The Worst Book You've Ever Read?

I know that wasn't totally directed at me, but I'd like to point out that I said I disliked Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights, but the worst book I've read is Joy Luck Club. I agree that there is a difference between realizing a book is bad and not enjoying it. I understand why Great Expectations and Wuthering Heights are considered classic, but I just don't like them. Joy Luck Club, on the other hand, was despicable.

I have read a little fantasy, and I'll agree that the genre has very little literary merit, and I don't even enjoy most of them now (I went through a phase) but there is a soft spot in my heart for certain fantasy books, regardless of how bad they really are. I couldn't bring myself to nominate them here...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PeterL

If you want to read really, really bad books, then try some of the recent fantasy novels. They wouldn't be all that bad, if they were two hundred pages; but they stick in an extra six hundred pages of filler, and the filler is the worst part.

---

Very true!

Ha ha, Antiquarian, I've noticed we have different tastes. But that's one of the things I like about this place--such a variety of people.

I love Stephen King, but the worst book I've read to date has to be Pet Cemetary...I could NOT get past the 3rd chapter no matter how hard I tried.

That and the Red Badge of Courage, (:( still remembering that forced sophomore high school reading assignment) had me in tears every time I had to open it up. I'm sure it's great now that I can appreciate the story, but THEN it was the WORST book ever.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jislani

That and the Red Badge of Courage, (:( still remembering that forced sophomore high school reading assignment) had me in tears every time I had to open it up. I'm sure it's great now that I can appreciate the story, but THEN it was the WORST book ever.

---

lol. It's not like the protagonist stays and fights the second time you read it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PeterL

If you want to read really, really bad books, then try some of the recent fantasy novels. They wouldn't be all that bad, if they were two hundred pages; but they stick in an extra six hundred pages of filler, and the filler is the worst part.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kafka's Crow

I can't stand the whole genre, even Tolkien. I think The Hobbit is the only real fantasy lit I have read.

---

Don't know if I would call them "bad" books but I find myself unable to enjoy fantasy books as well and I am glad to see that I am not the only one.

Considering the number of people who love this genre and list LoTR as their favorite I wonder why I don't like it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Don't know if I would call them "bad" books but I find myself unable to enjoy fantasy books as well and I am glad to see that I am not the only one.

Considering the number of people who love this genre and list LoTR as their favorite I wonder why I don't like it.

---

There is a huge amount of variation within the sub-genre. If you haven't read any of the recent generation of fantasy, then you should be happy. I called them "bad", because many of them are poorly written as a whole; the narrative structure. Imagine reading six hundred pages that mimic a good news report of an ax murder, without any change in the characters or the tone; that is far from a perfect analogy, but it gives the feeling.

I wonder why people love that sub-genre. Could it be that they have never read anything better, or maybe they have lots of time to kill reading stories that just go on. There is something similar to TV soap operas to them, and some people manage to watch soaps for decades.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Considering the number of people who love this genre and list LoTR as their favorite I wonder why I don't like it.

---

Funny, I know a lot of people in the fantasy world would consider this Blasphamous, but I am an avid fantasy reader, and yet, I do not care for Tolkien. Despite so many in fantasy heralded him as a genus, I do not find him to truly be that good of a writer.

I acutally enjoyed the movie LOTR more than reading the books

I will read almost anything... Always believed that there is a time and place for everything. I will read Harlequin or whatever between Camus and Dickens.

I just can't seem into get into fantasy books. Recently I have been reading some Pratchett books, for example, and even though I sort of enjoy reading them at the time, I don't particularly look forward to reading the next one.

Maybe we should start another thread about this :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dark Muse

Funny, I know a lot of people in the fantasy world would consider this Blasphamous, but I am an avid fantasy reader, and yet, I do not care for Tolkien. Despite so many in fantasy heralded him as a genus, I do not find him to truly be that good of a writer.

I acutally enjoyed the movie LOTR more than reading the books

---

Interesting. I feel the exact same way about Tolkein. I just don't like the writing. He's a great story-teller, sure, but his writing was just lacking, in my opinion. I've gotten into a lot of arguments over that one! You are the first person I've met who actually shares this opinion.

Have you read any of the DragonLance? I was really obsessed with the first three in that series in 8th grade. But only the first three. After that, they got really stale. I read a lot of fantasy in the 8th grade, but really haven't read any since then. Oh well. Not big into that genre anymore.

I know the feeling, usually I am afraid if I say this around any fantasy readers I will get rotten tomatos thrown at me LOL

I have not read any of the Dragonlance books

Right now I am enjoying The Wheel of Time books and The Sword of Truth books

Any novel or play from the "Restoration" era.