S/O book thread: What book did you hate that most others loved?

[meet me in paris 14]

The Shack.

 

I truly, truly despised it.

 

thank you!!! :iagree:

 

And please add the Left Behind series to that list... :thumbdown:

[Ester Maria 43]

*Preparing for the backlash*

 

I cannot stand Jane Austen. Maybe it is good writing, but IMNSHO she was the Danielle Steele of her time. I call her books bodice busters - not great literature.

:iagree:

I don't like her books either. :D As in, I'm ALLERGIC to Jane Austen.

[SailorMom 841]

From the last two posts, I think I'll fit in fine here :)

 

All Jane Austen except Pride and Prejudice

All of the Twilight books

The Shack

All of the Percy Jackson/ Lightning Thief books

All of the Nicholas Sparks books - excluding the Notebook

[Surfside Academy 33]

Corelli's Mandolin. If people want to read soft porn, fine, I've got nothing against that, but don't go telling me it's great literature (ditto for Outlander and all those other books like that.)

 

I totally agree. After reading the first Outlander book I finally gave up.

 

I also just can't read Tolkein (ducking arrows.) I've tried and really want to like his books but I just can't get past the first few pages...I'm not into the movies either.

[Heidi @ Mt Hope 87]

Outlander and The Thirteenth Tale.

[FriedClams 5,479]

From the last two posts, I think I'll fit in fine here :)

 

All of the Twilight books

The Shack

All of the Percy Jackson/ Lightning Thief books

All of the Nicholas Sparks books - excluding the Notebook

 

Had to make one edit... I love Austen.

 

I also loathe (or is abhor stronger?) Siblings without Rivalry and How to Talk so Kids will Listen. I cannot comment kindly about either.

 

I also tried the Hunger Games and couldn't read it.

[stripe 4,182]

Catcher in the Rye. I had to read it in high school. Bleh.

I read a great analysis of Catcher in the Rye, where the person had genuinely no idea what Holden's problem was and why he thought his life was so awful -- discussing the ennui of privilege and how ridiculous it struck him, who had grown up totally impoverished. It was interesting.

[nichole 10]

Nicholas Sparks books. And the movies too. I really, really can't stand them. I've read several, and IMO they all glamorize adultery. :glare: I just don't get it. I have many Christian friends who love the books and love the movies and sigh over the romance aspect and I am just blech.

 

:iagree:

[hsmom3tn 10]

I don't like Jodi Piccoult books in general. Everyone I know devours them. There just too much for me--and I end up just thinking the whole story is ridiculous.

 

:iagree: The endings of her books are terrible.

 

 

I think the worst book I've ever read in my life was She's Come Undone. :glare:

[Murphy101 32,404]

The Shack.

 

Worst book I've read in years.

 

Twilight, which I readily admit is completely B movie hokey fun material, had more plot and logic and better writing than that book.

[mazakaal 257]

Wuthering Heights

[mrscopterdoc 17]

The Twilight books

[Wendi 194]

:svengo:

 

I couldn't finish To Kill A Mockingbird, A Confederacy of Dunces, and the barfy book about the girl with the huge thumb.

 

Can I encourage you to try To Kill A Mockingbird again? The first time I tried it, I didn't get hooked, but now it's one of my favorite books.

 

Wendi

[Stacia 81,563]

Books I *really* hated:

Twilight (utter stupidity)

Life of Pi (felt like it ripped my soul out; I didn't even want to read books after finishing this one)

Perfume (argh -- possibly the worst ending I have ever read)

The Lovely Bones (sick)

John Grisham books (he writes like he's in elementary school)

American Psycho (couldn't stomach going past the first few pages)

 

Books I really disliked:

Pillars of the Earth

The Corrections

The Time Traveler's Wife

A Passage to India

The Hours

The Red Tent

Magical Thinking

Love in the Time of Cholera

The Egyptologist

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

The Poisonwood Bible

Edited September 12, 2010 by Stacia

[Medieval Mom 65]

Lolita by Nabokov. I read this in college. It infuriates me to this DAY that this despicable novel ranks #4 in The Modern Library's top 100 novels of the 20th century. You've GOT to be kidding me!!!! :rant: It has go to be the ONLY book that I've thrown away instead of given away when I was done reading it. I even convinced a teenage girl at Barnes and Noble NOT to read this book for her AP English class. UGH! :ack2: (I NEVER do this sort of thing.)

 

I would be extremely happy if this is one of those books that, in 100 year's time, is out of print, unacknowledged, unappreciated, lost to the world. :leaving:

[Belacqua 3,595]

Stacia, I'm so pleased to see I'm not the only one who disliked The Elegance of the Hedgehog. I didn't especially care for any of the characters, and I found it difficult to finish.

