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broomdalf · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 258 Location: Midwest, again

There are plenty of threads about good books, or even decent books here, so I decided to start a thread about really bad books.

What are the worst books that you have ever read, or tried to read?

At the top of my list is the total piece of crap Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene. It's a nonfiction book about great actions of a Nebraska town, but it is such a terrible book! You could almost get the point of the book from reading a short review. Except that there is no point. The book has no focus, and seems to contradict itself every other chapter, without bringing up anything *truly* new. I almost feel contempt for a town that did great things because I had to read most of this book for English class last year.

Honorable mentions of terrible books are Mein Kampf, for its terrible writing style, (Also read for English class) and Catcher in the Rye, because, after writing like 3 papers about it for different classes, I hated Holden so much that I wish that at the end of the story, instead of that carosel thingie (or whatever happened, I neither remember nor care) he was attacked by a rapid hedgehog. I would have put that book down so much more satisfied. Man, I can see why that book is so frequently banned, and it isn't for the swearing.

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Most old "great" literature gets my goat.

I hate reading the classics with that old English style.

I do a lot of reading. I want to immerse myself into the book. I do not want to "translate" or enterpret the book.

The sad thing is that there is usually a good story lying underneath that would be interesting to read in modern English.

I had to read the Illiad several times throughout my education. Drove me nuts slogging through that archaic prose and glimpsing a heroic epic lying underneath all of that noise. What is worse is the rest of the readers seem to enjoy this overlay. The teachers and professors were the worst of the lot. They fawned all over this prose and took great pains to bug the class on what we "thought" we read. Why? Why not translate it again? Heck, it was translated from ancient Greek into several later languages already. Why do I need to figure out the nuances of some translator a few hundred years ago?

I want to see the content and not just a bunch of words.

CooJoe · Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 3:22 am Post subject:

If you ask me the worst book I've read is "Of Mice, and Men"

I just couldn't stand the characters, or the writing style, plus I found it extremly boring.

But that's just my opinion.

NibbyCat · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 3203 Location: Eastern Ohio

Most of those I never finished. Fortunately, I didn't have to do papers on any of them. In college I took a Women's Studies class. Most of the books were ok, gave me thought. If I didn't agree with them, at least they were clear to understand, and helped me form and word my own views. There was one, though, Woman on the Edge of Time, that just bugged me. I scanned through it, caught bits and scenes, then tried to read it. UGH! Poorly written, confusing (didn't help the main character was getting shock treatments, couldn't tell herself what was real and what wasn't), and things like men getting injections so they could nurse children just were... WRONG. In the paper, I said that I had been unable to read it fully, etc. The teacher said that I needed to broaden my view.

Baron · Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 175 Location: Washington State

Black Beauty, read in 5th grade.

I will not mention anything more.

Guest · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 4:59 pm Post subject:

Sounder. Everyone dies miserably, nothing is achieved, and nothing is learned. It doesn't even have any sort of "don't let yourself become like this guy" useful message, like other tragic books. (Shakespeare's tragedies spring to mind). The message is "Life sucks. Doesn't life suck?".

FrankyG888 · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 267 Location: Overland Park, KS

I am with Broomdalf, Catcher in the Rye is one of the worst books that I have every read, but I think that the award for the worst book goes to Edith Warton's Ethan Frome. A horrible book about a man in love first with his cousin and then with his cousins cousin. It, being written in a realist style, was totally with out a plot in exchange for character developement, but the characters did not devleope. The only saving grace of the book was its lenth. At a mere 100 pages it was easy to read, but every moment was physically, mentally, and emotionally painful.

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Just wait for college to punish you with Kafka. :cry:

Eddy · Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Posts: 714

All I will say is a philosophy course I had to take called Existentialism and the writings of Nietschze. Good god, it was bad. Basically, for those of you lucky enough to not have read that bilge, existentialism basically says "why bother enjoying yourself because ultimately everything is meaningless". It's the polar opposite of my viewpoint and I can't fathom not wanting pleasure in your life.

