Worst book you've ever read?

[FrankCrank]

Had to do Richard III at school - put me off Shakespeare for life.
Luckily, we also did Lord Of The Flies, which I could relate to.
Not much of a book worm really, but I know what I like

 

[First Aspect]

My company's handbook.

 

[matticus]

Oh… and Hemingway… what’s all the fuss. Crap written by a drunk

But he is sooooo fecking cool! I would be so much cooler if I liked his books. I've tried ... perhaps I should lie about enjoying them??

(I DID enjoy the recent multipart docco about him. THAT was cool! )

 

[Drago]

I enjoyed Bozza J's book. He clearly can't lie straight in bed and a lot of it is as biased as you'd expect from a professional bullpoiser, but some of it was actually quite interesting.

Rorys reeked redolently of sour grapes and smugness and was neither an interesting read or especially insightful.

The problem with the genre is that most folk tend to read that which re affirms their own beliefs which is blinkered and dangerous, but I can't stand any of them so I'm happy to pluck them from any part of the spectrum for a read, although few are worth it.

 

[bitsandbobs]

Am tempted to read Rory Stewart's too

Hhmm. Another Etonian with a puffed up CV. Don't waste your time.

 

[Ian H]

Joseph Heller's Closing Time was increasingly tedious. I just gave up part way through. A contrast with Catch-22.

 

[Time Waster]

Yes, there has been plenty books I have started and thought this is crap and abandoned ship so to speak. So they must be the very worst!

Not sure if this fits into "Worst Book" or not; Recently read 'Wideacre' by Philipa Gregory, 600+ pages in 2 weeks (which is fast for me) this would suggest it was a very good book, but the main character turned into the most vile person, I hated her, and although I couldn't put the book down I did not enjoy it,. Something very captivating about philpa gregory's writing for me, one of the best books I have read in recent years was 'Tidelands' fell in love with the main character in that one.

My current book, a 'Dalhousie' novel - this mustn't be very good, think I have been on with it 4 weeks and only up to page 110

When you enboldened that first sentence of my post I reread it as saying that all the books I have never read are the worst books ever not as I meant that the ones I have started but never finished being the worst ones. It is funny how sometimes we get the meaning of something when the exact words might not actually say what the intent was. If that makes sense.

 

[C R]

The lion, witch and wardrobe things. Can't bring myself to call them books. I forced myself to read one of them because I imagined that there should be something to those books to make them popular. If there is I couldn't find it.

 

[Marchrider]

When you enboldened that first sentence of my post I reread it as saying that all the books I have never read are the worst books ever not as I meant that the ones I have started but never finished being the worst ones. It is funny how sometimes we get the meaning of something when the exact words might not actually say what the intent was. If that makes sense.

I think I read it in the way you meant it, but yes you did not write that. Interesting, you mis-wrote it then I mis-read it. I wonder how often this happens, we don't always truly see what we read, we jump to conclusions. I wonder if any wars have been started by people who can't read and write properly.

 

[Drago]

The Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

The menu at KFC is a more informative read.

 

[Mo1959]

Forgotten the name of the author now, but it was a crime series I stupidly paid for on Amazon for the kindle. By a few chapters into the first book, I gave up as the knowledge of criminal procedure was non existent and unbelievable.

 

[Profpointy]

The lion, witch and wardrobe things. Can't bring myself to call them books. I forced myself to read one of them because I imagined that there should be something to those books to make them popular. If there is I couldn't find it.

I loved them as a kid and tried re-reading as an adult; oh dear me! In fairness though, they are written for kids, and work as kids' books. Aged 11 I'd not spotted they were religious propaganda. I was the same with Azimov's Foundation series; thought it brilliant as a kid but unreadable as an adult. Great ideas but awful writing.

Some kids' books do stand up well when read as an adult: Treasure Island, the Philip Pullman fantasy series, and maybe the Mortal Engines post apocalyptic steam punk adventures

 

[Drago]

Forgotten the name of the author now, but it was a crime series I stupidly paid for on Amazon for the kindle. By a few chapters into the first book, I gave up as the knowledge of criminal procedure was non existent and unbelievable.

It wasn't my book was it...?

 

[Mo1959]

It wasn't my book was it...?

No. Just checked back my orders. An author called N. C. Lewis.

 

[matticus]

Joseph Heller's Closing Time was increasingly tedious. I just gave up part way through. A contrast with Catch-22.

[this may be apocryphal, but ...]
Interviewer: Mr Heller, would you say you've never managed to write anything as good since Catch-22?
Heller: Well neither has anyone else!