Bad books by good writers

[My2cents]

I think highly of Henry James which is why I started reading Wings of The Dove and persisted to the end despite being told by every brain cell in my noggin to give it up. I'm proud I finished the book, but the book, I have to say, is a travesty. It reminded me of Conrad's Victory in terms of a writer of repute writing an absolute dud. Which atrociously bad book have you read by a writer whose other book or books took your breath away, making you wonder how the writer could have written books of such disparate quality?

[Vautrin]

I think highly of Henry James which is why I started reading Wings of The Dove and persisted to the end despite being told by every brain cell in my noggin to give it up. I'm proud I finished the book, but the book, I have to say, is a travesty. It reminded me of Conrad's Victory in terms of a writer of repute writing an absolute dud. Which atrociously bad book have you read by a writer whose other book or books took your breath away, making you wonder how the writer could have written books of such disparate quality?


Unfortunately, that wasn't the only bad book by Conrad...

Although I can think of several bad books by good authors, the one that comes to mind instantly is Cormac McCarthy's The Orchard Keeper. There wasn't anything strikingly bad about it, nor was there anything remarkable. It was completely forgettable. The prose, although good at points, fell flat most of the time. The characters certainly had some interesting traits, but none of them felt like real people. They were secondary to the mood of the novel, and to the things McCarthy wanted to say about life. A good author should find the right balance between the various elements that make up a novel. He would, of course, get it right in his subsequent works.

I understand The Orchard Keeper was his first novel. Thank goodness he didn't quit there.

[Charles Darnay]

I was (and still am I suppose) a great admirer of Charles Dickens (does the username give it away?) Then I read "Dombey and Son" - and it's not that I stopped liking Dickens, but that book is just awful! As part of the introduction in the volume I have it says that "Dombey and Son", out of all of Dickens' novels, has the least remakes (in terms of theatre, film, or television) - and there is a good reason for that.

[Melysnl]

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

The Secret History was so awesome. I guess she was a one hit wonder.

[My2cents]

Unfortunately, that wasn't the only bad book by Conrad...

Although I can think of several bad books by good authors, the one that comes to mind instantly is Cormac McCarthy's The Orchard Keeper. There wasn't anything strikingly bad about it, nor was there anything remarkable. It was completely forgettable. The prose, although good at points, fell flat most of the time. The characters certainly had some interesting traits, but none of them felt like real people. They were secondary to the mood of the novel, and to the things McCarthy wanted to say about life. A good author should find the right balance between the various elements that make up a novel. He would, of course, get it right in his subsequent works.

I understand The Orchard Keeper was his first novel. Thank goodness he didn't quit there.

At the risk of blasphemy, I enjoyed The Road much more than I did Blood Meridian. I started Suttree but the dreary sordidness of its subject matter just was too much for me. Still, I heard Suttree is McCarthy's most autobiographic book and I'm curious to see to what levels of poverty, crime, and general misery he wallowed in only to come out of it intact.

[My2cents]

I was (and still am I suppose) a great admirer of Charles Dickens (does the username give it away?) Then I read "Dombey and Son" - and it's not that I stopped liking Dickens, but that book is just awful! As part of the introduction in the volume I have it says that "Dombey and Son", out of all of Dickens' novels, has the least remakes (in terms of theatre, film, or television) - and there is a good reason for that.

I was quite moved by Dombey and Son which is to say I bawled my eyes out. Of course that's no criteria for a well-written book; I would say THE criteria is rereading repeatedly of one's own volition. Then again I may reread A Tale of Two Cities, but not because I thought it great the first time through but because of its brevity and interesting subject matter. BTW, my favorite Dickens is Pickwick Papers.

[My2cents]

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

The Secret History was so awesome. I guess she was a one hit wonder.

I'd be dead if I had to go through what Richard does in The Secret History.

[Emil Miller]

Having read all of W S Maugham's published works, the only one that didn't come up to scratch was Up at the Villa. It was unconvincing and not at all an enjoyable read so I was surprised that a film was made of it a few years ago.
Another of Maugham's prolific output that is uncharacteristically melodramatic is The Magician but it's quite a good read if not taken seriously.

[mal4mac]

Then I read "Dombey and Son" - and it's not that I stopped liking Dickens, but that book is just awful! ...

I think I've read all of Dickens' novels except "Our Mutual Friend" and I'd also pick out "Dombey and Son" as the awful one - apart from A Tale of Two Cities, the rest are great...

I liked Conrad's Victory.

[My2cents]

Having read all of W S Maugham's published works, the only one that didn't come up to scratch was Up at the Villa. It was unconvincing and not at all an enjoyable read so I was surprised that a film was made of it a few years ago.
Another of Maugham's prolific output that is uncharacteristically melodramatic is The Magician but it's quite a good read if not taken seriously.

I had visions of reading all of Henry James, that is until I stumbled unto The Wings of the Dove of which The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl are intolerable likenesses.

[My2cents]

I liked Conrad's Victory.

If you're gauging my incredulity, tell me you like Henry James' The Wings of the Dove :shocked:

[Emil Miller]

I had visions of reading all of Henry James, that is until I stumbled unto The Wings of the Dove of which The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl are intolerable likenesses.

