Are there books you hate, but everyone else raves about?

[lemonhead]

I guess I'm in the mood to start conversations today.

I hate Charles Dickens with a passion. I refuse to read anymore of his books since I left high school. I wish to God he hadn't been paid by the word...and I think he's completely overrated as a writer.

I also am not a fan of Phillip Pullman. I like the Golden Compass but the rest of the series I feel like just get's stinkier. By the Amber Spyglass I was flipping pages and feeling like I was being hit over the head with Pullman's religious beliefs. I also feel like he was trying to hard...

So are there any books that you know other people love, or are highly acclaimed and you just don't get it??

[Zipotes]

The House of Night Series! I couldn't get further than the first one. It was as if the author was trying way too hard to sound like a teen and it just came out unnatural and turned me off.
However, it's a very popular series and most people love it. Go figure. Maybe something's wrong with me.

[Juneluv12]

If we're talking classics, not a big fan of Wuthering Heights, and I'm not sure why SMeyer wanted to pull that love story. Give me Jane Eyre anyday.

I may get shot for this one, but I never really loved The Giver....maybe I was having an off day!!!

[kaitlin008]

The House of Night Series! I couldn't get further than the first one. It was as if the author was trying way too hard to sound like a teen and it just came out unnatural and turned me off.


I second this--that was exactly how I felt. I actually didn't even get all the way through the first one.

I know there are several other books I feel this way about, but for some reason none of them will come to mind!

[Red.Ink.Rain]

June - honestly, I didn't love The Giver either. I liked it, but it's definitely not a favorite. And I had a friend recommend "Pirates!" by Celia Rees, saying it was absolutely amazing...but I was laughing the whole time I was reading because it was just so stupid.

I'm also with lemonhead - I didn't like The Golden Compass series. The first one was the best, but after that it got preachy and weird.

[Juneluv12]

I second this--that was exactly how I felt. I actually didn't even get all the way through the first one.

I know there are several other books I feel this way about, but for some reason none of them will come to mind!

We'll you guys make me glad I didn't pick them up at the discount bin at TJ Max the other day!!!

[raburrell]

Catcher in the Rye. I wanted to smack the crap out of Holden the entire time I was reading it.
(With apologies to the probable legions around here who want to smack *me* now...)

[misslissy]

I really don't like Eragon and following. Everyone is like these are amazing and I'm like, they give me a headache.

[Juneluv12]

Catcher in the Rye. I wanted to smack the crap out of Holden the entire time I was reading it.
(With apologies to the probable legions around here who want to smack *me* now...)

Then feel my pain because I have to teach it next year! Ugh! That and The Scarlet Letter.

[Leah_Michelle]

Stephen King. I really can't stand to read his work. It doesn't flow for me like other things do. I completely respect him and his ideas, but I can't read his books. I've tried really hard to.

[Becky]

I have two that I can think of at the minute: Lord of the Flies by William Golidng is one of them. It's not like his message is subtle - it's very clear, and I found it dull! But maybe that's just because I had to read it for college.

The next is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. All my friends raved about it, but I hated it! I felt it was dull, pointless and went off the story too much. I realise it was meant to, but it just got on my nerves after a while!

With Phillip Pullman, I did enjoy them, but found my enjoyment waning as I got to the final one.

[scarletpeaches]

Jane Eyre.

It hinges on one of the biggest coincidences in 'classic' literature and I'd happily burn every copy.

[Adam]

Pride and bloody prejudice.

[scarletpeaches]

Pride and bloody prejudice.

Now with added zombies! (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Romance-now-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244581508&sr=1-1)

[Adam]

Now with added zombies! (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Romance-now-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244581508&sr=1-1)

Still not enough to get me to read it. (As, apparently, an understanding of the original is required.)

Got to page 70 and wanted to throw it out the window. :rant:

*Waits for the "P+P is exceptional, you muppet!" reppies.*

[Leah_Michelle]

Now with added zombies! (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pride-Prejudice-Zombies-Romance-now-Ultraviolent/dp/1594743347/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244581508&sr=1-1)

Oh my God, that's right! My friend was telling me about that. We were pretty much in tears from laughing by just reading that!

[MissKris]

Stephen King. I really can't stand to read his work. It doesn't flow for me like other things do. I completely respect him and his ideas, but I can't read his books. I've tried really hard to.
I agree. He bores me to tears.

Um, love P+P. But thinks everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Thinks the addition of zombies will ROCK!!!

As for YA, I hated 13 Reasons Why, even though other folks flip out over it. I hated all the characters and wanted to drown them in lime-flavored jello. Fricken got on my nerves.

I'm finally getting to the part in Uglies that's actually somewhat interesting, but I've found the book to be awfully slow, over all. Westerfeld talks on his website about how he wanted to write a book that was action packed, but so far there's mostly been this girl riding around on a hoverboard, wishing she was pretty. *snore*

[Cybernaught]

Dickens overrated? Waaaaaaaaaa....? :box:

[KD_Kilker]

TUH.WHY.HUH.LIIIIIGHT.

I can't believe no one's mentioned it already.

[peachiemkey]

TUH.WHY.HUH.LIIIIIGHT.

I can't believe no one's mentioned it already.

Maybe because it's a given, on this board. ;)

I... okay, this is going to sound awful, but you know how everyone loves John Green? Even *I* love John Green - I check his blog constantly. But as for his books... I couldn't get past page five of Abundance of Katherines. I put down Looking for Alaska halfway through and never bothered picking it up again. Paper Towns, eh. I feel like I SHOULD love his books - his style is so me! - but I just can't get into them at all.

