Bad book?

[Kianara]

Has anyone read any particularly revolting work(s) of fiction lately?

There are threads for good books and your favorite books, but sometimes it's nice to remember the bad books we've read and warn others away from them.

 

[Ermine]

Luckily, I either get a bad impression from the first few pages, when I'm still in the library or book store. Either that or I don't read the whole thing and forget the title.

 

[didyouknow]

I was forced to read Twilight by my friend. Don't read it, not even the cover! That book is the worst thing I've ever seen published (and how she achieved that I'll never know).

 

[Wisp]

Was it really that bad?

 

[didyouknow]

In a word? Yes.

In many words? Hell Yes.

 

[Ogion]

Alan Burt Akers and his lousy Dray Prescott series. My God! That was so bad...it was even readible again, as a symbol for how novels shall never be again.

Ogion

 

[Ermine]

Actually, I take that back. Twilight was pretty revolting, especially after so many crazed girls were raving about it. Nothing but eye candy and they call it literature.

 

[NoID10ts]

I read this one called "The Bible" and Jesus was that bad!





(Sorry, I'll go back to hell now)

 

[Kianara]

Actually, I take that back. Twilight was pretty revolting, especially after so many crazed girls were raving about it. Nothing but eye candy and they call it literature.

Yeah. I read twilight (and the rest) and I would have put it down as an example of why some books just shouldn't be 500 pages long... then the fangirls attacked.

I wouldn't hate it so much if it weren't for the fact that it's adored and worshipped by millions. Because of that I REREAD it so I could give a firsthand account of it's flaws. Because apparently plots are so last year. As is the use of strong nouns and verbs in sentences.

Seriously. If you read the books from a literary standpoint, it seems like she took a thesaurus and used all the adjectives. Over. And. Over. And OVER.

As an avid reader, I weep for the future of literature.
As an aspiring writer, I rejoice for my chances of success.

 

[JoeJoe]

I love all of the books by Jonathan Stroud but "The Leap" is... kinda weird. Maybe I wasn't mature enough to grasp the whole meaning of the story but nevertheless, you never find out what was real and what imagined, the whole book long you are held in suspense, and in the end nothing really happens.

 

[saffyangelis]

I read this book about a werewolf hunter, and now I can't remember what it was called, or who it was by, but I can remember that it had no plot, no story, no writing skill, no actual blood and gore, was entirely unbelivable, and the main character had a stupid name too.

I think I returned it in the end, and I have never done that before with a book.

 

[didyouknow]

I think the absence of a plot is the worst literary crime of all. If they have a crappy solution (or sometimes no solution at all) that's almost as bad!

@Saffy: don't worry, I still like your avatar

 

[saffyangelis]

@Saffy: don't worry, I still like your avatar

=) then you can be my favourite *Glares at Luzian on the rating avatar board*

And the ending was that the werewolf was the main character's dad, who'd faked his own death after his wife got killed by a werewolf, and he'd been bitten. And then, I think he threw himself off a church.

 

[Jesin]

I wouldn't hate it so much if it weren't for the fact that it's adored and worshipped by millions.

From what I've read and heard about Twilight, the book itself is probably just bad, not horrible. But it's also popular, which results HypeBacklash, which leads to Hatedom. See http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Twilight.

Something similar happened with Eragon a while ago.

 

[Kidege]

I read a series of swashbucklers novels by Paul Féval (don't know whether junior or senior) They're hideous, but now that I googled the author, people seem to like the senior's novels. Maybe it was a bad translation? Nah. They were really terrible. They took all the genre conventions and turned it into a nonsensical mix.

 

[sagewolf]

@Jesin: Exactly what happened to Eragon a while ago. The entire trilogy is a good example of "How Not To Write Fantasy" as well as being (and perhaps because of being) an extensive "Guide To The High Fantasy Subgenre".

That is my contribution BTW: the Inheritance trilogy. Only read it if you plan to laugh at it, or predict everything that's going to happen before it does. Kind of a test of your knowledge of fantasy cliches.

 

[Jesin]

From the Inheritance cycle, the first book was bad, the second book was horrible, and the third book (or at least the first half of it, I haven't read all of it) was mediocre (better than either of the first two).

