What's the worst book you've ever read?

[RUDisney]

I hated Good In Bed because all it was about was a whining fat girl who felt sorry for herself.

I hated everything that I tried to read by Mary Higgins Clark. She's funny in person, her reads are just too slow.

I also hated A Time to Kill. The only reason I finished that was it was interesting, since I am from the north, learning about the KKK. Other than that, it was a story that could have been told in far fewer words. I've liked the other Grisham books I've read.

I liked Hannibal when I read it. It was completely grotesque. I kept repeating, "oh, my God" the entire way through it. And, it was MUCH better than that horrible movie that they released.

 

[alliecats]

I thought it was horrible crap - and not just horrible crap, but horrible self promoting, buy my stuff crap.

 

[clarabelle]

II also hated A Time to Kill. The only reason I finished that was it was interesting, since I am from the north, learning about the KKK. Other than that, it was a story that could have been told in far fewer words. I've liked the other Grisham books I've read.

I am from the South and I promise you I have no intimate knowledge of the KKK.
I don't think that "A Time to Kill" was any kind of portrayal of current Southern life. We do stuff like go to the grocery store, church, the movies. Do homework, go to the gym. No white sheets and burning crosses around here.

 

[bcvgal]

My most disliked book has to be "Map of the World" It was an Oprah book club book but I thought it was way too depressing so I didn't even finish it.

 

[simba928]

I absolutely hated this book we read in 7th grade. It was something like True Confessions of Charlotte or somethin like that. It was about this girl named Charlotte that went on this ship. It was horrible. So boring and such a slow read. I also wasn't particularly fond of Animal Farm (talking pigs that try to take over the world? c'mon.) and Nothing but the Truth. That one was ok, but the ending was HORRIBLE. It completely ruined the book. I hate books with horrible endings.

 

[goofygirl]

"The Great Gatsby"- hated it!! I was like, "Who cares about this group of rich people doing nothing with their lives?!"

Ditto for "Less Than Zero"!

 

[RUDisney]

I am from the South and I promise you I have no intimate knowledge of the KKK.
I don't think that "A Time to Kill" was any kind of portrayal of current Southern life. We do stuff like go to the grocery store, church, the movies. Do homework, go to the gym. No white sheets and burning crosses around here.

Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as insulting. I just mean that people from the south would hear stories about the KKK more than I would, having grown up in the north. Sure, I've heard news reports, etc., but I never knew of anyone who was on either side of the situation, or who knew someone who marched or was the victim of the senseless violence.

A lot of coal mining went on around here. I bet I know more than a lot of people from different areas of the country about that, just because I knew miners and my grandfather was one.... for a day. But, I am certainly no coal mining expert.

I hope this clears this up. Wasn't meaning anything by my comments. I know the history of MLK, but having never known anyone who went personally to one of his rallies, I can't know the whole story... the part that would truly humanize the story.

 

[tar heel]

I already mentioned Bridges of Madison County on the Brokeback Mountain thread -- what an awful book AND movie. I'm sure it's not the worst I've ever read, but it's at least an honorable mention.

But Cold Mountain? It's a masterpiece!

 

[Aurora63]

Bible Code II

The first Bible Code was interesting. Notice how no one ever talks about the sequel? Because it was stupid!!! The guy who wrote it now thinks there is some big metal object buried on the Jordan side of the Dead Sea, which came from outer space carrying our DNA.

Maybe someday he'll prove me wrong, but until then, this book was good for a laugh.

 

[pjtjm]

Wicked -

Bleech!!

 

[DisneyGirl421]

pjtjm - how could you hate wicked?!?!? lol I <3 it.

But anyway, all my least favorite books are stuff they make us read in school.
I absolutely hated Lord of the Flies. and Animal Farm. and Grendel. and Scarlet Letter (i liked the plotline, just getting through the gazillion pages of details Hawthorne uses was torture).

 

[Mom2be]

The Poisonwood Bible - HATED this book. Thought it was long, boring, and the whole time kept thinking "why does his family put up with this?"

She's Come Undone - Everyone raved about this book and how this male author wrote women so well. ***? Worst book EVER!

We Were the Mulvaney's - the last Oprah book I tried to read. AWFUL, truly awful. So depressing it made you want to slit your wrist.

I also do not read anything reccomended by Oprah anymore - she likes books that are depressing. I prefer to be entertained when I read.

A Time to Kill was one of my favorite Grisham novels - I don't know why but it is one I could read several times.

~Amanda

 

[GEM]

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED The Poisonwood Bible!! I'm another one that hated The Bridges of Madison County though. It was sappy, overly sentimental, poorly written, and just generally annoying!

 

[Glynis]

Worst book ever read is really tough, I read so many books, and I am sure there are bad ones I have blocked out. Books that I distinctly remember disliking include:

Cold Mountain. I actually threw this book across the room because I hated the ending so much.

Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. Total treacle, and so many people really liked it, which added to my disappointment.

Books that tortured me in college: The Faerie Queene, Old Grizzly.

Finally, a special mention for Gerald's Game by Stephen King. I was reading this book in the kitchen, got to a particularly grotesque part involving attempted escape from handcuffs (details omitted!), and actually passed out, fell backwards, hit my head on the floor, and ended up with a concussion!

(but I finished the book anyway)

I thought I was the only person in the world that hated Cold Mountain!!!! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I absolutely detested the book!!!!!!!

 

[Kitty 34]

The House of Seven Cables

 

[missypie]

I really really really hated Tom Wolfe's "The Bonfire of the Vanities." I was in a terrible mood as I was finishing it, but I had to read it to the end to find out what happend.

But the worst written book: One time I spoke at a University of Houston law seminar. The "speaker gift" was a crime novel that one of the law professors had self-published. One night I couldn't sleep and started to read it...It could win a contest for bad novels.

 

[missypie]

I thought I was the only person in the world that hated Cold Mountain!!!! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I absolutely detested the book!!!!!!!

I loved Cold Mountain.

 

[barbeml]

"The Bridges of Madison County" and "The Celestine Prophecy." Both trite tripe, recommended by co-workers.

 

[Kimberle]

The Klone and I by Danielle Steele. She must have been when she wrote that one! I generally like her books and was hoping for some sort of "turnaround", but it never came.......

(Thought, I must admit, her older stuff, especially the historical novels, are MUCH better than the stuff she's written lately. With the exception of Echo's, she seems to be running out of ideas/steam.....)

 

[LindsayDunn228]

I loved Cold Mountain.

I bought the book for around $5 at a used bookstore. Saw the movie and was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bored. I desperately wanted what felt like the last 20 hours back. I gave to book the hairy eyeball and resold it at the same store.