The Worst Writer Ever?

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05-30-2009, 06:27 AM
Don Quixote Jr

The Worst Writer Ever?

The current (June) issue of Smithsonian has an interesting article on the "uniquely dreadful" Amanda McKittrick Ros "the greatest bad writer who ever lived" according to author Nick Page. The (abridged) article is posted online at http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-c.../44732892.html
Personally I doubt if most of her detractors (including Mark Twain) are really qualified to dub her the worst writer ever in any language other than english, but I suppose even holding that distinction is quite a...dishonor?
I've never heard of Ms Ros previously, but I'm curious to see who else the Lit Network members might care to nominate as the worst writer ever, in english or any other language.
05-30-2009, 06:41 AM
Silas Thorne

I'd vote for the Dundee poet William Topaz Mcgonagall.
See the information here http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/ where you can find some really dreadful poems, like the Tay Bridge Disaster. Here it is, read by sock puppets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WAqj9QZCac
05-30-2009, 01:15 PM
higley

That's too funny. I can't pinpoint anybody particularly, but somehow I imagine the worst author ever has probably penned a romance novel or two, or five, or seven. I only read a little bit of that Twilight book but Stephanie Myers stands out as a contender. :/
05-30-2009, 01:43 PM
kelby_lake

Quote:

Originally Posted by higley

That's too funny. I can't pinpoint anybody particularly, but somehow I imagine the worst author ever has probably penned a romance novel or two, or five, or seven. I only read a little bit of that Twilight book but Stephanie Myers stands out as a contender. :/

Agreed :)
05-30-2009, 02:06 PM
LitNetIsGreat

Dan Brown has to be an obvious contender.

Made a huge amount of money from awful, awful writing. His novels also bring out really annoying people who champion them as fantastic reads.
05-30-2009, 02:45 PM
Stargazer86

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neely

Dan Brown has to be an obvious contender.

Made a huge amount of money from awful, awful writing. His novels also bring out really annoying people who champion them as fantastic reads.

:lol: soo true! I remember when I used to work at the bookstore we would joke about things like this.

Traditionally what I avoid and tend to consider as potentially awful reads are anything from Oprah's book club, or whatever "young adult" or "teen" series is popular. After seeing several certain kinds of people buy these books and hearing from them how "wonderful" they are, it's usually just best to avoid all together.
05-30-2009, 03:48 PM
LitNetIsGreat

Quote:

Traditionally what I avoid and tend to consider as potentially awful reads are anything from Oprah's book club, or whatever "young adult" or "teen" series is popular. After seeing several certain kinds of people buy these books and hearing from them how "wonderful" they are, it's usually just best to avoid all together.

Yes that is a good idea too. The UK version of Oprah's book club, from what I can gather, is the Richard and Judy book club who are (were?) daytime drivel presenters. Anything they consider good must be god awful, and yes I have read a few of them as I had to do for a module once and believe me they were bad.

For more information on books to avoid check out the following:http://www.channel4.com/entertainmen...book_club.html :thumbs_up
05-30-2009, 05:24 PM
Stargazer86

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neely

Yes that is a good idea too. The UK version of Oprah's book club, from what I can gather, is the Richard and Judy book club who are (were?) daytime drivel presenters. Anything they consider good must be god awful, and yes I have read a few of them as I had to do for a module once and believe me they were bad.

For more information on books to avoid check out the following:http://www.channel4.com/entertainmen...book_club.html :thumbs_up

For the most part those do look like total crap :P But the Time Traveler's Wife looks kind of interesting. I'd heard of it before. The concept is cool so it might be worth checkign out. There's nothing worse than the subject of a book being interesting, but the writing and storytelling absolutely ruining it.
05-30-2009, 07:17 PM
sixsmith

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neely

Yes that is a good idea too. The UK version of Oprah's book club, from what I can gather, is the Richard and Judy book club who are (were?) daytime drivel presenters. Anything they consider good must be god awful, and yes I have read a few of them as I had to do for a module once and believe me they were bad.

For more information on books to avoid check out the following:http://www.channel4.com/entertainmen...book_club.html :thumbs_up

Cloud Atlas is one of my favourite books. My credibility just took a hit.:D Damn you Richard and Judy.
05-30-2009, 07:40 PM
Eryk

There are important literature writers that a lot of people can't stand reading. Dreiser gets mentioned a lot. Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Gerard Manley Hopkins are on my list. But they didn't write garbage.

I like mysteries, so I tried to get into the first Sookie Stackhouse book, but it didn't do anything for me in terms of writing style, characters or suspense. Or originality: heroine falls in love with a vampire? And he's pale, handsome and brooding? Wow, really?
05-30-2009, 09:26 PM
Dr. Hill

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stargazer86

Traditionally what I avoid and tend to consider as potentially awful reads are anything from Oprah's book club

Anna Karenina? lol
05-30-2009, 10:52 PM
higley

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eryk

There are important literature writers that a lot of people can't stand reading. Dreiser gets mentioned a lot. Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Gerard Manley Hopkins are on my list. But they didn't write garbage.

I like mysteries, so I tried to get into the first Sookie Stackhouse book, but it didn't do anything for me in terms of writing style, characters or suspense. Or originality: heroine falls in love with a vampire? And he's pale, handsome and brooding? Wow, really?

Really? :D How original. While nosing through a store I spotted a book titled "Vampirates" over my shoulder. The figure on the cover was--wait for it--a vampire pirate.
05-30-2009, 11:10 PM
Uberzensch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Hill

Anna Karenina? lol

I was thinking the same thing!

As far as worst writer, how about Ayn Rand? (And, no, that's not because of her politics or philosophy.)
05-31-2009, 12:00 AM
mona amon

Quote:

I've never heard of Ms Ros previously, but I'm curious to see who else the Lit Network members might care to nominate as the worst writer ever, in english or any other language. - Don Quixote Jr

There must be far more bad writers than good writers, but to get the unique distinction of being the worst writer ever, I think, one will need some really special qualities. Now I want to read Ms Ros!
05-31-2009, 03:56 AM
Lokasenna

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silas Thorne

I'd vote for the Dundee poet William Topaz Mcgonagall.
See the information here http://www.mcgonagall-online.org.uk/ where you can find some really dreadful poems, like the Tay Bridge Disaster. Here it is, read by sock puppets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WAqj9QZCac

Agreed. Bloody awful poetry, but somehow hideously compelling!

I also think Barbara Cartland should get a mention - she essentially regurgitated the same crappy romance novel over and over for decades.

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