 

[Zealot]

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury.
My mother bought it for me a week or two after it came out, because she thought it looked good. I tried to get into it, but I found the writing to be just horrible. I put it down after 4 or 5 chapters.

 

[saffyangelis]

From the Inheritance cycle, the first book was bad, the second book was horrible, and the third book (or at least the first half of it, I haven't read all of it) was mediocre (better than either of the first two).

Eragon beats Brisingr.



SPOILER!
(SPOILER ---> Eragon gets a new sword, and when he says "Brisingr" the sword sets on fire. SO he can burn people with it. and he's all emo over arya all the time.)

 

[hopefulmonster]

From what I've read and heard about Twilight, the book itself is probably just bad, not horrible. But it's also popular, which results HypeBacklash, which leads to Hatedom. See http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Twilight.

Something similar happened with Eragon a while ago.

Eragon stole a lot of material from the wheel of time plot wise and the magic system is a total rip off of the will and the wordf rom belgariad;the scene where brom explained the rules of magic was just like when belgarath started teaching garian. I got the impression that he just combined the two series and then made it pg-13.

I just finished anthem by ayn rand and thought it was absolute tripe. Almost pornographic. Great example of why sexually repressed misogynists should not be allowed to put their awfulness down on paper.

I remember trying to plough through terry goodkinds crap until I had to put it down in disgust when the main character had to to rape his girlfriend and then dumped her because he thought she enjoyed it and was therefore a whore.

 

[lupejones]

I read Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Goldsomething. It was particularly long for being a pointless book that was merely just a book to "tie you down". I was so upset that the person who recommended it even agreed that the book was merely for the enjoyment of just reading it while you read it.
Maybe I'm a bit anal but I like substance. I don't like just stories. I like stories with just a bit more.

 

[Anling]

That is my contribution BTW: the Inheritance trilogy. Only read it if you plan to laugh at it, or predict everything that's going to happen before it does. Kind of a test of your knowledge of fantasy cliches.

My nephew had me read them. After the first one he was trying to stump me with what I thought all the "secrets" were supposed to be. He was somewhat put out that I had already figured out what all the surprises were supposed to be in the later books.

I also stopped reading Goodkind's series. I enjoyed the first book, but he does some pretty idiotic things with it after that.

I can't say I've read any really good fiction lately. But nothing horrible either.

 

[EditorOne]

It seems like it might be better to ask whether anyone has read anything but bad books lately.... some pretty discouraging reviews.

 

[nemo]

Deception Point by Dan Brown. I couldn't keep reading...I just didn't like it. >_>

 

[mm1991]

I recently read 'The Christmas Sweater' by Glenn Beck.

On the whole it was pretty good.......until I got to the end.
A type of ending people joke about, an ending from your worst literature nightmares......

 

[travelnjones]

While i find generally find R.A. Salvatore crap and Piers Anthony to be interesting if poorly written. It is the following POS that I want to steer people away from.

Sparrowhawk by Thomas A. Easton was LAME CRAP LAME!!! The typist is some theoretical biologist.

 

[FacetiousPersona]

Deception Point by Dan Brown. I couldn't keep reading...I just didn't like it. >_>

I loved Deception Point...

 

[pathetically-lovely]

I usually read the first few pages of a book before I buy it. But if I had to say, The Clique Series, by Lisi Harrison. A friend lent me one of the books (Revenge of the Wannabees, I think) saying it was a good read. Absolutely pointless and stupid. I don't recommend it.

 

[saffyangelis]

I've read them, it's funny about how obsessed they are with clothes and stuff

I don't think they're books to be taken seriously though.

 

[snafupants]

I have never read a book that was totally devoid of enjoyment or learning. There might be one, but among the hundreds I have read, I have not encountered it yet.

Twilight probably sucks though. Not going to ruin my streak by reading that doggerel though.

 

[Moniker]

V.C. Andrews. All of her billion + books. She's still publishing books, and she's fucking DEAD. IT WON'T STAY AWAY.

Also, most paranormal romance. Or, well, a lot of romance anyway. No, I'm not a love-hater, but don't even tell me 99% of those "Harlequin" books aren't shite.

