about We need to talk about Kevin. Forced myself to read it for a book group. Hated it so much I ended up not going to the group. Didn't want to waste an evening of my life talking about it.

tiredemma · 29/12/2006 11:41

The Da Vinci Code. What a load of crap, I only continued to read it as I found the actual substance of the story fascinating, but Dan Brown trying to put it together in a novel was a bad idea.