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I found both 'Mere Christianity' by C.S Lewis and 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins to be very instructive in how to conduct a terrible argument based on ill drawn conclusions, but not very enjoyable. And while I'm sure that I have read worse books than these two, none have made as ugly an impression on me.
I utterly loathed Robinson Crusoe, I know it is one of the first novels in english, yet Defoe's writing and style was pretty much like the Dan Brown of the 18th century.
Also Have to agree that Dawkins The God Delusion, was quite ridiculous, it seems like in the book he assumes we are all of a highly limited intelligence, as most of his arguments are quite laughable. And seeing interviews of him doesn't help this image I have. His entire book, can be outdone by one Shakespeare quote, "there is more in heaven and earth Horatio, than your philosophies can dream of"
Pillars of the Earth
Wooden characters, horrible coincidences and unlikely happenings, if this writer is so "good" then I am James Joyce!
Catch-22.
Oh please.
Is this because you're a believer or because you thought they were poorly written? I haven't read either, so it's not to defend them, I'm merely curious, probably because I read a book by two Danish guys who wrote about us evil atheists and well, naturally that would make my list of one of the worst, but more out of personal convictions than taste. Which made me wonder how we even distinguish that and maybe it's subject for a completely different thread, I don't know :)Quote:
Originally Posted by wat??
Desperate Characters by Paula Fox
Reviews of this one are almost unanimously positive, but I just could not enjoy it at all. If you look around you'll see people praising the prose as being worthy of Fitzgerald, it's the perfect length, gripping portayal of middle class ennui, etc., but it simply did not resonate with me.
To be fair, I was tiring of postmodern literature so it may have been a timing thing, but I just can't believe that I'm the only person who didn't get into this one.
Never heard of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by wat??
'Mere Christianity' is actually written in support of faith, despite the misleading name. And no, I am not religious myself.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ane
Ah my bad. Does correspond better with all the christian motifs in the Narnia books.Quote:
Originally Posted by wat??
Atlas Shurgged is probably the most tedious book I've ever read. I actually agree with a lot of Ayn Rand's Objectivist ideas, but the book was hopelessly repetitive and the characters were awfully black and white.
I loved The Wings of a Dove but the thing with James is that his novels take a LONG time to get going. Once they do, they're great. Definitely watch the film of the novel, at least. It's one of the saddest stories I've ever read.Quote:
Originally Posted by mal4mac
To Kill A Mockingbird is very overrated.
a kestrel for a knave was the worst book i have EVER read.... and i only read it because i was forced to... those damned lit teachers....
The Handmaiden's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
I know it's not the futuristic, totalitarian state setting because I like Orwell. I just can't read anything by Margaret Atwood, Helen Garner or Virginia Woolf without feeling like I want their main characters (and the writers of them) to perish out of existence. I cannot understand their kind of femaleness at all, similar to how I feel about Australia's first female prime minister, actually.
I know, geeeez who keeps on letting these women out of the kitchen ?Quote:
Originally Posted by Emmy Castrol