What books sucked? I throw The Immortal Class up as the furst offering. Bicycle messagers are jokes and this book proves it.
Finnegan’s Wake.
Though I just finished reading the Icarus Agenda, by Robert Ludlum, and that really sucked, too. Not in the same league as Finnegan’s Wake, but bad enough that the Bourne series doesn’t make up for it.
Most of the time I start reading a sucky book, my attention drifts away after the second chapter and it gets put in a box somewhere, until the next garage sale. So I really could not tell you, I have never read an entire bad book.
I just gave up on reading “French Revolutions”. An English gent decides to bike the route for the Tour De France of that year (he has very little cycling experience). The premise was promising, and perhaps it gets better, but I had to put it down after a few chapters… it just wasn’t getting me anywhere.
The Marquis De Sade’s “120 Days of Sodom”, was vile. I know its suppose to be a treatise on the politics of his era, but still, I found it horrible to read.
Also, any book ever written that you find in the Romance section of your local bookstore. They don’t even classify as mind candy.
The Turn of the Screw- primarily because it counts as ‘Literature’ and far too many innocent souls are forced to read it in entirety as part of high school and college English classes.
Gulag Archapelago (sp?). I got maybe 30 pages in before my eyes glazed over.
Securities Law Regulation text book for law school. After having to read that, I prefer not to read at all.
I thought you were going to say The Bible.
The Catcher in the Rye.
No words in the English language adequately convey how awful that book is. Actually, when other things are nearly as bad - which is a rare occurrence, indeed - I describe them as “almost catcher-in-the-rye bad”.
I’m glad you started this thread, just because it allowed me to share with everyone how bad that book is. Bad, bad, bad.
(It really is.)
Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence, I swore after reading five pages describing a f’n garden that I would never pick up a book of his again.
The Catcher in the Rye.
No words in the English language adequately convey how awful that book is. Actually, when other things are nearly as bad - which is a rare occurrence, indeed - I describe them as “almost catcher-in-the-rye bad”.
I’m glad you started this thread, just because it allowed me to share with everyone how bad that book is. Bad, bad, bad.
(It really is.)
OMG, you can’t be serious! There are moments of pure genius in Catcher in Rye; wish I could say the same for the author’s other works.
My dad talked me into reading one of John le Carre’s books; I have never been so confused in my life. I guess I can’t say it was a bad book because I had no clue what was going on. I’ve never been one for mysteries though.
IMO, John Grisham’s novels contain zero literary value.
**OMG, you can’t be serious! **
Oh, I’m serious. Most overrated drivel in the long, storied history of overrated drivel.
**There are moments of pure genius in Catcher in Rye; **
Show me a single one. On second thought, please don’t.
wish I could say the same for the author’s other works.
That should tell you something.
I’ve never ever understood why Catcher in the Rye is considered ‘great’ literature.
Finnegan’s Wake.
Ha! You want tough sledding, try Jude the Obscure.
The one that really gets me is 100 Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. That book made me actively angry.
Why do you hate Aureliano’s?
Also a terrible book. I delighted in returning it to the library without reading the last 27 pages. It was more enjoyable than finishing it would have been.
Excellent nomination
Another vote for “catcher in the rye”
I don’t think there is a better example of a book where there is no meaning and yet people try so hard to find it.
The DaVinci Code was right up there, as well as his other book Angels and Demons.
While not truly in the worst ever book category, but certainly in the most disappointing book in memory, is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Such a great premise, and other than that and coming up with the name for the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, there was very little else in it.
The musical, on the other hand really pulled a lot of excellent nuggets out of the book material.
I’m going for “The Lay of the Land” by Richard Ford. Just bad enough to keep you struggling through, right to the end, and wonder what was that about, not bad enough for you to just throw it away after the first few pages…
Another vote for “catcher in the rye”
I don’t think there is a better example of a book where there is no meaning and yet people try so hard to find it.
You really need to know someone with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) to relate to the character.