 

As for kids' books? I never liked Encyclopedia Brown. I always wanted to pop the insufferable little know-it-all (most likely because I could never solve the darn mysteries without looking at the answers in the back).

[Mothersweets 6,284]

The Book Thief. Hate might be too strong a word, but I didn't like it.

 

:iagree:I tried to like it but just couldn't.

 

OH, and I hated Catcher in the Rye.

Edited September 12, 2010 by Mothersweets

[nmoira 11,510]

The Obvious -- didn't make it through more than a page or two at best:

Twilight series

Dan Brown

 

Perhaps less obvious: (working partially from this list of bestselling books)

Stephen King -- with the exception of Four Seasons and Danse Macabre.

Harry Potter (I didn't make it past the first book)

The Alchemist

Jonathan Livingston Seagull

 

And the number one:

Raggedy Anne and/or Andy -- I'd rather be in solitary confinement for a year with only Milly-Molly-Mandy than have to read one of those stories again.

[myfunnybunch 5,056]

Eat, Pray, Love

 

Most readers I know recommended it to me. "It's soooooo good!" I made it through the Eat section then I gave it back to the person who'd loaned it to me. (And I always finish books I've started!)

 

I couldn't stand the me-me-me whining and self-centered "soul-searching". I really wanted to reach into the book, give her a good smack and tell her to get over herself.

 

I also agree with the Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult and so forth. Not my cuppa.

 

Cat

[sparrow 1,451]

Toss me in with the anti Picoult peeps. I remember reading My Sister's Keeper and seeing the ending coming from a mile away. Somehow I was able to finish the book despite the fact that my eyes were perpetually rolling toward the ceiling.

 

 

Harry Potter (I didn't make it past the first book)

 

 

I also did not finish the first book on my first try. I just didn't get the hype. We are now reading through the series as a family (we're on Order of the Phoenix) and I LOVE it.

[Pippen 21,797]

It has go to be the ONLY book that I've thrown away instead of given away when I was done reading it.

 

I threw away The DaVinci Code.

 

I think I left The Time Traveler's Wife at a campground book exchange tub. Everyone was raving about it so I packed it along for a long car ride and then I was stuck with nothing else to read.

[6packofun 4,848]

I completely hated Life of Pi, too.

[5knights3maidens 49]

Johnny Tremain and Lord of the Rings.

[Barry Goldwater 10]

Like a few other folks, I really dislike Catcher in the Rye (but have yet to meet a man who didn't LOVE IT when they read it as a teenager...perhaps it's a book that appeals more to boys?).

 

I strongly dislike Jodi Picoult books.

And The Lovely Bones. WHY do people love that book?!

 

 

Now you have...If I had the chance to punch Holden in the face, I would have...I loathed that book and all arguments trying to convince me it was worth anything at all...:)

 

My others:

 

Anything by John Updike

Grapes of Wrath

Madam Bovary

The Electric Cool-Aid Acid Test

Anything by E. Hemingway, I think

[Melinda in VT 1,996]

Oh, and for kids' books--Ginger Pye. Most boring family read aloud we've ever done. I have no idea why that book got a Newbery Medal. It must have been a bad year for children's books.

[mom2jjka 235]

The Lord of the Rings series. I can tolerate the movies (barely) but the books bore me to tears.

 

Most 'fad' fiction books (Jodi Piccoult, Twilight, Nicholas Sparks, Amish romance, etc...) I just don't like them. :tongue_smilie:

[Barry Goldwater 10]

*Preparing for the backlash*

 

I cannot stand Jane Austen. Maybe it is good writing, but IMNSHO she was the Danielle Steele of her time. I call her books bodice busters - not great literature.

 

My husband knew he loved me when I told him that. He can't stand her either.

 

Re: Bold :lol::lol::lol:

 

Funny, I knew I had to marry DW when I discovered her in college reading Anna Karenina for recreation, while I was studying for an Organic Chemistry test...

[Daisy 65]

I hated Catcher in the Rye also.

 

And put Native Son on the list also.

[Stacia 81,563]

Oh, and for kids' books--Ginger Pye. Most boring family read aloud we've ever done. I have no idea why that book got a Newbery Medal. It must have been a bad year for children's books.

 

LOL. We didn't like that one either. I still don't get why it's a book about a dog -- he was stolen & not even in most of the book. :confused:

 

(I'm not necessarily a huge fan of Newberry books anyway....)

 

We also didn't like The Tale of Desperaux.

