[stormhawk]

There are a lot of enjoyable to great books out there. But every now and again you read something that comes highly recommended and it just plain doesn't work for you, or your style, or that period in your life, or whatever.

Books that get great critical acclaim. Or just sell lots and lots of copies.

Books that you just can't stand and want other people to know that you can't stand them.

I do understand that there are going to be people who JUST LOVE THESE BOOKS AS THE BEST BOOK EVER.

I don't intend this thread to become a battle for primacy of most favorite versus most hated, although I suspect that could easily happen.

Some of mine: I know I'll be adding to this ...

The Twilight Saga Complete Collection
Oryx and Crake
The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman
Anything by Nora Roberts (and pseudonyms)
2666: A Novel

 

[samanthawarren]

There are two that popped into my head immediately, but they're both indie books and I don't know if the authors frequent these boards. Wouldn't want to hurt any feelings.

 

[Rhonda Helms]

I wouldn't want to mention names either--after all, what doesn't work for me may totally work for someone else. Good thing there's a wide variety of stuff out there.

 

[JennSpot]

I am pretty easily entertained and not everything I read has to be fabulous literature.  I think hard at work and sometimes I just like to kick back with something light and easy to read.  So I don't really have a list of books that pi$$ed me off because I wasted my time reading them.

And FWIW, I liked the Twilight books    So maybe my opinion shouldn't count?  lol

I don't really like recommending books or movies to other people because tastes *do* vary so much and I would hate for someone to spend their money and not enjoy something just based on my recommendation.  Usually, I preface my remarks by saying that *I* enjoyed the movie/book, but that I am also very easily entertained!

 

[Guest]

The Life And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman

You didn't like Tristram Shandy? I'll admit that it goes on and I didn't even finish it because the semester was ending and I didn't have time, but there was a lot of interesting stuff going on there. Apparently this is the novel that really gave way to the modern novel as we know it.

 

[DYB]

Anything by Dan Brown.  Okay, maybe to a particularly despised enemy!

 

[Not Here]

The Scarlet Letter & Wuthering Heights

Just not a fan of either. Usually I'm pretty easy going about book but those two just tick me off. I'd love to smack around the female leads in both.

I'm also not a big fan of One Hundred Years of Solitude. I know it's a literary favorite but I just couldn't get into it and found reading it so obnoxious.

 

[Leslie]

Wasted by Aiden Shaw. The guy was a porn star (a pretty good one, apparently) who thought he could write. He can't. As someone said to me, "He was probably writing this from a padded cell somewhere." LOL.

L

 

[MariaESchneider]

I agree on Wuthering Heights.  I'd definitely recommend a bad book (probably with a blatant message) to an enemy without the slightest guilt.  I'd do it GLEEFULLY.  But to me, Wuthering just served no purpose. 

I wasn't big on 1984 either, although at least the message there was quite clear. 

 

[NapCat (retired)]

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

I actually had a professor give me a passing grade for telling her it was just to horribly depressing to finish !!

 

[Mrs. K.]

If I had a choice, my worst enemy would receive a first edition, signed hardcover copy of The Road by Cormac McCarthy and be doomed to read it (and nothing else) repeatedly for the rest of her miserable life. While living out the rest of her pathetic existence on a desert island. With nothing to eat but mushrooms that may or may not be poisonous. And with no volleyball.

There's a reason we call them enemies!

 

[balaspa]

Wow, As I Lay Dying on the list!  I would have to agree with that one.  Never like Faulkner.  I also did not like The Sun Also Rises.  It really just irritated me.  However, I might recommend that one to an enemy.

 

[NogDog]

Since many books I've despised have been loved by many other people, I figure maybe I should instead recommend a book I love, on the the theory that I'm such a contrary sort that I'd stand a better chance of PO-ing my enemies that way. I mean, I couldn't stand Pillars of the Earth and gave up after about 15% (wondering if Ken Follett even had any idea what a simile or metaphor was), yet it has a 4.3-star rating at Amazon, and Starz turned it into a successful mini-series; so what do I know?

 

[caseyf6]

Sun Also Rises (please God don't let it be "Son"...I really don't remember)

Heart of Darkness (I wanted to slit my wrists...horrible)

 

[Carol (was Dara)]

The book I hate more than any other was written by a NYT best-selling author and one of her books was even made into a movie. I'm not going to mention the title because I know there are way more readers out there who enjoy this author's work than those who dislike it. Let's just say it wasn't for me. 

 

[lpking]

Heart of Darkness (I wanted to slit my wrists...horrible)

To the OP: Now there ya go! LOL

One of my favourite books of all time.

 

[DYB]

To the OP: Now there ya go! LOL

One of my favourite books of all time.

And I think "Wuthering Heights" is the greatest novel written in the English language!

 

[SylvieB1984]

The book I hate more than any other was written by a NYT best-selling author and one of her books was even made into a movie. I'm not going to mention the title because I know there are way more readers out there who enjoy this author's work than those who dislike it. Let's just say it wasn't for me.

Now I'm curious to know who it is lol

and the reason you didn't like it! I have a couple ideas of who it might be, but I'm super curious now!

 

[stormhawk]

You didn't like Tristram Shandy? I'll admit that it goes on and I didn't even finish it because the semester was ending and I didn't have time, but there was a lot of interesting stuff going on there. Apparently this is the novel that really gave way to the modern novel as we know it.

It was for an Honors seminar on Humor, and I wasn't getting how or why Tristram Shandy was funny.

We should have been analyzing the intricacies of The Dead Parrot Sketch, not reading a three inch thick paperback that was decidedly unfunny.

Trust me, here ... I know that a lot of what I read is unmitigated crap, and I wouldn't waste time trying to convince others of how good it is, if only you'd 1. really give it a try 2. try to step back from your preconceptions and just experience it 3. I forget what my clever third comment was. Like How I Love Chuck Pahalnuik, even though I can never spell his last name and a lot of people find him odd and offensive, and my secret love for hairy-chested men's adventure novels.

 

[Will Granger]

Anything by Dan Brown. Okay, maybe to a particularly despised enemy!

I agree! He is way overrated.