What is the worst book you have read recently and why was it so bad?

[Miaou]

I've been reading light stuff atm and just grabbed this off the "chick lit" stand at the library just before having ds2 - I struggled valiantly through to the end but was really disappointed in it. The story was turgid and predictable, the characters one-dimensional, and I felt that what could have been an interesting story with the potential for some really sinister turns, was in fact incredibly dull. The final "showdown" between the mother and son was jaw-droppingly badly written and really let the whole book down.

However I have had lots of fun picking it to pieces so maybe it was worth it

I've read secret of crickly hall too.. thought it was excellent.

Best book at the moment.. Stephen Kings 'Cell'. Thought twice about using my mob lol!

I did like the deathly hallows too.

Worst book? I wasn't keen on James Herberts Shrine, Starting of ok then went crap

Robert Harris, Imperium. Dull, dry, no colour at all.

I started flicking about 1/4 of the way in, it didn't appear to improve, so I gave up.

It made me realise that he's been losing it, badly, ever since Archangel.

Didn't Robert Harris also write Pompeii? I couldn't finish it .

Yes, he did. I half-enjoyed Pompeii. OK, so knowing the volcano was going to erupt and kill everyone kind of took some of the suspense away -- but it had a fair bit of atmosphere.
Imperium was just endless pages of Cicero's speeches. Dreck.

Thunderpants - I couldn't get into Virginia Woolf as an undergrad, except Orlando - have you tried it or seen the film with Tilda Swinton?

The Hours (film) might throw some light on Mrs D if the music doesn't drive you crazy.

Sandra Howard - I think it's called The Glass House

Don't go anywhere near this at all

She clearly only got the contract because she's Michael Howard's wife.

Had the potential to be a really good story (which is why I bought it, natch) - but so, so badly written.

The kind of thing you write at school - she did this, and then he did that, and then she said this ... kind of stuff.

All superficial and glossed over.

Avoid at all costs!

"The eight" by Katherine Neville.
I tried but I couldn't care less about any of the characters or the story itself, so I had to give it up after reading 1/4 or it. Life is too short.

The House at Riverton

Getting Rid Of Matthew-Jane Fallon.
Read it for book group.
Dire stuff.
Unbelievable and unsympathetic characters.
Clonky story line.
Predictable.
Yawn.
(Richard and Judy selected0

Message withdrawn

Arlington Park. Load of pretentious shoite, written by someone who's attended one creative writing class too many. Sounded like it was meant to be an English desperate housewives. In reality, it was just desperately dull. Wish I hadn't wasted three hours of my life on it. I could be more disparaging, but I'm slightly nervous in case the author is a MNer.

The Historian by Elisabeth Kostova. Started off ok about vampires but was too long and ended up utterly ridiculous.

ArcticRoll I agree totally with Getting rid of Matthew, I forced myself to read on and on, hoping it would improve....how disappointing, and what a waste of reading time.
Boo Hiss!

Don't think she is an MNer MrsMuddle as we have been really quite seriously rude about her in the past without adverse consequences!

Shadow of the Flippin (I wish I was Dan Browne) Wind. Big, flowery, writing classes pants.

Well I finally read Labyrinth. It was a pile of poo. Not looking forward to book group next week.

The house at Riverton. predictable and boring.

Semi Detached was so boring I gave up.I don't read any 'I was abused as a child,but overcame it' stuff,or chicklit,which cuts out quite a lot of crap immediately.

kerala,I agree with you abot The Historian.I was told it was very scarey,so I ploughed onwards,waiting to be terrified-but wasn't.It seemed to end very oddly somehow.

Gave up on Labyrinth, Rosa. Couldn't care less about any of the characters.
Skipped huge chunks of Middlemarch. Why do people love that book?
Wild Swans- simply dreadful scene earliesh on involving Aunty. Dared not progress any further.

Semi detached was a pile of poopy pants angry

It really needed a good editing.........or pulping or something.

A book called "Something Else"

It was barbley, convoluted, and made no sense whatsoever. Great ideas, poorly written.

Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy. Cliched writing. Was it meant to be funny? Think that I missed the point. Actually I like to think the author missed the point....

Have to say that what really hacks me off in books aimed at female market (chick-lit etc) are the descriptions of clothes, household items etc in terms of designers eg. her Ghost dress was hanging in the wardrobe; the Cath Kidson tablecloth graced the battered Habitat pine kitchen table. Lazy, lazy writing. Try using some imagination not flicking through the sunday mags!!

Sorry just needed to get that off my chest... HAs been building up for a while...

Miaou, try One Good Turn (recommended on this thread passim). Loved it. Devoured it and then was sad that it had finished. I'd loved to meet Jackson in RL lol!!! Try and read Case Histories first though (if you already haven't) think it all might flow a bit better if you do. Nuff said I hope! PS. shouldn't you be knitting?!

Time Traveller's Wife

could NOT bring myself to care a fig about the characters

and The Shipping News - didn't read past chapter 2, so contrived and affected, and the photo of E. Annie on the back cover really put me off

Reader, I judged it by its cover

Not this Something Else surely? We like that in our house!