Others. Well, there are a lot of books that didn't live up to my expectations. But that's just because I'm picky and I tend to not finish books I don't ABSOLUTELY love. (I'm lazy like that.)

I've hated most (okay, all) of the so-called classics I've read so far in high school, but that might just be because I'm in high school. Might. :)

[wandergirl]

As for YA, I hated 13 Reasons Why, even though other folks flip out over it. I hated all the characters and wanted to drown them in lime-flavored jello. Fricken got on my nerves.

I'm finally getting to the part in Uglies that's actually somewhat interesting, but I've found the book to be awfully slow, over all. Westerfeld talks on his website about how he wanted to write a book that was action packed, but so far there's mostly been this girl riding around on a hoverboard, wishing she was pretty. *snore*

Kris, our tastes are pretty similar I think -- I felt the same about both of those. I finished the Uglies series not too long ago, and I can barely remember any of it. That's not a good thing. lol

And I haven't read P&P yet, but considering the readers I know who love it, I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy it.

[TerzaRima]

Jane Eyre.

It hinges on one of the biggest coincidences in 'classic' literature and I'd happily burn every copy.


I'LL FIGHT YOU

[scarletpeaches]

Bring it on.

[Adam]

I'LL FIGHT YOU

Bring it on.

Um, can you guys wait til I've read it?

I need to know what side I'm on. :D

[Zoombie]

No, Jane Eyre is awesome! I loved the part where she got kidnapped by the super villain Acheron Hades and there's the big fist fight on the roof while the mansion burns down.

Yeah, that was awesome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eyre_Affair).

[Samantha's_Song]

All the Harry potter books.

Lord of the rings

The DaVinci code

Anything by Shakespeare, because he uses ten words when one would have done.

[wandergirl]

I agree with the DaVinci Code (blech)
...not the others though.

The Notebook is among the worst books I've ever read.
and Nicholas Sparks himself... man alive, is he a character. Read this interview: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20230339,00.html

[scarletpeaches]

Um, can you guys wait til I've read it?

I need to know what side I'm on. :D

Mine, if you ever expect to read chapter forty.

[alleycat]

The Notebook is among the worst books I've ever read. and Nicholas Sparks himself... man alive, is he a character. Read this interview: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20230339,00.html
I read Message in a Bottle and swore I'd never read another book by Sparks. And haven't.

[scarletpeaches]

I read Message in a Bottle and swore I'd never read another book by Sparks. And haven't.

I now know he's a white man who says "Holler!" and it's your fault.

By Jebus, I hate you.

[KTC]

I read Message in a Bottle and swore I'd never read another book by Sparks. And haven't.

QFT.

[alleycat]

I now know he's a white man who says "Holler!" and it's your fault.

By Jebus, I hate you.
Hate is such a cliche . . . perhaps you should use a stronger verb. "I despise you!" maybe.

;-)

[scarletpeaches]

I thumb my nose at you.

[Adam]

Mine, if you ever expect to read chapter forty.

Sorry, TerzaRima, I'm against you on this one. ;)

[alleycat]

Here, I'll make it up to you.

I'll pick a Patricia Cornwell book to hate: Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper - Case Closed.

[wandergirl]

lol I assume the I Hate You was actually for me, since I posted the article
In my head, I now align him with the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch... google image that guy if you want to be frightened

[scarletpeaches]

Here, I'll make it up to you.

I'll pick a Patricia Cornwell book to hate: Portrait Of A Killer: Jack The Ripper - Case Closed.

I would happily bitchslap Cornwell.

I'd give everything I own for her, me, a private room and a splintered baseball bat.

lol I assume the I Hate You was actually for me, since I posted the article
In my head, I now align him with the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch... google image that guy if you want to be frightened

No, alleycat, for posting the Sparks interview link. :D

[alleycat]

No, alleycat, for posting the Sparks interview link. :D
It actually wasn't me . . . but I figured I could absorb some of the hate.

[alleycat]

I would happily bitchslap Cornwell.

I'd give everything I own for her, me, a private room and a splintered baseball bat.
I'd lend you the bat . . .

[scarletpeaches]

Damn it, sorry.

I got to it through the quote in your post and just associated you with the horrors within. :D

[KTC]

I would happily bitchslap Cornwell.

I'd give everything I own for her, me, a private room and a splintered baseball bat.



There is no need to give her splinters when you bash her to death with the bat. Bitch.

[scarletpeaches]

No need, but such fun.

[alleycat]

Damn it, sorry.

I got to it through the quote in your post and just associated you with the horrors within. :D
Oh, that's all right. I've been pissing women off all day. Adding one more to the tally won't be a problem.

When someone sends me a joke e-mail about a woman getting the upper hand over ten men, I should just keep quiet. I should . . . but I probably won't.

[MissKris]

Yup, Sparks makes me want to hurl.

[Sage]

Oh, god, nothing I had to read in high school was as bad as Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man. Nothing.

But Dickens was close ;)

[KTC]

No need, but such fun.

True dat.

[bettielee]

Anything by anyone with the last name Bronte.

And Nathaniel Hawthorne makes me want to eat my shoes, just so I can vomit them up. Then I can say reading Nathaniel Hawthorne is like vomiting up half digested shoe and know what I'm talking about.

[KTC]

Ah. I like The House of the Seven Gables. To each his own. (-=

[bettielee]

Alas, KTC... you have many other admirable features.... so we shall agree to disagree...

unless you wanna wrestle for fun?