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Yeah, it helps to research classes a bit before you take them in college. Department head secretaries can usually get an old syllabus for you to scan. The expected books should be on them.

College professors live in a world all their own and can have you reading the most brutal drivel. So know what the class is before you take it. Even mandatory classes, like English Lit, vary from one professor to the next. So it helps to do the legwork beforehand.

Eddy · Joined: 12 Nov 2004 Posts: 714

I didn't have a choice. It was mandatory for the major and only one prof taught it. Otherwise, I always do legwork.

JuntaJoe · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 7391 Location: Texas

Oh yes, it is inevitable that you will get stuck sometimes. But blundering along taking whatever classes they give you is sure to get you many of these sucky classes. No sense in being abused more than you have to.

Georgie · Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 1070 Location: Hawaii, USA

I don't know. Perhaps Da Vinci code.

sethwbcl91 · Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 55 Location: Milan, Illinois

I really don't know? Well I read this book, it was a Luis Duncan Mystery (I think that is her name). It was about this guy who got lost and killed or something. It was so bad I didn't even remember it. I prefer HP books, Redwall, Series of Unfortunate Events, Aircraft/WWII/Military books, or Nonfiction/Informational books.

bannie · Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 1966 Location: Boston

Basically any book I had to read from the 6th to 8th grade

every single one (with the exception of ONE) had to do with either jewish interment camps, southern racism, or indian persecution

dont get me wrong, these were all horrible things, but they were just forced down our throats. I feel horrible in saying this, but I just dont care anymore :x

Oh, Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass were so frought with metaphors its mind boggling

honestly, what sixth grader cares about how the caucus race is a parody of English government thought up by an opium addict? :x :? [/b]

Georgie · Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 1070 Location: Hawaii, USA

I'm reading a Hemingway book. It's hard to put down.

sethwbcl91 · Joined: 13 Aug 2005 Posts: 55 Location: Milan, Illinois

bannie wrote: Basically any book I had to read from the 6th to 8th grade

every single one (with the exception of ONE) had to do with either jewish interment camps, southern racism, or indian persecution

dont get me wrong, these were all horrible things, but they were just forced down our throats. I feel horrible in saying this, but I just dont care anymore :x

Oh, Alice in Wonderland and Through the looking glass were so frought with metaphors its mind boggling

honestly, what sixth grader cares about how the caucus race is a parody of English government thought up by an opium addict? :x :? [/b]

lol!!! :D Yes I know how you must feel. In 5th grade and in 8th grade all we did was read about Jewish death camps, and in 8th grade, watch movies with them *brutal*. we watched the movie Escape from Sobibor I think that is how you spell it. Anyway it was brutal. We also did nothing but read about the Hindu and Buddist religions for 3 months. I was getting tired of it. :(

Georgie · Joined: 31 May 2005 Posts: 1070 Location: Hawaii, USA

Is there anything else they offer or teach besides death camps and Indian genocide? Come, there must be more to history than what Professor Blank wants to dwell on.

Do they still teach Huxley in schools? What about Shakespeare?

bannie · Joined: 22 Mar 2005 Posts: 1966 Location: Boston

Shakespear can wait till high school I guess, thats the only exposure I had to him for my entire public school career

I liked the books we read in high school actually. Interesting stuff.
Dante's Inferno, A rose for Emily and others which I am now blanking on as it is 1:30 am EST :x

CooJoe · Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:57 pm Post subject:

Georgie wrote: Is there anything else they offer or teach besides death camps and Indian genocide? Come, there must be more to history than what Professor Blank wants to dwell on.

Do they still teach Huxley in schools? What about Shakespeare?

I've never read Huxley in class, but I've read "Brave New World" on my own, and it's one of my favorite books (Orgy porgy!).

I have read Shakespeare before, but I really don't like his stuff for some reason.