The Worst Book You've Ever Read?

Right now I am quite tempted to say A Portrait of the Artist as a Yong Man, becasue this is my second time reading it, having to read it now for school. And the frist time I read it I did not particuarly enjoy it becasue I really did not care about the character of Steven at all, and I was not drawn into the story.

And now I am currently trying to get through Chapter 3, which is just absolutely painful, becasue it is basicaly just an entire sermon written word for word, of a priest rambling on and on and on about the same thing for a ridiculous amount of pages, when really I got the point in the first couple of paragrahs.

Of course the argument could be made that art isn't merely about "getting the point". Certainly we could have "got the point" of War and Peace or In Search of Lost Time in far fewer words than were expended by the writers... but art isn't about "getting the point"... its not something that can be reduced to a definition or a mere menu.

Yes that is true, but I just did not think it was nesscary to the story to have word for word an entire sermon. Particuarly when most of it was just repeating the same thing. So no new information was being imparted, it was the same idea and much of the same words just arranged in different ways for several pages.

Weekend In Paris - chick literature. I don't see how it's possible for any classic to be the worst book someone has read unless s/he has only read nothing but classics in his/her life.

Frankenstein by Shelley...
i couldn't even finish it.

That is a surprising choice, I rather enjoyed it myself

I remember Nobel Laurette Wole Soyinka's "The Interpreters". It is a very difficult read. But they say it is a great work. Try it for yourself.

I have come back from my mission,
Across seven seas and seven deserts
Above mountains high above the clouds
Far from shores of Motherland
Bombs away - ordinance delivered,
Mission accomplished.
Severed limbs, smashed heads, torsos flying
Wailing, mothers searching, blinded
Children shrieking, groping
Fathers mourning, bitter, swearing, upwards pointing.
I have come back from my mission,
To the accolade of the Big Man,
To the gratitude of country.
Nightmares, cold sweat –
Who will calm the turmoil in my soul?
Mother! Mother! Who will calm the turmoil of my soul?
I have come back from my mission,
To the accolade of the Big Man,
To the gratitude of country.

??????

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Originally Posted by Dark Muse

That is a surprising choice, I rather enjoyed it myself

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hmmm, am a big fan of frankenstein too...

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Originally Posted by Antiquarian

People are free to choose any book they like as "the worst," but I'm amazed at all the classics. Have none of you ever read a truly junk book? LOL

My worst reads, in order, are:

1. Le Mariage by Diane Johnson (incomprehensible)
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (dramatically purple prose, one wonders how he wrote so badly)
3. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (it's just nothing but "riding in cars with boys")

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Antiquarian: I agree, The Kite Runner was poorly written! It bothered me the entire time, but I made it through the book because it was a simple read, but also I found that for me, the story was strong/heavy enough to pull me to the end. It still had an impact on me, but was by no means fulfilling.

I've never gotten around to finding out for myself, but I wonder if this novel was originally written in English or not, or what Hosseini's background with the English language is? Perhaps something was lost in translation... does anyone have any info on that?

Also, I am curious about your adjective - "purple" prose! I've never heard that before but it seems to work! Why did you choose to describe it that way? :)

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, I don't see what the rave is about. It's poorly written and the characters just fantasize about each other. Oh also, Madame Bovary and The Awakening. Both books are dreadfully dull and pointless. I sense that I'm not liking a certain plot.

I just began reading Madame Bovary, and though it is too soon for me to really judge. It is true that so far, nothing has really jumped out at me in the book

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Originally Posted by Antiquarian

Looking back, I don't think the prose, itself, was so "purple" as the book was just totally melodramatic.

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I definitely agree with you there. I can't remember the main character's name, but his courtship/marriage with his wife made me squeamish... It was definitely overly sentimental for a romance I could not care about. He was not a likable character, and I think his relationship with his wife made my stomach turn because I myself would have recoiled from someone like him. But she seemed to love him just the way he desired her to regardless.

Right now I like her, but I will see what happens as the story progressess as there has not been that much of her yet, as I just got to the part where he fianlly praposed.