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

[GetOrfMoiLand]

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)

I hated The Lovely Bones too
And Brick Lane- I thought it was awful

Lord of the Farking Rings. I do quite like some fantasy stuff (big MZB fan, for instance) but the combination of fustiness, fear of women and teeth-itching tweeness means I just can't get anywhere near it.

Have recently returned 'what came before he shot her' to WHSmith after 100 pages I just could not go on...

A rather erudite friend oft buys me books which she thinks might appeal, but as I get older I have realised life is too short to read a book that someone else feels I should read.

Namely Tom Robbins Jitterbug Perfume - I can't bear the typeface and the first 4 pages are deadly dull.

Various Anne Tyler books - my friend is single and I feel it strange that she gives me books about women who walk away from their lives/families.

Not as strange as when I'd just had DC#1 and she gave me a book about two sisters, one who had an eating disorder/depression and had just had a baby lived somewhere on the south coast, maybe Eastbourne.

The other sister went to help her out and it all comes out that depression is caused by the fact she had murdered/smothered their younger sibling as a child.

She eventually leaves new babe on the beach and drowns herself (If anyone recognises this from my description, please let me know what it is so I never have to read it again)

Really odd choice for a new parent.

Any chick lit books

Most stuff by Thomas Hardy, Wuthering Heights, and the Cloud Atlas made me want to poke my eyes out. Also can't get on with Ian McEwan. I just couldn't bring myself to care about any of his bloody tedious self-obsessed characters.

God, that's quite a list. And I love books! I try page 69 in bookshops - page 1 is often not as indicative of the rest of the book as it could be, so I read page 69, and if I like it I might buy the book.

My mum used to read the last few pages of a book in the book shop - if she liked the ending she'd buy it. Seemed a bit pointless to me given that she already knew how it finished.

Also gave up with Catch 22, ploughed on thinking that it was due to turn into a classic at any minute but it just irritated me so I gave up about 1/3 of the way through.

Have tried to read Maps for Lost Lovers 3 times and never got past the third page, but with Josephine Cox's Journey's End (MIL lent it to me) the first sentence was so ugly and badly written that I gave up there and then.

Cloud atlas is definitely worth persisting with.

yes
the rachel papers by martin fecking amis
ploughed on through about half of it, gave up, sooooooooo dull

and a rachel suck thing too - one with a round hedgey thing on the font (a countyrlfie or soimethign>)?

hated enduring love and the lovely bones too

ahem
rachel cusk

am a bit tipsy

oh I agree, Rachel Cusk - yuk yuk yuk

Have tried, tried, tried to read Franz Kafka but can't. Am obviously too thick. The book is still on my bookshelf sending 'failure' vibes my way.

Which Kafka?

It's a compendium - Metamorphosis and other stories. Have you read Kafka - shall I give it another go?

Agree with James Joyce, just can't see where the genius is supposed to be. it is all meaningless drivel as far as I can see.

By far the worst book I have ever owned was American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. It was the most sickening book I have ever seen. I firmly believe in freedom of expression but it remains my view that it should never have been published and all copies should be burned.

Goosey - American Psycho is the only book that I have ever willingly parted with!

Have never read American Psycho but have read Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis. What a load of nasty drivel.

That man is a strange individual.

The House at Riverton - the opening line is taken straight from Rebecca and is an indicator of the utter lack of a single original section of writing in the entire book.

I had to read Kafka's Metamorphosis in German for my German A level. It was sheer hell. I did once pick it up in English to see if it came across with any more vigour in a language I could understand. It did not.

Labyrinth by Kate Mosse proved unreadable too.

Foucaults Pendulum by Umberto Eco.

Loads more, I am sure.

The Judgment is fantastic.
And Metamorphosis always makes me laugh (I know it's not meant to)

It's good to read a bit of Kafka, if only so you can use the work 'kafkaesque' from time to time.

I love Bret Easton Ellis !

I couldn't bring myself to go past page 45 of a Dpris Lessing's novel, can't even remember the title.

I finished the lovely bones, but didn't like it at all.

lol tdwp!!

Bret Easton Ellis is a bit Zeitgeisty, as is Douglas Coupland. I loved them in the 90's but think they are a bit dated now.

Possibly (never read douglas copeland though), I have completely enjoyed all BEE's books, but yes, I'm not tempted to re-read them. Have read Lunar Park as well, and like all his other books, I found it excellent at the beginning, then somehow he literally loses the plot .
I like Suspiria as well TDWP

coupland

Suspiria is fab, I can watch it over and over. I put it on the tv when we have parties as it's a good artistic visual to go with loud music (poncetastic).

If you read any Douglas Coupland go for Girlfriend in a Coma, it's not so tied to the time as his other things and is a great book.