[KTC]

Alas, KTC... you have many other admirable features.... so we shall agree to disagree...

unless you wanna wrestle for fun?

I could just throw my hard cover copy at your head.

[Rebecca_Rogers]

Um, love P+P. But thinks everyone's entitled to their own opinion. Thinks the addition of zombies will ROCK!!!

I agree with you on this one. :)

But the one book that stands out for me is A Tale of Two Cities. I refused to read anything after the second chapter when it was assigned in my high school english class. Give me Rebecca, Jane Eyre or Pride & Prejudice any day.

Right now, I'm having a hard time getting into The Luxe series.

[wandergirl]

Right now, I'm having a hard time getting into The Luxe series.

yeah, I had to force-feed that one to myself to make it count as one of my 100, but I won't be reading any others in the series. just kind of bland I thought

[Rebecca_Rogers]

Oh, and all this talk about Sparks just reminded me: I never could get through Dear John.

[Rebecca_Rogers]

yeah, I had to force-feed that one to myself to make it count as one of my 100, but I won't be reading any others in the series. just kind of bland I thought


The writing (for some unknown reason) reminds me of SMeyer--too many damn over-the-top words, I guess. I found myself re-reading sentences.

[Kats]

I didn't like The Great Gatsby, I found it dull. *ducks*

[Leah_Michelle]

I didn't like The Great Gatsby, I found it dull. *ducks*

There is no need to duck. I had to read that in high school. I think that was the first time I've ever fallen asleep in class...

[Becky]

The writing (for some unknown reason) reminds me of SMeyer--too many damn over-the-top words, I guess. I found myself re-reading sentences.

I sort of enjoyed the first one, but it didn't strike me as being amazing - I found the writing just ok, and the ending predicatable. I haven't bought the second one, even though I just did a big Amazon shop, so I guess that sort of says it wasn't that amazing! =]

Another one for me is Eragon - I just could not get on with his writing. I didn't mind the film though. Oh, and also Sex and the City - I thought, having watched some of the TV series and the film, that the book would be good. I only made it about a quarter of the way through before I couldn't force myself to keep going!

[KTC]

I didn't like The Great Gatsby, I found it dull. *ducks*

Ack. I re-read it every single year. It is the template I use to measure all other novels against. I think it's near perfect. (-;

[tengraceapples]

I hate walden by Thoreau. I thinks he's long winded to the point of madness.
I'm sorry but it just should not take like three pages to tell us what grass looks like.
They made me read him in school and I thought about dropping out: )

[lovesaphira]

Lord of the Rings. Everyone says its so great and so interesting and so attention-grabbing. But its also so incredibly detailed and i hate that. it distracts me from what's happening in the story. I mean, come on, three pages to describe a door? a simple paragraph would do me fine, if the author felt compelled to describe it in the first place.

AND (and many teens are going to hate me for this one) Twilight. Everybody loves twilight. What's so good about it? it has no plot-driving elements at all, the style of writing is bland. Edward is such a gary-stu. He looks perfect, acts perfect, talks perfect. god it's annoying. And if a boy is that obsessive and posessive of someone then he's bordering on stalkerish. It's not romantic.

And, as someone else has already stated, The Great Gatsby. It's just soooo boring. i have to read it for english and i haven't finished it yet because its too boring for me to want to pick up.

[Leasie]

Hmm probably the Horse Whisperer- I probably need to give it another shot, i couldn't really get past the first hundred pages.

And for P+P and zombies - Read it, loved it, didn't stop laughing the entire way through.

[Vandal]

The Lovely Bones

Heaven is boring, apparently.

[Barb D]

The Giving Tree. Despise it. LOATHE it. The tree just gives and gives and gets nothing back and dies in the end. Horrid book.

Can't get in to anything by Tom Clancy. Sorry, Tom.

[AngelicaRJackson]

Just read the first two Twilight books and I can see the appeal (especially to teen girls), but I think I was laughing at some of the wrong parts (like the smouldering). An enjoyable read but it is what it is.

I have to chime in on some of the classics: What is with the Turning of the Screw? Did not get that one and don't like any other of James's writing. Ditto for Faulkner, he is impenetrable to me. And how can I love Steinbeck's stories but not his writing?

And yet I've made it through Neal Stephenson's entire Baroque Trilogy and some of his other whopper books, go figure. Reading his books was one of the best preparations for finishing a novel, it uses the same part of my brain as writing my own.

[gonovelgo]

The Lord of the Rings instantly springs to mind. Up until recently I've been charitable enough to say that I can at least see why it's so universally adored in some circles, but if I'm honest I can't even give it that much. I really, really don't get what others see in it.

I also hate Oliver Twist, Great Expectations and the Twilight series, although I realize I'm definitely not alone on that last one...

[Norton]

Twilight series
Worst book I've ever read.

[aquacat]

I hate Ernest Hemingway's novels. Every single one of them.

Also, what's the deal with David Sedaris? Seriously, can someone explain his appeal to me?

Oh, and everything Ayn Rand ever wrote must be based on a dare. "Create the most obnoxious characters possible, while also pimping one of the coldest and worst philosophies in the history of humanity. Go!"

There. I feel much better, and anticipate much hostility for my choices.

[raburrell]

I hate Ernest Hemingway's novels. Every single one of them.

Also, what's the deal with David Sedaris? Seriously, can someone explain his appeal to me?