I would be more likely to call them nightmares rather than visions. I have read The Ambassadors, Washington Square and The American but The Golden Bowl and The Wings of a Dove are both a tome too far. I think it was Maugham who said that James was like a man who kits himself out as someone who is going to climb Mount Everest in order to walk up a hill.

[aliengirl]

I had visions of reading all of Henry James, that is until I stumbled unto The Wings of the Dove of which The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl are intolerable likenesses.

I have never read anything by Henry James just because I couldn't decide where to start with. Now that you have named all the awful ones be kind to name a good one for me to start with. What about 'The Turn of the Screw'?

[Emil Miller]

I have never read anything by Henry James just because I couldn't decide where to start with. Now that you have named all the awful ones be kind to name a good one for me to start with. What about 'The Turn of the Screw'?

The Turn of the Screw is probably his most accessible book. It is a lot shorter than the others and dispenses with the excessive verbiage that is a feature of other examples of his work.

[My2cents]

I have never read anything by Henry James just because I couldn't decide where to start with. Now that you have named all the awful ones be kind to name a good one for me to start with. What about 'The Turn of the Screw'?

What I read of Henry James are The Portrait of a Lady, The American, "Turn of the Screw," "The Aspern Papers," and The Wings of the Dove. I'm partial to The American and "The Aspern Papers," and if they're representative of James, I'd say the whole of James' oeuvre are worth reading.

[dfloyd]

Hemingway's was Across the River into the Tress and his posthumous novel True at First Light. Sinclair Lewis had more than one, but Gideon Planish is one. The Road by Cormack McCarthy with its maudlin repetitiveness is not up to his capability evinced in other novels. Thackeray never came up to his promise of biting satire as in Vanity Fair. Fielding spent his all in Tom Jones with Pamela being an awful, awful novel and Jonathon Wild being close behind.

I agree that Dombey & Son is not Dickens' best, but all his novels are worth reading with most readers having their favorite. Mine is Great Expectations. As Pip walks Miss Haversham round and round the web-covered wedding feast table, my incredulity wasn't stretched, but her wearing a decades old wedding dress was not exactly believable. Still love the novel though.

[wordeater]

I have never read anything by Henry James just because I couldn't decide where to start with. Now that you have named all the awful ones be kind to name a good one for me to start with. What about 'The Turn of the Screw'?

A good introduction to H James is the novella "Daisy Miller". If you like that you will also like "The Portrait of a Lady".

[aliengirl]

What I read of Henry James are The Portrait of a Lady, The American, "Turn of the Screw," "The Aspern Papers," and The Wings of the Dove. I'm partial to The American and "The Aspern Papers," and if they're representative of James, I'd say the whole of James' oeuvre are worth reading.

Thank you. I'll probably start with 'Turn of the Screw' or 'The Portrait of a Lady' because they are easily available.

@ Emil & wordeater - Thank you both.

[Melysnl]

I'd be dead if I had to go through what Richard does in The Secret History.

Me too probably, but I wouldn't let it get that far. Richard cared a lot more about fitting in than I do.

I hope that she writes another great book, but if she doesn't I can't fault her. The Secret History is modern literary bliss. I can think of a few writers who've written many good books, but I can't think of any writers who've written more than one book that I consider modern, literary, unique, and genius.

[Melysnl]

I'd be dead if I had to go through what Richard does in The Secret History.

Me too probably, but I wouldn't let it get that far. Richard cared a lot more about fitting in than I do.

I hope that she writes another great book, but if she doesn't I can't fault her. The Secret History is modern literary bliss. I can think of a few writers who've written many good books, but I can't think of any writers who've written more than one book that I consider modern, literary, unique, and genius.

[kinesj]

Lolita by Nabokov :troll: :biggrin5:

All kidding aside, I vastly prefer Pale Fire, but he doesn't get an ounce of the credit for that novel that he does for Lolita.

[mal4mac]

I would be more likely to call them nightmares rather than visions. I have read The Ambassadors, Washington Square and The American but The Golden Bowl and The Wings of a Dove are both a tome too far...

I started "The Golden Bowl" and gave up after twenty pages... haven't tried Wings of a Dove, or anything else by James, 'cause of this experience... Maybe I'll try some of his earlier stuff, after I've finished Conrad's complete ouvre :)

[joelavine]

Haven't tried "Golden Bowl," but somehow made it through "The Ambassadors," which for a long while I was convinced was fiasco, but when I reached the final chapters, and now as it stay with me, I admire it greatly. Funny, that Henry.

[My2cents]

Haven't tried "Golden Bowl," but somehow made it through "The Ambassadors," which for a long while I was convinced was fiasco, but when I reached the final chapters, and now as it stay with me, I admire it greatly. Funny, that Henry.

I'm going to plough through The Ambassadors and The Golden Bowl to fulfill my intention to read all of James. (Or it could be that I hate the idea of leaving books that I had bought unread.)

[John Steinbeck]

Even though Vonnegut's status as a good writer is disputed, it can at least be said that he's respected. Anyway, I read Slapstick a few months ago and it was probably one of the most forgettable novels I've ever read. It honestly felt like Vonnegut was soapboxing for about half of the book, the other half being relevant to the plot, which seemed to meander.

[kinesj]

Soldier's Pay and Mosquitoes by Faulkner, he didn't really find his voice until Sartoris. We can all be thankful, however, that he found that incredible voice.