[Word Nerd 17,145]

I hated The Old Man and the Sea the first time I read it. But when I reread it a few years ago, I

really liked it. I'm another Catcher in the Rye hater, too.

[Tabrett 58]

Jane Austen books- don't like victorian style of writing

 

Nicholas Sparks books- don't like it when main characters die

 

Lord of the Rings- Loved movies, but was bored to tears with book. Way too descriptive.

 

Red Badge of Courage- boring, very, very boring

 

Christy- Again very boring, but loved the tv series.

 

Stone Fox-too tragic

 

I like reading to be informative (non-fiction) or enjoyable. If main characters die or the book is written in an old style and I feel like I am having to 'translate' the book into modern english, it is not enjoyable and I might as well read something informative. :tongue_smilie:

[SBP 14]

Twilight - Would have never picked it up if it hadn't been one of my book club reads. Should have gone with my first instinct. Absolute trash, IMO, and a horrible thing for young people to be reading so voraciously. I won't let my DD within a mile of it.

 

Outlander - I hated this for too many reasons to list

 

The Hobbit - I thought this would be a good way to ease into LoTR, which I've never read. It went on...and on....and on.... and I kept waiting to love it, but I just never could give a flip about any of the characters or their quest, whatever it was. I've forgotten now. I read a few hundred pages and then just gave up. Still haven't tried LoTR & not sure I ever will.

 

The Horse and His Boy - This is where we stalled out with the Narnia books. We'd enjoyed the first few, and then found this one absolutely coma-inducing. It's my nephew's very favorite book in the series, though. His eyes light up with absolute joy every time it's mentioned. I'm like, seriously?

 

Knowing and Teaching Elementary Mathematics by Liping Ma. I kept reading all these posts here about how this book transformed people's approach to teaching math, made them understand math for the first time, made math their kids' favorite subject, etc. etc. It just made me feel even more stupid than I'd felt before I picked it up, which is saying a lot. I still don't like math, understand math, or want to teach math. What transformed MY approach to teaching math is the DIVE CD, thankyouverymuch. :D

 

SBP

[SBP 14]

Little House in the Big Woods...there's no plot so what's the point.

 

I didn't hate Little House in the Big Woods when I read it as a child, but I tried to read it to my kids when they were pretty young (maybe 4&5 or thereabouts) and it really was pretty dull in places. There's a whole chapter of exposition about how Pa kills hogs, if I recall correctly, and I remember my kids' eyes glazing over... while I kind of wanted to go throw up. :blink:

 

DD read it on her own later & enjoyed it, but it's not my favorite of the series at all.

 

SBP

[nmoira 11,510]

 

I didn't hate Little House in the Big Woods when I read it as a child, but I tried to read it to my kids when they were pretty young (maybe 4&5 or thereabouts) and it really was pretty dull in places. There's a whole chapter of exposition about how Pa kills hogs, if I recall correctly, and I remember my kids' eyes glazing over... while I kind of wanted to go throw up. :blink

Mine can't get enough of that stuff... that, and the first chapter with the smoker, et. al. were by far their favourite parts of the book.

[radiobrain 149]

I don't think I like female authors very much. I like a few, but I really dislike far more. Don't know what that is about.

 

I can't stand any Janet Evanovich books and I hate every single character in those Scarpetta books. I listen to a lot of books on CD when working though, and I like to have some sort of murder/science story... (they are easy to listen to, make me keep going and I don't really care if I get interupted). All her characters are repellent, but I end up running out of new things to listen to and end up with one of hers. :tongue_smilie:

 

I despise soft core p*rn books. Outlander didn't bother me if I read them, but I skipped all that garbage. If I had to listen to it on tape I would throw up all over myself. I didn't really notice it until then, I suppose I self edited.

 

I don't like Amy Tan.

 

People who's style of writing I hate...Stephen King, Anne Rice.

 

I HATED the "Mixed-Up Files of Basil whoever-wiler" what horrible writing!

 

Any vampire, pants, big thumb, woman finding herself, feel good yuck yuck books and books where all the women are superior and the men are dumb asses.

 

Honestly, if I don't like a book... I stop, unless there is a specific reason for me to finish it. Our book club was notorious for calling each other and saying "this book is horrible!" and then just meeting for coffee. :D I try to forget what they were.

 

I will stay away from Life of Pi, given the reviews here.

[arwen 11]

The Red tent

Wicked--I kept hoping it would get better but gave up in the middle.

The Giving Tree

Girl with a Pearl Earring

 

As for Jane Austen, love the movies, but the books are too long/descriptive.

[nukeswife 1,011]

I'm apparently an oddball.

