Page 22 | I just read a terrible book

Orangeis · 2023-02-06T11:29:15+00:00

Bring me back, B A Paris. What a load of absolute tosh. A man's partner dissapears, 6 years later he gets with her sister and lives with her. The big twist is.....the new girlfriend is actually the missing sister. He didn't realise this as she had a different hair do. That's hours of my life I'll never get back. I feel like taking the book in to the back garden and burning the bugger. What's your worst book and why?

Walkinginthesand · 08/02/2023 04:45

pollyhemlock · 07/02/2023 11:45

One thing that really annoys me is when authors make characters speak in a way that they just wouldn’t have at the time. Near the beginning of Still Life someone says something like ‘ I know, right?’. Nobody would have used that expression in 1944. I didn’t like the book much anyway but that put me off right at the start. Couldn’t believe in the period or the setting.

Agree. Also, at the opposite end, I can’t stand it when characters “break their fast” in historical novels. OK we get it, but there must be another way of saying they had breakfast in a less clumsy way.

Love this thread!

echt · 08/02/2023 05:10

tobee · 07/02/2023 23:13

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was such a disappointment. It’s hard to see how a novel seemingly inspired by the Nazi occupation of the Channel Islands could end up such rom-com slush. Give me an accurate historical account any day."

Absolutely agree!

This is where you need to read the peerless "The Book of Ebenezer Le Page" by GB Edwards and in audio by Ray Dotrice, also a Guernsey man.

I can't recommend them too much. I envy anyone reading/hearing for the first time.

Kanaloa · 08/02/2023 05:56

tobee · 07/02/2023 23:45

"To be fair I can sort of understand the conforming to 21st century values. Downton Abbey would have been ultra depressing if they had slung Thomas out on the street to be homeless because he was gay, and refused to ever speak his name again. Or if Call the Midwife had people being dismissive and nasty to women suffering domestic violence etc. It just wouldn’t appeal to the modern viewer."

I disagree. I can't stand anachronism. What's wrong with people that they can't cope with understanding people having different values in the past? It doesn't make any sense if, say, you educate people that obtaining gay rights in the last 50 years has been such an important thing, and then you read a work of historical fiction and people have 2023 views on things.

Nothing’s wrong with people. They can understand that there were different values in the past. But showrunners and producers are aware that people will not relate to, for example, the Grantham family if they see that family behave in a homophobic/sexist/racist fashion. People don’t want to watch that and root for those characters. It would alienate the audience. Of course they’ll still reference the fact that being homosexual was illegal/black people were treated poorly. But if they show their lead characters championing those views the audience will be turned off those characters.

PoseyFlump · 08/02/2023 06:38

I was thinking of reading A Little Life but after the dislike on here I won't bother.

Can anyone who didn't like that book recommend a decent alternative?

I've also got an audiobook credit to spend if anyone can recommend a good listen (with a nice narrator voice!)

RainyReadingDay · 08/02/2023 06:52

echt · 08/02/2023 05:10

This is where you need to read the peerless "The Book of Ebenezer Le Page" by GB Edwards and in audio by Ray Dotrice, also a Guernsey man.

I can't recommend them too much. I envy anyone reading/hearing for the first time.

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Yes. Absolutely agree with this. I discovered The Book of Ebenezer le Page back in the 1980s. It's a wonderful book, written by a Guernsey man. It's packed with authentic detail. It follows the life of Ebenezer from a young boy to an old man, including what it was like during the Nazi occupation.

A truly wonderful novel. Far better than the (imo) dreadful Guernsey Literary Potato tripe.

summerisnearlyhere · 08/02/2023 06:58

Brefugee · 06/02/2023 12:08

What's your worst book and why?

putting my hard hat on: The Alchemist. I have read a lot of awful awful books. But never one that is so hyped up by so many (millions) of people. Such a load of tosh.

Also Birdsong. I remember thinking at the time that if i want to read about a French adultress i can read Madame Bovary. And if i want to read about WW1 i can read All Quiet On The Western Front.
Gah to both of them

I gave up on The Alchemist, started off okish, then totally ridiculous!

And don't get me started in Birdsong, awful book!

Ginmonkeyagain · 08/02/2023 06:59

An elegant way of dealing with the different values/attitudes of the past, is to make the make the main narrator a social or economic outsider so they can act as a link between the reader and the era they inhabit.

summerisnearlyhere · 08/02/2023 07:02

AllTheBooks · 06/02/2023 12:48

dont bother with the newest BA Paris @Orangeis - The Prisoner is even worse in terms of plot development. Just drivel

Isn't it just! I listened to it on audible, kept having to check how much longer it was going on for, just went on and on, couldn't wait for it to end!

PermanentTemporary · 08/02/2023 07:50

I suppose I can see the point about distorting history so we stay sympathetic to the characters. I'm reading a book at the moment published in 1943 and I don't in fact think it would be considered antisemitic for that time, but the way the characters discuss Jewish people is horrifying to the modern eye and it obviously makes it a hard read. But that's why I don't watch stuff like Downton or read historical romances where the heroine eg has sex before marriage not as a massive outlier but as normal behaviour. I can't stand the anachronisms.