Oh, and everything Ayn Rand ever wrote must be based on a dare. "Create the most obnoxious characters possible, while also pimping one of the coldest and worst philosophies in the history of humanity. Go!"

There. I feel much better, and anticipate much hostility for my choices.

I think I love you :)

[STKlingaman]

I love lots of Kings work.
The Stand (although, again he coped out on the ending)
Firestarter (not the movie w' flaming meatballs)
Dead Zone (best book to movie adaptation)

But . . .
Tommyknockers - 200+ pages, yawn best nap time book ever
It - 40-50 pages, is there a story here? shows you can break the rules)

heard the Gunslinger series is good.

I love Stainslaw Lem, and never heard anything
about him,good or bad. He is quite different
and worth the read.
Star Diaries
Cybernaid(?)
Tales of Prix the Pilot

. . . to name a few.

[kitytize]

Anything by Stephen King. And Harry Potter.

[Leah_Michelle]

Another one I realized after someone said her name in the Vampires thread.
Anne Rice. I cannot get into her writing. I bought a book that my old manager thought I would like, The Witching Hour. Still have it, wasn't even close to finishing it.
Just doesn't do it for me. Not enough drive in the beginning.

[free_cashews_on_me]

i HATE twilight.

[MissKris]

Lol. I don't like Meg Cabot's books. Well, sort of don't. They're the Twilight for me - I hate the style, get snarky at the way she brand-name drops all over the place, think her descriptions and action-writing is sloppy . . . but then she throws a cute boy into the mix and I'm swooning. Gah, I'm just too easy.

[yellosharpie]

Next by Michael Crichton and Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad.

Next didn't have a story to follow it kept getting interrupted by dull newspaper clippings that I started to skip over.

Heart of Darkness, just boring. That's all I hate to say about that.

[gonovelgo]

I enjoyed Heart of Darkness, but man, I was expecting a bit 'more' after the lead-up my lecturer gave to it.

[nayner]

obviously Twilight, because it's not written well. I enjoyed Harry Potter, but not with as much passion as apparently everyone else in the universe. I didn't cry when people died or whatever, but they were pretty fun I guess.

I really liked His Dark Materials series and the Giver is one of my all-time favs.

I disliked Pride and Prejudice as well...

hrm... any new book to add to the discussion?

Oh, hated "Nick and Norah's infinite Playlist" enough to not get past chapter 6. which was a shame, because I really liked "Boy meets Boy"

[MissKris]

Oh, hated "Nick and Norah's infinite Playlist" enough to not get past chapter 6. which was a shame, because I really liked "Boy meets Boy"
QFT. That book was seriously annoying. And I just couldn't relate to the characters or the story (or the obnoxious way everything they did had to be "so underground it was cool")

[eyeblink]

I'm reading Nick & Norah... at the moment and it is coming over as more than a bit so-hip-it-hurts.

[defcon6000]

Pride & Prejudice, ugh. Although Bride & Prejudice was very good AND funny.

Lord of the Rings. I managed to get through the first book, but couldn't finish The Two Towers for the life of me.

Poisonwood Bible. The beginning had potential, but once the father died it was boooorrrring!

Never read Twilight and never will.

And Nicholas Sparks should be banned from writing! :e2chain:

[Repartee]

One word for y'all: Twilight.

I am so sick of the drooling over Edward. I would have kicked him in the a$$ if he'd treated me like that. And I would have pushed him out the window if I'd found out he'd been breaking in and spying on me at night. And then I'd call the cops.
But wait, he's so fabulous and sparkly and magnificent! How could I dare treat him like he so deserves?
And Bella made me want to hurl.

Sorry, rant over.

[ShowerInspiration]

/Agree. My family is OBSESSED with Twilight. Goo goo eyes whenever anyone says Edward. I tried reading it, I really did. I started with New Moon. I read the first page and literally threw the book. WHO CARES WHAT HER DEAD GRANDMOTHER LOOKS LIKE?!

[pixydust]

I am sooooo sick of Edward, I want to vomit every time I hear/see anything about him. Besides, everyone knows that Jacob is the real hottie. :P

I don't finish books I can't stand, so it's tough to remember... I HATE Dan Brown. I think the fact that so many people think he's a good writer is a sign Americans are getting dumber every day. There are several romance writers that should be hung by their pantie hose. And LEFT BEHIND....what in God's green earth was all that about? My dad loved the first few, but then even he gave in and said they were lame. Very sad.

[Lyra Jean]

Definitely "Left Behind" series. Although the children's version was much better although a little more disturbing than the adult version which was weird. Alas, I did not finish the children's version either. I'm probably not missing much.

Bad rewrites of fairy tales. I read one YA called Romeo's Ex. It's about Rosaline and well it basically sucked horribly. Don't read it.

[Repartee]

Rosemerry, just wanted to say I love your avatar! It's adorable!

[SanStormin]

I'll second most of Dickens. Ugh.
Then Dan Brown's works, which I find mediocre writing with fairly good plotting. So many others on this board can write circles around him.

Love The Great Gatsby.

I started reading The Fellowship of the Ring in 6th grade, and read the others about twelve times each. Love The Two Towers and The Hobbit. Just MHO.

[Lyra Jean]

I like Twilight better than Harry Potter.

*ducks and whispers* Please don't hurt me.


There was something about Twilight that appealed to me that didn't in Harry Potter. Maybe it was because the MC in Twilight was a girl and in Harry Potter it was a guy. But I've other books where the MC was a girl and didn't like the story too much. There's something about Twilight that makes the teenage girl in me go Squee.