 

[Cavallier]

Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series holds some sort of weird fascination for me. I in turns hate and love various characters and their philosophical views. He creates interesting monsters. However, its as if he puts a bunch of monstrous attributes in a hat and plucks out three of them thus creating a new monster. I'm almost certain you are supposed to admire the main character and his resolve but mostly I want him to die a stabby death. Bleh. Then again I admire many of the side characters. Double bleh. Also, apparently rape fixes everything in that series.

While I agree that Twilight sucks I think that Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series is even worse. It is nothing more than Mary Sue fan fiction that somebody somewhere decided should be published.

Spoiler

This basically sums up Twilight. The guy's voice makes me want to murder cute little quacking duckies but he really does explain the draw of Twilight succinctly.

YouTube- Why Twilight is Popular

 

[Jill BioSkop]

"The boy in the striped pyjamas" - Was a hit in the UK and pushed on kids in school to incite more reading. Illogical plot and premises, and gross historical inaccuracies. For a book about concentration camps, even if still for children, I don't know how they let that tripe through. It's a feel-good thing about EVILOMG with the ending twist neatly ripped off Hair (the musical). Not to be taken seriously. Possibly the only book I've ever ranted about.

 

[Dormouse]

For anyone who ranted about Twilight above, I dare you to read vampire diaries. I fucking dare you.

It's actually the book Twilight ripped off, but in my mind it will remain forever far, far worse. I haven't read the entire thing, so maybe I shouldn't judge, but I will anyways because I could write that tripe and I could write it with quasi-likeable characters.

So, yeah, same premise as Twilight (Or, technically, Twilight has the same premise as it) except with more plot but it's the catty teenage girl kind, and just turns all the Mary-Sues into Mary-Skanks.

From the first 40 pages the message I'm receiving is ''Girls, work hard to become Mizz popular and one day a hot vampire with a porsche with fall for you because you kinda-sorta resemble some chick he knew 200 years ago! What a catch! Ignore the fact that he's already pushing you away because he's teh evulz, and rejoiced in your pain. It's all good because he eats rabbits instead of children. Watch out for his brother, though, that lusty crow over there.
And remember! Boys are all that really matter!*'

*Taken nearly word for word from the book. Ugh. Unless some major character development gets on, I doubt I could finish that without resorting to self-asphyxiation.

 

[Sparrow]

For anyone who ranted about Twilight above, I dare you to read vampire diaries. I fucking dare you.

It's actually the book Twilight ripped off, but in my mind it will remain forever far, far worse. I haven't read the entire thing, so maybe I shouldn't judge, but I will anyways because I could write that tripe and I could write it with quasi-likeable characters.

So, yeah, same premise as Twilight (Or, technically, Twilight has the same premise as it) except with more plot but it's the catty teenage girl kind, and just turns all the Mary-Sues into Mary-Skanks.

From the first 40 pages the message I'm receiving is ''Girls, work hard to become Mizz popular and one day a hot vampire with a porsche with fall for you because you kinda-sorta resemble some chick he knew 200 years ago! What a catch! Ignore the fact that he's already pushing you away because he's teh evulz, and rejoiced in your pain. It's all good because he eats rabbits instead of children. Watch out for his brother, though, that lusty crow over there.
And remember! Boys are all that really matter!*'

*Taken nearly word for word from the book. Ugh. Unless some major character development gets on, I doubt I could finish that without resorting to self-asphyxiation.

It was really that bad?

I actually enjoyed the short story book. You chose incorrectly

Very unwise.

Next time, the uglier, worn-down, tattered old book wins.

Remember that :P

 

[Marbas]

Also, most paranormal romance

From someone who grew up on Urban Fantasy and watched that horrible little subgenre sprout up: You can usually tell whether or not Urban Fantasy is going to bad if it appears to fall into the paranormal romance subgenre.

Not even joking there.

 

[speiss]

I know I set myself up for this, but I was in the mood for a quick read, and I picked up "Enchanted" by Nora Roberts. At least, I think that was the title..

