Printable View
People keep mentioning things that are readable. Most of them aren't very good, but it is possible to read the whole thing. I defy anyone to read all of The Last Immortal by J. O. Jeppson. I don't know anyone who has managed to get past the fifth page.
A Million Little Pieces
That's when I knew how full of it Oprah Winfrey is. She picked this dreck for her BOTM Club. I picked it up off my mother's dining room table and... well, it wasn't pretty. Just bad from so many angles.
I know I'm going to be drawn and quartered for this, but Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I hated it when I read it and want it to be cut into very small pieces, and I think the fact that everyone else loves it doesn't help me like it more.
Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. It's bad to the point of parody.
Well, The most boring book that I couldn't complete is Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
I don't know the reason, I was reading it in order to improve my English, I couldn't complete it though. Maybe because it's about a group of kids, or maybe it's meant to be for children. I don't know. *shrugs*
I think we can all concur that the Twilight series was a disgrace to literature.
Imaginarium, did you catch any of the online backlash when Stephen King dared to say that Stephanie Meyers is a bad writer? The hell storm was so amusing to see. I was already a SK fan but I would like to buy him dinner for that.
I'm really happy to hear this of someone, at last!Quote:
I think we can all concur that the Twilight series was a disgrace to literature.
I always hated Twilight and really didn't get why it's compared to Harry Potter worldwide sucessfull books. I am a fan of HP, and couldn't go through Twilight without rolling with laghter when Edward glittered :smilielol5:
Anyways, Twilight is a romance story with a too simple plot I waited for some actions to be done but alas it all ends up well at the end of each chapter.
Let fans of Twilight forgive me, but I truly can't digest this series.
Twlight! This series made me truly nauseated, someone should tell Meyer to never ever ever write a book again.
I took it as us not even gracing Twilight with the honors of being considered a book.
When I've read all the books in the world I'll get back to you on this...:wink5:
I can't be sure of the worst books, but I can say some of their characteristics.
I think it's time for a...
:rant:
The mediocre author always overdescribes conversations. Exhibit A:
"Well, I'd better be going now," said Randall nervously as he took a glance over his shoulder.
"Oh no, you mustn't leave," said Mrs. Connors warmly with a twinkly in her eye as she set a plate of scones down on the table. "You simply must stay for tea!"
"No, I really have got to go," said Randall, turning pale.
"Oh I insist," said Mrs. Connors with a flick of the wrist. "You wouldn't turn down my hospitality," she asked curtly.
What the author really wants to write here is a movie screenplay, not a book, because movies are good at showing things (like flicks of the wrist and glancing over the shoulder) while books are good at telling things. Of course, the author absolutely HAD to include that "flick of the wrist": it was part of the intrinsic essence of the story.
The mediocre author also makes the mortal mistake of describing emotions. Exhibit B:
Her heart sank. The whole world felt like a whirl and all her love seemed to seep out like water down a sink drain. All she felt was her extreme nothingness and a desire to change things. There was a pain in her heart, and it was almost unbearable.
This author does not understand that it is futile to use words to describe emotions; rather, you must use words to convey emotion.
The mediocre author dutifully uses as many literary cliches as possible, such as...
1. When a girl is nervous, she bites her lip.
2. When a boy blushes, his face "turns bright red"; but when a girl blushes "all the blood rushes to her face."
3. Every benevolent grandfather has a twinkle in his eye.
4. If you hear a "cry" that scares you, it is always "blood curdling"; but, if you are scared and let out a "cry" it is never "blood curdling"; if anything, it is "piercing."
5. When a character is scared, they turn pale; this holds regardless of skin color or tan.
6. If a young man is handsome, his eyes are always "dark."
7. You may use a thesaurus. But NEVER, under ANY circumstances, are you to use it to find a synonym for the word "beautiful."
8. Descriptions of scenery must be made as long and excruciatingly detailed as possible.
9. If machine-guns are involved (they usually aren't) their sound must be described as "incessant" and as a "rattle."
10. When a boy and girl first meet, it is imperative that this first meeting be as awkward and "embarrassing" as possible, with much "face turning bright red" and "all the blood rushing to her cheeks."
The mediocre author may also fall into the following traps:
1. Insert lots of foreign-language sentences and phrases. This has the advantage of demonstrating how smart the author is.
2. All characters must talk and think exactly like the author.
Finally, the mediocre author adheres to this motto religiously: leave no noun unmodified; and may no verb suffer the loneliness of not having an adverb as companion.
What are pershap the worst books of all time? I disallow mainstream popular fiction because its too easy and mainstream novels tend to be mediocre at worst. The true **** tends to deservedly obscure.
I say one of the worst books of all time is Rah and the muggles.
I think it may come down to perspective, I know a couple of people that love my nomination, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (give a crazy woman a pen after getting her high on every drug known to man and you might come close to the terrible ramblingness).
One of the books that I had to struggle to finish was Emma, by Jane Austin. I know it's considered to be one of her best, but it didn't keep me interested long enough. It took me six months to finish the book ( :D ) and that only because I felt I HAD to finish it!!! :p
ok, well it was kinda semi, not really mainstream... but
Cirque du freak series was the worst i have EVER read. and thats a considerable amount.
*and the expression is mediocre at BEST. you basically said that mainstream books are actually good and that the Worst one is mediocre