[Red.Ink.Rain]

I wasn't crazy about the Wicked Lovely series. I read most of WL, couldn't get into it, and read Ink Exchange...still couldn't really get into it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked them okay, but I can't really understand why people love them so much. I felt like Ink Exchange just kind of trailed off...there wasn't much a conclusion, to me. The climax felt so short it was almost nonexistent.

(I feel so bad saying this because I know Melissa Marr haunts these boards occasionally, lol. Just to let you know, Melissa, I am thoroughly in love with Niall!!! I was just a little lost...)

[Leah_Michelle]

Rosemerry, just wanted to say I love your avatar! It's adorable!

Hahaha, I agree. That avatar is hilarious.

I like the idea behind DaVinci Code because I like controversial novels, but I don't like his writing.

My friend raves about him and tried to get me to read Angels and Demons for a long while. Finally she gave up.

[marisaMARTYR]

I wasn't crazy about the Wicked Lovely series. I read most of WL, couldn't get into it, and read Ink Exchange...still couldn't really get into it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked them okay, but I can't really understand why people love them so much. I felt like Ink Exchange just kind of trailed off...there wasn't much a conclusion, to me. The climax felt so short it was almost nonexistent.

(I feel so bad saying this because I know Melissa Marr haunts these boards occasionally, lol. Just to let you know, Melissa, I am thoroughly in love with Niall!!! I was just a little lost...)

I really liked Wicked Lovely, but Ink Exchange had me lost. I loved the concept, but I couldn't get drawn in as easily as WL. I don't know what it was because I liked the story, writing, etc. Something just wasn't doing it for me.

Ah, let's see. Twilight is a given, of course.

I read Bel Canto because everyone told me it was great, but for me it was frustrating. They went on and on about how beautiful the opera singer was. "Hey, terrorists have just come in and taken us hostage, but let's adore the beautiful Roxanne who seems to have no personality whatsoever". I wish some characters were broadened upon, but the author just ignored them. And the writing was too purple for me. I just couldn't get into it.

Catcher in the Rye made me want to hang myself about mid-way through.

House of Night series was probably worse than Twilight, and that's saying a lot.

Oh, and the most recent, is Evermore. People have said it was good, and the only one who hated it was the friend who lent it to me. It's Wicked Lovely and Twilight mxed together. Some things were just completely implausible and the writing juvenile.

Maximum Ride, just because Max was such a Mary Sue I wanted to come in and punch her half the time. And it was so predictable.

13 Reasons Why was one of the worst YA books I've ever read. The reasons Hannah commited suicide were so ridiculous and unbelievable. The writing was dull and it just dragged on. I was so annoyed with everyone in the book.

Probably more, but I'm tired.

[Zoombie]

My Sister's fucking Keeper.

I fucking hate that book so fucking much.

"Hey, if you try and do what you want with your own body, GOD will BITCHSLAP YOU and you will DIE!"

Its...GOD that ending was just...and the whole thing was so CONTRIVED and...GOD, its just so BAD.

The characters are unbelievable, the parents are both unlikable, the brother follows a step by step "How to make a trouble child" (tm) guide and the entire thing just SUCKS.

It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.

I can't stress how much I hated this book.

Don't see the movie.

In fact, if you see anyone reading this book, push them down a flight of stairs. That's how much I hated this book.

Well, okay.

Don't push THEM down a flight of stairs, just push the book down a flight of stairs.

Into a fireplace.

[Shweta]

http://roflrazzi.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/celebrity-pictures-count-von-count-sparkle-no.jpg

Thing about Pride and Prejudice is that it's a very particular type of humor -- and if it's your thing it's laugh out loud funny and if it's not it's just ... not. I love the book but don't see why everyone's expected to any more than they are with any other satire/humor.
One thing I do think about Austen's novels -- they are so not romances. And they so do not have happy endings (maybe P&P does mostly but srsly, Austen lets you know just how miserable some of those marriages are gonna be.)

[A.R. Starr]

I have two that I can think of at the minute: Lord of the Flies by William Golidng is one of them. It's not like his message is subtle - it's very clear, and I found it dull! But maybe that's just because I had to read it for college.

The next is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. All my friends raved about it, but I hated it! I felt it was dull, pointless and went off the story too much. I realise it was meant to, but it just got on my nerves after a while!

With Phillip Pullman, I did enjoy them, but found my enjoyment waning as I got to the final one.

Oh the Curious Incident... That was on my booklist for year 12 English Lit. One of the very few books I've refused to ever pick up again. There's narrative voice and then there's plain old fashion annoying.

[SarahMacManus]

ANYTHING by Jane Austen and Tess of the D'Ubervilles. I f*cking HATE Thomas Hardy. I think he's a moral coward. And Austen is just... boring.

I hate it so much, I forgot who wrote it. *lulz*

[MissKris]

I'm trying to slog through Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger (she wrote The Devil Wears Prada) because I thought it would be some fluffy fun while I'm stressing about agents. Uh, no. It only reinforces why I love YA (read: tight storylines, dynamic characters) so much. My heavens, the drag on this book would make a NASCAR driver blush. And the characters are the most uninteresting creatures imaginable. What a waste.

[ylrebmik]

Twilight... enough said.

And a few people mentioned the House of Night Series... I don't even know where to start with that one... but the series is a huge disappointment, the plot and characters are just horrible... I went onto her website, and it might be made into a movie. It made me almost want to vomit.

[Terri]

My Sister's fucking Keeper.