 

I can't say I hate Jane Austin books because I've never made more than 40 pages in before I'm falling asleep.

 

I did however like The Time Travelers Wife, and the Percy Jackson series.

 

I love Harry Potter and continue to re-read them. I'm on Goblet of Fire for the 4th time now.

 

I can't stand Tess of the D'Urbervilles but I think that was because after having to wade through Jude the Obscure for class, I picked Thomas Hardy from the hat for my Senior year research paper in AP English Lit and Comp. They are basically the same darn story, but instead of a man and two women, in Tess it's a woman and two men as the main characters. To this day I will not pick up another Hardy novel.

[nukeswife 1,011]

 

I HATED the "Mixed-Up Files of Basil whoever-wiler" what horrible writing!

 

 

 

:iagree: I'm reading this to my kids now as a read aloud and just wish it would be over, but they are enjoying it.

[radiobrain 149]

:iagree: I'm reading this to my kids now as a read aloud and just wish it would be over, but they are enjoying it.

 

I read it to them too and I have never read so fast in my life. The idea is neat, and it's written for kids, but holy smokes! It's almost as if it were translated by an alien. A stupid alien.

[OnTheBrink 1,932]

 

I think the worst book I've ever read in my life was She's Come Undone. :glare:

 

I completely agree. It was horrid. I've never hated a book as much as I hated that one.

 

Typically, though, I just don't get interested in what's on the best seller's list. I do like some of Picoult's books, but I read them if I happen to run across one.

[i.love.lucy 15]

Eat, Pray, Love

I couldn't stand the me-me-me whining and self-centered "soul-searching". I really wanted to reach into the book, give her a good smack and tell her to get over herself.

:iagree: I can't believe I forgot this one. The movie looks mildly interesting (as a renter) as I can't really imagine Julia Roberts whining too much, but I couldn't get past page 40 or so of this book!!!

[Imprimis 10]

Brave New World. I really did not like this book.

[BikeBookBread 12]

Wicked.

[hsmom3tn 10]

 

The Horse and His Boy - This is where we stalled out with the Narnia books. We'd enjoyed the first few, and then found this one absolutely coma-inducing.

 

Yes, I had forgotten about that one! This is exactly why I haven't finished the Narnia series. I enjoyed the first two books, but could not get through this one.

 

 

Another children's book that we couldn't finish, but most people really like, was Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. None of us could get into it.

[Ellie 34,201]

Wicked.

:ack2:

 

The only book I have actually thrown in the trash.:ack2::ack2::ack2:

[Audrey 18,803]

The Twilight series and the Outlander series. :ack2: They're both garbage, IMO. I also dislike Danielle Steel on the grounds that she hasn't actually written anything new in 20 years, but still keeps cranking out the same thing over and over.

[thescrappyhomeschooler 663]

Jane Eyre. I just can't get into it.

 

Or any Jane Austen novels, either.

[thescrappyhomeschooler 663]

Lolita by Nabokov. I read this in college. It infuriates me to this DAY that this despicable novel ranks #4 in The Modern Library's top 100 novels of the 20th century. You've GOT to be kidding me!!!! :rant: It has go to be the ONLY book that I've thrown away instead of given away when I was done reading it. I even convinced a teenage girl at Barnes and Noble NOT to read this book for her AP English class. UGH! :ack2: (I NEVER do this sort of thing.)

 

I would be extremely happy if this is one of those books that, in 100 year's time, is out of print, unacknowledged, unappreciated, lost to the world. :leaving:

 

:iagree: I tried to read it once, but it was so disgusting, I chucked it in the bin!

[Onceuponatime 14,294]

I didn't not like:

 

The Road- This won an award???????

Anna Karenina- finished but was sorry afterward that I wasted my time

Catcher in the Rye-didn't get past the first page

Catch 22- got 1/3 of the way through

Grapes of Wrath- forced myself to read this in high school.

 

There have been others, but I've learned how to spot the books I won't like, most of the time. If the book summary on the back or the cover has any of these words: lust, prostitute, abuse, pornography, passion, or similar clue words- even just once. I know what's probably coming and I usually skip it.

 

I made the mistake of reading one Nicholas Sparks book, Message in Bottle (?) Blech.

His nonfiction book Three Weeks with My Brother is actually quite good, it lulled me into a false sense of security, so I decided to try one of his romances. Talk about Tripe!

[Jenny in GA 52]

 

I also loathe (or is abhor stronger?) Siblings without Rivalry and How to Talk so Kids will Listen. I cannot comment kindly about either.

 

Could you elaborate on that one please? Thanks!

 

Jenny