Kanaloa · 08/02/2023 08:03

PermanentTemporary · 08/02/2023 07:50

I suppose I can see the point about distorting history so we stay sympathetic to the characters. I'm reading a book at the moment published in 1943 and I don't in fact think it would be considered antisemitic for that time, but the way the characters discuss Jewish people is horrifying to the modern eye and it obviously makes it a hard read. But that's why I don't watch stuff like Downton or read historical romances where the heroine eg has sex before marriage not as a massive outlier but as normal behaviour. I can't stand the anachronisms.

Yes. I suppose when you are reading or watching a historical romance or period piece you sort of need to suspend disbelief in the way you would when watching fantasy. I mean nobody (I presume) is watching a film version of Anna Karenina and complaining that they are speaking English. Or watching an Austen adaptation and complaining that the characters don’t have bad teeth and hairy armpits. The fact is generally film and modern books are made for the audience. And if you have a character who is supposed to be the hero spouting disgust for homosexuality or extreme racist views about how black people shouldn’t be allowed out in polite society, you’ll have such an extremely limited readership/audience.

I’m also always a bit suspicious of those I see (usually men) insisting period pieces are unrealistic because they aren’t racist/sexist, because they never seem to have an issue with the modern makeup and grooming used, which is equally unrealistic!

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 08:04

PermanentTemporary · 08/02/2023 07:50

I suppose I can see the point about distorting history so we stay sympathetic to the characters. I'm reading a book at the moment published in 1943 and I don't in fact think it would be considered antisemitic for that time, but the way the characters discuss Jewish people is horrifying to the modern eye and it obviously makes it a hard read. But that's why I don't watch stuff like Downton or read historical romances where the heroine eg has sex before marriage not as a massive outlier but as normal behaviour. I can't stand the anachronisms.

Anyone watching downtown or reading Mills and boon type historical romances - I doubt would be too up to speed with what’s historically accurate or not anyway?

Walkinginthesand · 08/02/2023 08:17

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 08:04

Anyone watching downtown or reading Mills and boon type historical romances - I doubt would be too up to speed with what’s historically accurate or not anyway?

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Most unfair!

TheMarzipanDildo · 08/02/2023 09:58

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 08:04

Anyone watching downtown or reading Mills and boon type historical romances - I doubt would be too up to speed with what’s historically accurate or not anyway?

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Why ever not?

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 10:00

TheMarzipanDildo · 08/02/2023 09:58

Why ever not?

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Because if you did, then the programme seems rather farcical

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 10:02

In the same way - my very doctor heavy family never watched casualty because they said it was so factually inaccurate

Kanaloa · 08/02/2023 10:40

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 08:04

Anyone watching downtown or reading Mills and boon type historical romances - I doubt would be too up to speed with what’s historically accurate or not anyway?

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I think people can comprehend that a programme is not historically accurate and still enjoy it. I actually think it shows more stupidity to have no understanding that some of us can separate fiction and reality.

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 10:41

But generally if you can see it

then unless happy to completely suspend belief

it does make it difficult for many of us to enjoy!

Kanaloa · 08/02/2023 10:52

So what do you watch? If you can’t tolerate any fiction that isn’t accurate to true life what do you actually watch on television? Or what do you read?

80s · 08/02/2023 10:52

I enjoyed watching Jojo Rabbit to some extent, but parts of it were so American (just not what things were like in Germany) that I left feeling mildly annoyed overall. Sometimes an error is just so stupid that it throws you out of the story.

Brefugee · 08/02/2023 10:53

Anyone watching downtown or reading Mills and boon type historical romances - I doubt would be too up to speed with what’s historically accurate or not anyway?

meh. I watch because i like the stories, and i am very interested in Art Deco and the fashions. But it does jar that they are ok with some things, and the dialogue (i remember Matthew talking about a "steep learning curve") is idiotic. Definitely a suspension of at least some disbelief required.

My mum would leave the room if we had a war film, or other military type things, on because me (was in the Army) and my dad (career soldier) used to critique everything.

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 10:54

Kanaloa · 08/02/2023 10:52

So what do you watch? If you can’t tolerate any fiction that isn’t accurate to true life what do you actually watch on television? Or what do you read?

Any fiction where I don’t know more about the truth

So… medical dramas, police dramas, drug gang cartels 😂 … I could go on and on re what fiction stuff I love to watch

80s · 08/02/2023 10:54

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Brefugee · 08/02/2023 10:54

I'm reading One Pair of Feet by Monica Dickens which was published shortly after the war. That is an eye-opener in terms of attitude, for sure.

Whatislove82 · 08/02/2023 10:55

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Medical dramas
Police drama
Crime dramas
Military dramas

I could go on

80s · 08/02/2023 10:56

So what do you watch? If you can’t tolerate any fiction that isn’t accurate to true life what do you actually watch on television? Or what do you read?
Ooops, that was meant to be a quote above. Was going to answer the same as Whatislove - I'm happy to read anything that fools me into feeling like it's real!