I fucking hate that book so fucking much.

"Hey, if you try and do what you want with your own body, GOD will BITCHSLAP YOU and you will DIE!"

Its...GOD that ending was just...and the whole thing was so CONTRIVED and...GOD, its just so BAD.

The characters are unbelievable, the parents are both unlikable, the brother follows a step by step "How to make a trouble child" (tm) guide and the entire thing just SUCKS.

It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.

I can't stress how much I hated this book.

Don't see the movie.

In fact, if you see anyone reading this book, push them down a flight of stairs. That's how much I hated this book.

Well, okay.

Don't push THEM down a flight of stairs, just push the book down a flight of stairs.

Into a fireplace.

I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan, but I agree that My Sister's Keeper wasn't one of her best ones. I thought it was... well, pretty much everything you mentioned (except for the God bit, simply because I don't think that theme appeared much at all in the book). I didn't buy the relationships and the brother was the most cliched character I'd read in a long time.

Sis and friends just got back from the movie; apparently the ending is totally different. There's no car crash and the wrong sister dies.

Could be interesting?

[ylrebmik]

I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan, but I agree that My Sister's Keeper wasn't one of her best ones. I thought it was... well, pretty much everything you mentioned (except for the God bit, simply because I don't think that theme appeared much at all in the book). I didn't buy the relationships and the brother was the most cliched character I'd read in a long time.

Sis and friends just got back from the movie; apparently the ending is totally different. There's no car crash and the wrong sister dies.

Could be interesting?

I read one of Jodi's books and I liked it. But I can't really get through her others. I'm trying really hard to read 19 minutes... I guess I don't like her style... It's always something with investigation and the courts... no matter what book I pick up. I'd love to read something from her that wasn't like that, because she is a good writer.

I just saw the movie... my friend's favorite author... had to see it haha. And it was okay... it was just very slow in some parts. I don't have to see it again. Ending was too predictable too.

[suedenym]

So glad to see I'm not the only person who hates "My Sister's Keeper" - it is the only Jodi Picoult book that I wasn't able to finish.

[RunawayScribe]

Twilight. Bad writing. Flat characters. Not even a real plot. Kill me. Well, don't kill me. Just don't waste your life.

Eragon. What a piece of crap. The final copy of that thing looked worse than any first draft I've ever seen. What an utter, verbose mess. It's a tree-killer without a cause.

As far as classics go, The Miserable "Adventures" of Huckle-freakin'-berry Finn. I couldn't have given less of a damn about anyone or anything in that entire book. The whole thing felt completely and totally flat. Also, the moment I see heavy dialect written phonetically, I'm filled with the urge to smack the writer upside the head. If I wanted to sit there with my face screwed in concentration while I mouthed syllables and tried to make sense of them, I'd take public speaking.

[Leila]

My Sister's fucking Keeper.

I fucking hate that book so fucking much.

"Hey, if you try and do what you want with your own body, GOD will BITCHSLAP YOU and you will DIE!"

Its...GOD that ending was just...and the whole thing was so CONTRIVED and...GOD, its just so BAD.

The characters are unbelievable, the parents are both unlikable, the brother follows a step by step "How to make a trouble child" (tm) guide and the entire thing just SUCKS.

It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.
It SUCKS.

I can't stress how much I hated this book.

Don't see the movie.

In fact, if you see anyone reading this book, push them down a flight of stairs. That's how much I hated this book.

Well, okay.

Don't push THEM down a flight of stairs, just push the book down a flight of stairs.

Into a fireplace.

LOL. When I saw the name of this thread, that book was the first thing that came to mind. And Jodi Picoult in general.

Also: House of Night, everything by Dan Brown and Christopher Paolini. And Dune. I write fantasy, and when you hang out with fantasy/sf writers everyone tells you to go read Dune. And I've tried, but I can't. As far as I'm concerned, it's one of the most boring books in the world. Sorry.

I loved Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre, Great Expectations, the Dark Materials Trilogy, and John Green's books. Haven't read Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist because a friend warned me off it. I enjoyed the movie though. I've been told it's way better than the book.

[Disdainful Soul]

Another one for House of Night here. The MC was annoying, the voice and writing horrible (the similes, WTF? Like the one about Pamela Anderson's breasts - how do you know they're cold?) and it read like a bad witchcraft series which is just trying to jump on the vampire bandwagon.

[marisaMARTYR]

Another one for House of Night here. The MC was annoying, the voice and writing horrible (the similes, WTF? Like the one about Pamela Anderson's breasts - how do you know they're cold?) and it read like a bad witchcraft series which is just trying to jump on the vampire bandwagon.

Wholeheartedly agreed. Loled at the Pamela Anderson line. It was so random and made the author sound like she was trying too hard. I mean, I'm a teenager, and the first thing I would have thought would definitely have NOT been Pam's "humongously huge boobs". But, of course, since all of these teenagers are drooling over Twilight and the likes, they worship any book similar.

But Twilight...I don't think anything can beat Twilight. Even the slag heap of House of Night. The MC was so unlikable, I wondered how she had so many people pining for her. She's so...ugh and unfunny. Like Bella from Twilight, who thought she was the wittiest girl in all of Forksland. Give me a break.

[Melissa_Marr]

I wasn't crazy about the Wicked Lovely series. I read most of WL, couldn't get into it, and read Ink Exchange...still couldn't really get into it. I mean, don't get me wrong, I liked them okay, but I can't really understand why people love them so much. I felt like Ink Exchange just kind of trailed off...there wasn't much a conclusion, to me. The climax felt so short it was almost nonexistent.

