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Original poster

Has anyone started to read a book and realised that they HATE it with a vengeance before the even finish the first sentence??

116 replies

GetOrfMoiLand · 10/03/2008 11:57

Out of curiosity picked up The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory in Tesco yesterday and started the read the first page. First sentence goes on about weather, lacing up corsets and scaffolds. It was then I thought this book is going to be a pile of shit and will not waste my time.

Have I missed a good book or was my initial impression correct. I usually read a page before I pass judgement (memories of plouging through first page of The English Patient before flinging it to the floor)

OP posts:
JayneF · 10/03/2008 12:36

Oh yes, classics,..now you are talking MAS...

Mill on the Floss,...genuinely beautifully written but SO SLOW,...thank god for the flood at the end, should have been at the end of chapter one.

EffiePerine · 10/03/2008 12:38

I tend to flick to the middle of a book when browsing ratehr than reading the first page. Have discarded many books on this principle

suedonim · 10/03/2008 15:00

Mumblechum's my chum! I also periodically feel I should have yet another shot at IM but I just can't do it. My brain goes into shutdown as soon as I start one of her books.

poodlepusher · 10/03/2008 19:38

the beauty myth by naomi wolf
hanging up by nora ephron
the gathering by anne enright

all v v v v bad

SalVolatile · 10/03/2008 20:28

Yes - The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffinegger - so, so bad I junked it after a couple of pages - even tried skimming other chapters to see if it improved, but its....rubbish. The idea was done much better and more cleverly about a decade ago but I can't remember author's name - will have to trawl through boxes of books now

LyraSilvertongue · 10/03/2008 20:30

Yes, Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre.
Someone told me his name means Dirty But Clean Peter, which I thought was such a pretentious, poncey name that it prejudiced me against the book. It's probably very good.

FluffyMummy123 · 10/03/2008 20:31

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lacarete · 10/03/2008 20:32

I hated hated hated the Lovely Bones

LyraSilvertongue · 10/03/2008 20:32

Also Stalingrad, which DP read and he keeps urging me to read it. I can't get past the first page.

Maidamess · 10/03/2008 20:32

Da Vinci -Bleurgh
Harry Potter and Anything- Double Bleurgh.

LyraSilvertongue · 10/03/2008 20:32

I liked the Lovely Bones.

expatinscotland · 10/03/2008 20:34

I felt that way about The Other Boleyn Girl, too, GOML.

and I felt bad because my sister had given it to me on a visit.

So I plowed on. I finally gave up when it failed my 50-Page Rule.

I cannot abide Phillipa Gregory or any 'historical fiction' author. Too lame to even create their own character. Fuck, even chick lit and romance writers do that, even if it is formulaic.

expatinscotland · 10/03/2008 20:34

The Lovely Bones was the only book I have actually ever burned.

It's not just bad, but so damn depressing it's dangerous.

scottishmummy · 10/03/2008 20:34

hated lovely bones & Time travellers wife

pruners · 10/03/2008 20:36

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LyraSilvertongue · 10/03/2008 20:36

I found the Da Vinci Code quite entertaining. I read it on a beach on holiday.

expatinscotland · 10/03/2008 20:40

I read The Da Vinci Code on an international flight. It's a classic 'airport book', so I left it on a seat in Gatwick .

sarz · 10/03/2008 20:42

I really loved lovely bones!! (It was a good few years ago that i read it though!)
My HATE book is 'A spot of bother' I loved curious incident and was really looking forward to spot of bother but i have only read about a third. I nearly fainted when i was reading the bit in the shower with the knife and i didnt laught once!! (laughed the whole way through curious incident!)

lalalonglegs · 10/03/2008 20:46

Sophie's World. Can't join a book group for fear someone might suggest it and I'd be forced to go beyond page 2.

LyraSilvertongue · 10/03/2008 20:46

Lisey's Story by Stephen King was bloody awful. I persevered for ages but had to give it up. And I'd bought it in hardback. I'd sell it on eBay but I dropped it in the bath.

pruners · 10/03/2008 20:47

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BreeVanDerCampLGJ · 10/03/2008 20:58

Enduring love......enduring crap more likely

On a beautiful, cloudless day, a young couple celebrate their reunion with a picnic. Joe Rose and his long-term partner Clarissa Mellon are about to open a bottle of wine when a cry interrupts them. A hot air balloon with an 10 year old boy in the basket and his grandfather being dragged behind it has been ripped from its moorings. Joe immediately joins, along with several other men, in an effort to bring the balloon to safety.

It took about five pages to get that far.

Steaming pile of poo.....

OTOH

I loved lovely bones, and nearly choked laughing at a spot of bother.

The shower scene was a bit but the last few chapters are beautifully married together and I laughed until I cried.

expatinscotland · 10/03/2008 20:59

Oh, Bree, the film version of this book came on one night, and I foolishly stayed up until 1AM because Daniel Craig was in it.

And it was complete and utter tripe!

Heated · 10/03/2008 21:05

Have attempted to read Enduring Love about 4 times.

Moby Dick - snore.

Anything by James Joyce.

And most of what Salman Rushdie has written

sarz · 10/03/2008 21:05

maybe i should give a spot of bother another go. Like i said on the other thread i have jumped from kite runner and a thousand splendid suns to the book theif and i am finding a bit hard. Maybe back to rural england will be a bit easier! At least i am past the shower bit! It cant get worse than that bit. I also HATED enduring love, i had to read it for As level Eng Lit, and i think that is what put me of ever reading a book for 2 years after i finished!