Worst book you've ever read?

[Profpointy]

Been mentioned in passing, but for me Moby Dick. Tried 3 or 4 times, the best I've managed is just under halfway. Tedious to say the least.

I got a third of the way, but for all that found it enthralling. I think I gave up as my reading glasses weren't quite right for long time use, and I'd only just swapped from fiver ones off the bay

 

[Dogtrousers]

Been mentioned in passing, but for me Moby Dick. Tried 3 or 4 times, the best I've managed is just under halfway. Tedious to say the least.

Not read it but years ago a mate of mine did. I remember how jubilant he was when he finished it. He never mentioned whether it was any good

 

[Sea of vapours]

I remember how jubilant he was when he finished it.

That could equally well apply to some of the longer sentences in 'Moby Dick', let alone the whole novel. One comes in at 467 words, and there are, iirc, plenty in the 200-300 range. To be clear, I really like 'Moby Dick', but since I'm writing in this thread I'll say that I did read 'The Da Vinci Code' and at the time recalling thinking that it was entirely dreadful and worse than anything I'd ever read (though also noting that I did finish it, and wasn't being paid to do so, so perhaps it's not wholly execrable).

 

[Alex321]

That could equally well apply to some of the longer sentences in 'Moby Dick', let alone the whole novel. One comes in at 467 words, and there are, iirc, plenty in the 200-300 range. To be clear, I really like 'Moby Dick', but since I'm writing in this thread I'll say that I did read 'The Da Vinci Code' and at the time recalling thinking that it was entirely dreadful and worse than anything I'd ever read (though also noting that I did finish it, and wasn't being paid to do so, so perhaps it's not wholly execrable).

Dan Brown books are very readable, but utterly crap in all technical details. From that POV, Digital Fortress is probably the worst.

With all his books you really need to be able to ignore technicalities.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Dan Brown books are very readable, but utterly crap in all technical details. From that POV, Digital Fortress is probably the worst.

With all his books you really need to be able to ignore technicalities.

and take huge leaps of faith and ignore facts

but I did enjoy reading it - but I read it quickly

 

[Psamathe]

One book that I have that I've never managed to finish but is quite fascinating is a book about "Megalithic Science". Scientific academic work investigating the astronomical theories and the basis for those theories, things like alignments, etc.

Fascinating in that it isn't proposing weird theories about aliens or anything daft but starts pointing out that even if these megalithic monuments were built randomly then there would be "alignments" - so the issue becomes more as to whether there are statistically more alignments than one would expect from things being random. But then you have to not look at the alignments as they are today but the alignments at the time the structures were built ...

It's a book that I read little at a time (as it takes concentration) so not getting to the end is not ploughing on until I give-up but rather just time between reading gets longer until book eventually gets tidied-up and is back on bookshelf. Must have managed 90% but nature of the book is that you can't really pick-up where you left off but need to restart. Also not a convenient paperback.

Ian

 

[vickster]

I love my Fire tablet,i have kindle Unlimited £9-49 a month.I love Detective stories,Supernatural stories,i must read three a week.

Time to move onto War & Peace for a challenge
Far better on a Kindle, I lugged the printed version home from the school library when I was about 15...I lugged it back on due date unopened

 

[Dadam]

Very few books have I started but not finished. I read fast and can find some entertainment in most things. I can go through 3 or 4 books in a week's holiday.

Wuthering Heights, for a school book report assignment. Turgid rubbish, I only got 1/3 of it read. In fact I think I discovered the word turgid around this time, probably for this very report! OK I was a schoolboy and might have more luck now but frankly I'll just as soon give it a miss. Hundreds of millions of books have been published since the printing press was invented so I can afford to be more picky.

The White Queen (Philippa Gregory), given me by a neighbour, one of the freebies for World Book Day. Couldn't finish it. I don't think it was badly written per se but it was just Mills and Boon romantic nonsense in a historical setting. I love historical fiction but more of a Bernard Cornwell or Conn Iggulden man.

I love LOTR, Dune, Pratchett and many others that folks have mentioned on this thread. Even enjoy Jack Reacher if I'm in the mood for fairly mindless action thrillers. Currently going through the Song of Ice and Fire series, on book 4. Getting a little bored of some story arcs but then others pick up the pace a bit.

 

[matticus]

One thing this thread has taught me (when read in conjuction with the various film review threads):

If I really like a film, I can recommennd it with some confidence to famliy/associates (if I take into account what I already know about them, that is)

With books, it's a complete lottery!

 

[si_c]

Time to move onto War & Peace for a challenge
Far better on a Kindle, I lugged the printed version home from the school library when I was about 15...I lugged it back on due date unopened

I really disagree. Don't like reading on electronic devices, even a kindle - dead tree versions all the way for me. War and Peace isn't even that long to be fair and it's a fairly easy read once you get going.

 

[vickster]

I really disagree. Don't like reading on electronic devices, even a kindle - dead tree versions all the way for me. War and Peace isn't even that long to be fair and it's a fairly easy read once you get going.

Well I was 15!
I was responding to someone extolling the virtues of his kindle. I only read paper books myself 😉

 

[si_c]

Well I was 15!
I was responding to someone extolling the virtues of his kindle. I only read paper books myself 😉

That's a fair point. W&P is one of several books I have multiple copies of due to spine cracking, which actually brings me to the point of this post, slightly revising my previous comment - thinking about it for a moment I realised I'd only read the new copy once as it's a different translation and I didn't find is as readable. I'll have to look to see who did the Penguin Classics version though.

I also have three copies of Don Quixote - none of which I find particularly easy to read despite being different translators. I'd hoped that one of them would have been less stilted, but probably that's partly down to the underlying text.

 

[postman]

Only thing wrong with a Kindle is it won't balance up a wobbly coffee table leg like wot a book would.

 

[vickster]

Only thing wrong with a Kindle is it won't balance up a wobbly coffee table leg like wot a book would.

Well it could do, make sure it's good a table leg proof case though to protect the screen

Your coffee table must have one very short leg (or it's a very skinny book) - I would use a beer mat or folded napkin etc

 

[TheDoctor]

I remember when I was in Primary school - final year of it - we had to read a book every week and write a "synopsis" of it'''
I accidentally chose the first volume of Lord of the RIngs
Same thing happened - even at 11 years old I loved it and ended up reading all 3 volumes over the week.
I have no idea what my teacher thought when he realised which book I had read!!!

Anyway - I sort of forgot about it and found myself re-reading it when I was about 17 and realised that I had read it already
still loved it!

I clearly remember when the radio series was broadcast for the first time. I was at University at the time and it was almost compulsory listening

I was lucky and I had a Radio-Casette (posh or WHAT!!) so I could wait until it started, press record (using a special tape bought and saved for that one purpose!) and then be free to go out

when I walked around the campus at that time it was common to see rooms with BIG signs on the door demanding silence because someone would be playing the radio and recording it using a microphone near the speaker
And they ID NOT want other noises from outside the room intruding on the sound

I read Lord of the Rings as a teenager. It was the done thing. I don't remember what my opinion of it was. I do remember it was very thick, so I would have been relieved to get to the end.

Can I refer everyone to the first line of "Dickie Davies Eyes" by Half Man Half Biscuit?

Spoiler

Mention 'The Lord of the Rings' just once more
and I'll more than likely kill you!

Thank you