(I feel so bad saying this because I know Melissa Marr haunts these boards occasionally, lol. Just to let you know, Melissa, I am thoroughly in love with Niall!!! I was just a little lost...)

If you tell me you hate Faulkner or Gaiman, we may need to quarrel a little ;) However, critical well-thought comments on my books don't get me all weird. Not all books work for all people. It is what it is. *shrug*

And FWIW, my "haunt[ing] these boards" (a fun phrase, btw) shouldn't have any impact on what you think or say of my books :) If they don't work for you, they don't work. No stress. I am not my books, so I don't take crits as a personal affront (unless of course they're phrased as a personal assault . . . which is a diff topic altogether).

[Clifton Hill]

... If they don't work for you, they don't work. No stress. I am not my books, so I don't take crits as a personal affront (unless of course they're phrased as a personal assault . . . which is a diff topic altogether).
Very professional and mature response. If (though hopefully "When") I get published, I hope I can exercise a similar professionalism.

Haven't read your books yet, but my wife has just found your series, so we'll see. :)

[Shadow_Ferret]

When I was a younger, angrier man, I'd have jumped right into this thread and said things like:

I hate Lord of the Rings. I especially hate that everyone seems to believe you can't be a fantasy writer without having read Tolkien.

I hate INterview With the Vampire. Hated the whiney MC. You're a vampire. Get over it and kill someone. Jagoff.

And although I love Nelson DeMille, I hate the Gold Coast. The novel was 656 pages and nothing had happened by page 300!

And if I was younger, I'd continue by saying I hated everything I had to read in High School by Faulkner, Hemingway, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, and especially Salinger.

But now I'm older, and mellower, and I realize that the problem with these books and writers could just as well be inside me. So I won't participate in this.

[Raynfall]

Honestly, I enjoy most books. I find pretty much every story to be unique and intriguing, even if they tend to deviate or have some wording problems. This is why Harry Potter, Eragon, Lord of the Rings, and the like, all appeal to me. There's almost no books out there I hate.

...Except Twilight. It is an insult to both writers and readers.

[vixey]

That's quite a "mellowed" rant, Ed. :tongue

I agree about Faulkener, adding Conrad to that. (I wonder why you say especially Salinger?) :)

I'm adding Jane Austin. There! I've said it. I love watching Pride and Prejudice, but I can't standing READING it. Way too much dialogue for me....much more suited for a screen play.

Oh...and I forget the author's name, but the book called "Eat, Pray, Love" (or whatever)...couldn't finish it. She was waaaay to self-absorbed for me.

[Disdainful Soul]

I'm adding Jane Austin. There! I've said it. I love watching Pride and Prejudice, but I can't standing READING it. Way too much dialogue for me....much more suited for a screen play.

I'm reading P&P for the first time, and while I am enjoying it, it's not my favourite thing in the world. I'm like, "Whoa! Wall o' text!" at some points, and busy counting the number of times someone has "cried" something.

[Skye Jules]

Another one for House of Night here. The MC was annoying, the voice and writing horrible (the similes, WTF? Like the one about Pamela Anderson's breasts - how do you know they're cold?) and it read like a bad witchcraft series which is just trying to jump on the vampire bandwagon.

Seconded. I liked the first book, but the series started slipping after that. How about the character went totally pscho OOC in the third book, the typos got worse, the editing job just flat out disappeared.

[Mr Moe]

I hate most of the classics we're all spoonfed during high school, exceptions being Lord of the Flies (oh come now, 'kill the pig' chant is classic), Scarlet Letter (everyone in it is a passive-aggressive nut, excpet the daughter, who's just plain creepy), and Call of the Wild (I don't care if Jack London's writing could use a bit of polish, it suits his subject--whee, dog violence!).

Anything by Steinbeck is all right, but Hemingway makes me want to smack my head against the wall--Old Man and the Sea, anyone? Snooze.--and Faulkner just makes me want to brick myself inside it to end the misery.

Sincerely,
Mr. Moe

PS: If I ever take up volunteer reading at the hospital, I'll start with Moby Dick. That'll make 'em want to get well and get out real quick.

[Appalachian Writer]

I have one word: TWILIGHT but LOVELY BONES does come to mind, mostly because I find it hard to believe that a 14 yr old boy pines for the rest of his life over a girl he barely knew.

[Timewave]

Books with authors that insist on using the word countenance a trillion times per page. :(

[t.c.laing]

I don't recall anyone else raving about them, but I hate every book I was *forced* to read in school, even if I liked them later. Now, if I buy and start a book I don't like, it goes to the used book store in trade for something I do, usually at a good ratio (4 paperbacks for 1 bestseller) so it's all good.

I also think a book is just like any thing else; marketing and packaging go a long way toward commercial success. Anyone remember pet rocks?

Now to add a thought - or perhaps a new thread: What book or books have you read recently that you loved, were not bestsellers, that you feel are under-acclaimed?

[Michiru]

Y'know, I cannot understand all the vitriol against Twilight. I'm not a fan--the series was a bit soppy for my tastes--but I think Stephenie Meyer actually has a gift for making the pages turn. That is, her stuff is entertaining, if not particularly deep or groundbreaking.

We can all agree that the story was silly, but what makes it so worthy of absolute hatred and derision?