It was plot driven of course, but the plot wasn't anything special at all, being completely and utterly predictable. A young man and a young woman collide, steamily hate on one another for a good 80 pages before the man can't HELP himself, and kisses the woman eagerly while she's perched defiantly on the hood of her truck. Then they pretty much just fuck for the rest of the novel. The thing is, the characters just disgust me. The protagonist, this tomboy named Mel, has her perfect body constantly described, but of course she's oblivious to her undeniable beauty (although she purposely dresses up in ways to seduce men when she's on the job as a PI). She's "arrogant" and "stubborn," yet of course, yielding to the man she love/hates.

And of course the man, well, is just Edward from the late 80's -- except he's psychic instead of a vampire.

But of course, I've never read a Nora Roberts novel before, and I thought "what the hey?"

..

It was terrible.

 

[DarkGreen]

I hated the Enchanted series too. The author kept describing the protagonist's body and she kept pretending to be oblivious to it. The male lead was a crazy wuss. He would have bouts of 'hedonism' <--the author kept getting her characters to say that word maybe so they could sound a LITTLE cultured, and then he would be a masochistic wuss whenever Mel came around insulting him for no reason. I hated the books so badly and I only managed to like Mel's best friend a little bit because she went to self help classes for no other reason but to get attention, it was kind of funny. I HATED THE SERIES. the end. On a brighter note ---> I'm riding an elephant!

 

[giaduck]

Now, I am normally a person that when I start reading a book, I finish it...but one certain book called "The Ill-made Mute" by Cecelia Dart-Thornton was just...Horrible. I read about half of it, and I even regret that.
I'll give you a little bit of a background though...I am generally a person not bothered by verbose writing, I can be patient when there is a little bit too much over-description. Even Tolkien's work doesn't bother me when it comes to long winded passages. This book however, made me cringe. The author went through such lengths to describe things like the fabric of a dress of some random, unimportant character, who you never see again. She would go on and on and on about something, to the point where you forget what was actually going on in the story. I lost track of the plot, even the dialogue because there was so much junk filling the pages.
It was blatant thesaurus abuse and I seriously felt like the author wanted to shout to the world: "Look at me, I know so many fancy words and I'm going to use them!"

Horrible, Horrible book. The plot would have been decent had she condensed the novel into a short story, and left out all of the over-described crap.

 

[snafupants]

The Bret Easton Ellis novel Lunar Park was pretty lousy.

 

[Traianus]

Coelho's The Zahir - Talk about suck

 

[DarkGreen]

Stabby Rip Stab Stab the Lord of the Flies.

 

[Anchorite]

I'm thinking every novel ever written by John Grisham.
I had to read "The Bleachers" over the summer and I am just amazed at how you can take up 200+ pages going nowhere and saying nothing.

 

[snafupants]

^ the associate was decent plot wise, if sensationalist, but the ending was painfully anticlimactic and super preachy - when you do this, that happens. at least crichton had good, credible science to buoy a plot that failed to viscerally grab the reader. well, crichton had better plots too imao.

 

[Amor Anti]

So I recently read The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende in English...and despite the fact that it's clearly "literature", I still...I just...what? So much random crap happens in that book, I don't think I understand the significance of any of it.

 

[Cavallier]

I generally enjoy Allende though I haven't read that particular book.

I read a book by Mercedes Lackey recently just to see what all the fuss is about. Don't. Do. It.

 

[Jesse]

The Desert Spear by Peter V. Brett.

I quite liked the first book but the second has so much wrong with it. Also there is a fascination with rape and I swear it feels like it happens constantly. Changing the main character is aways hard and here it just fails. Really annoying book to read through.

 

[Audentia]

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.. apparently they're now making a movie about it.. I couldn't even finish it it was so bad. Self-centered blathering plot line.

 

[Taniwha]

Twilight, It made my eyes bleed. I was showing the graphic novel version to my younger sister (INFP) today at the library. Beautifully illustrated, its a contradiction.
What I had to say about Twilight made the tween's at the library drop their jaws.

 

[snafupants]

The Tommyknockers, an afterthought even for Stephen King. Too many/too little details in various areas, cardboard characters, and too many damn pages. Lord of the Rings, twice as long, took me half the amount of time to read. LotR had an ending, this had...Someone give me my time back. NOW! Why do I continue to read this type of shit haha.