It's not a book, but a story I hate is "Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers" (manga, tv show, movie). It's a "nice girl saves bad boy" story, but the boy is VERY bad--he's a cruel bully that tries to rape and beat her in several parts, and yet we're still supposed to root for him because he's a nice guy underneath. That one really made me ill, all the more so because it became so popular all over the world.

[midknighthaze]

It's not a book, but a story I hate is "Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers" (manga, tv show, movie). It's a "nice girl saves bad boy" story, but the boy is VERY bad--he's a cruel bully that tries to rape and beat her in several parts, and yet we're still supposed to root for him because he's a nice guy underneath. That one really made me ill, all the more so because it became so popular all over the world.

I love the manga and the Japanese drama version of the manga (The Korean version had left much too be desired and I haven't watched the Phillipines version yet). Although the guy domyouji (sp?) directly told his lackeys to do whatever necessary to make makino leave the school, I don't recall domyouji specifically tell them to rape her. If I'm wrong, I apologize.

I'm another to jump on the band wagon on the House of Night Series. The way both authors hinted their views against Christianity was borederline annoying to my tastes. Another thing that comes to mind is the was the constant interruption of the protagonist's thoughts in the middle of the action. And really, half the things the protagonist spoke about were unneceassary and sounded forced, as if the authors were trying real hard to sound like teenagers. I'm sorry, but it did not work.

Oh, and must I include Twilight? The first was alright, the rest not so much.

[Michiru]

@midknighthaze: In the anime, he tries to rape her and tells her it's her fault that he did it, and hits her repeatedly. In the dorama, he drops garbage on her, crushes her lunch, tells her to lick his shoes, and again hits her repeatedly. In both he kidnaps her and changes her clothes while she's unconscious.

The manga, I haven't even tried to read, since the dorama and anime both made me ill and I heard the bullying scenes were worse. I mean, there's also the things he does to other people: beating them up, forcing friends to fight each other in a ring, humiliation, assault.

[vroth]

I'm another to jump on the band wagon on the House of Night Series. The way both authors hinted their views against Christianity was borederline annoying to my tastes.

That is why I had to stop reading Marked! When every single character in the book that subscribes to the Christian/"People of Faith" religion just happens to be a hypocritical, judgmental butthole, I get a little bit irked-- doesn't ring true to life, and generalizations are laaaame no matter who they're applied to. I also had a problem with it because I don't like being able to see, very clearly, that a writer is trying to make a point. Heavy hands. Yuck.

I had a lot of problems with Twilight, but there's something to be said for an author who can sustain tension between two characters for that long. And it was undeniably entertaining.

I have a serious problem with Charles Dickens, and everyone in my english lit classes pees their pants over him. So I'm usually stuck in a room full of people raving about his genius, meanwhile I spent the whole time wanting to hit my head against a wall while I was reading Great Expectations. Fun times.

[Phinxy]

Okay, I feel bad, so I edited my post. :) All books are good in someone's eyes, perhaps just not mine. That is all I'm going to say :)

[heatercat]

Twilight, of course, and Forest of Hands and Teeth. Just do not see the appeal.

[Renee Collins]

It's amusing to read the varied and creative ways that you guys express your violent hatred for some books. :)

As for me, I'm a bit of a hippy. You know, peace, love, and all that. I can honestly say that I don't hate any novels. (Non-fiction is another story.)

Some books are my cup of tea. Some aren't.

[~*Kate*~]

I don't know that everyone raves about it, necessarily, but Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was one of those we read in literature classes that I finished and thought, "WTF? Why is that in this curriculum?"

[History_Chick]

I hated Pride and Prejudice. It was painfully dull.

For YA books it would have to be the following:

Graceling And the point of this was...what? I wanted a kick ass unforgiving warrior instead I got a girl who was finding herself blah.

Marked...the MC was annoying.

Madapple. Too much about herbs sleeping with brothers/cousins/fathers whatever.

The Luxe Series. OMG Gossip girls in old fashioned dresses! As one blogger said you would think the sexual revolution took place in 1899.

And adding to the mix. Steinbeck.

[Michiru]

Forest of Hands and Teeth. Just do not see the appeal.

Really! Can I ask why? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you shouldn't have your own opinion, I'm just curious. I'm reading it now, and it's unusually mature prose for YA or adult writing, IMHO. Then again, I haven't finished it yet, so maybe I'm missing something. :)

[Maidenfine]

I'm generally the kind that will enjoy just about anything. While I'm reading it. Afterwards, is when I start to think about all the craptastic terribleness. Though I hated every minute of Huckleberry Finn. And I only finished The Da Vinci Code because I felt obligated to give the whole thing a chance even though I wanted to stop way less than halfway through.

I was sucked in by Twilight (though, I nearly threw Breaking Dawn across the room). I even went to a book signing when she was nearby to promote The Host. But Breaking Dawn broke the spell for me. Could there ever be a more obvious attempt to please everyone? It was majorly a case of exploiting one line from a previous novel and springing a "surprise" on everyone, rather than building up to a possibility like that. And I was always a Jacob fan. I figured Edward deserved to lose the girl forever when he dumped her in an overly cruel manner and then left her in the woods that HE'D JUST GOT DONE WARNING HER TO STAY OUT OF. WTF? Jacob was a much more realistic character. And don't even get me started on Bella and her complete lack of even a tiny hint of self-preservation instinct. Or the trend in all the books (Host included) of much older men with young girls. Or the trend of violence toward women. I enjoyed them while I was reading them, but they totally creep me out now and I wish the entire series would just disappear. It's everywhere.

[kristin724]

Yeah, I can't stand Twilight and all its minions.