Books We Hate

FrodoFriend · 01-25-2002, 01:12 AM

Must-not-reads:

1) The Left Behind series - GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! One of the most hideous things I've ever attempted to read in my life!!! Horrible! Manages to make the Apocalypse boring! DIE DIE DIE!!!

2) Anything by Michael Crichton - Especially Timeline! Character development? What character development?

3) Great Expectations - Normally, I love Dickens, but this was just cruel.

4) Moby Dick - Not as bad, but I could really do without those loooong chapters classifying whales as fish and explaining the symbolism of the color white (off topic? naaah)

Well, that's all I can think of . . .

mirrille · 01-26-2002, 08:27 PM

1) Some of Michael Crichton's stuff is actually not bad. Like the "Andromeda Strain" or even "Jurassic Park" if you can ignore some of the more sensationalized parts, it qualifies as good sci-fi. But "Timeline" was horrible. The whole story was about people running around while depraved medieval people try to kill them. I skimmed the last 2/3 of the book because that was all that was going on.

2) The Cay. I was forced to read this in elementary school. By this time, I had had about as much as I could take of "stranded on a deserted island" stories. The whole story is told by this racist white kid who whines whines whines about/at this black guy who is actually very nice and trying to protect the spoiled brat.

3) Anything by Margaret Atwood. I don't understand why she is so popular here. I can only assume that it is because Canada suffers from a lack of really good authors. But that's hard to believe. I'm pretty sure we can do better than that. Still, why would anyone read her stuff if there is anything else around to read? Her characters are either so confused or so maladjusted or so annoying, you want to slap them all. Well, there was one character that was kind of cool. That was in only one of her books i read. She killed him off. People are not allowed to be sane in her novels.

4) Beloved by Toni Morrison. I was forced to read this in university. I believe there was a movie made this. In actual fact, the story was not too bad. Or the idea behind the story was not too bad. But the style just killed any interest I might have had. It's one of those books that skips all over the timeline, sometimes several times in the same chapter, without any explanation that that's what is going on. Then every once in a while, it inserts sections of chopped up phrases, which may or may not be punctuated and make no sense whatsoever. This can go on for pages at a time. *shudder*

I might be able to think of more, but the worst ones, i think i've suppressed.

emplynx · 01-26-2002, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FrodoFriend
1) The Left Behind series - GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! One of the most hideous things I've ever attempted to read in my life!!! Horrible! Manages to make the Apocalypse boring! DIE DIE DIE!!!

Good books!

FrodoFriend · 01-26-2002, 09:25 PM

Nooo! You lie!!

Somebody recommended them to me as very good books, and I was just horrified. The characters are so predictable and whiny, and the whole thing is pervaded with a massive Christian Superiority Complex. And the writing is so . . . simplistic. No depth whatsoever. I seriously think it's the worst book I've ever tried to read.

Kamyel · 01-26-2002, 10:49 PM

The Left Behind books start out a little slow, but they get better the further into them you get. However I'll admit they can be a bit predictable, but over all they're not bad IMO.

FrodoFriend · 01-27-2002, 06:21 PM

Oh well. Maybe it's just me, but they really made me want to bang my head against the wall in protest.

Starr Polish · 01-27-2002, 06:26 PM

Mooo...I liked Timeline.

Do not read "Meet the Austins" by Madeleine L'Engle. That is a terrible book. Her others are okay, but I hated this book with a passion (and that's saying something, since I love to read).

Also, why is Tamora Pierce so popular? She's not that great of an author. I read her Lioness Quartet books and they were amazingly BAD.

Finmandos12 · 01-28-2002, 04:18 PM

If you've read Left Behind, read Right Behind. It's a hilarious parody. That said, the series started out good. The last two have just been rather... I don't know, bad.

Alethes · 01-28-2002, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Starr Polish

Also, why is Tamora Pierce so popular? She's not that great of an author. I read her Lioness Quartet books and they were amazingly BAD.

I haven't read the Lioness Quartet, but I have read some of her other books. The Circle of Magic series was pretty boring. I used to like the Protector of the Small series (despite the obviously feminist message). However, in the third book, the main character's mother began to blatantly encourage the main character to do something that I feel is morally wrong. It was very obvious that Tamora Pierce agreed with this activity. I don't plan on reading any more of that series, or any more books by that author.

Other books I hated:

The Cartoonist (by Betsy Byars): It's been a while since I read this, but I remember that it was depressing and pretty dumb.

Children of Time: Almost every character gets killed off, and it is implied that the ones who don't will live a pretty depressing life.

Flowers for Algernon: I didn't finish the entire book, but I have had it described to me and I know the ending. Why anyone would want to read a book this depressing is beyond me. Also, I wasn't too thrilled with some of the underlying themes.

FrodoFriend · 01-30-2002, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Finmandos12
If you've read Left Behind, read Right Behind. It's a hilarious parody. That said, the series started out good. The last two have just been rather... I don't know, bad.

LOL! The Left and Right Behind . . .

Starr Polish · 01-30-2002, 10:25 PM

Flowers for Algernon made me cry. I like depressing books once in awhile, I just get in the mood for a good cry, but I don't read them all the time

I like to be happy. Tamora Pierce is just...not a good author.

There aren't many books I hate though, so I may not be able to contribute to this thread much more.

Oh yes. The Scarlet Letter. I hated that book with a passion. Not so much the story, but the way it was written. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a horrible writer...our English teacher pointed out a sentence that was nearly a paragraph long, and the language was terrible (not as in...swearing, just badly used)

FrodoFriend · 01-30-2002, 11:17 PM

LOL, yeah, Polish, the so-called "interrupted sentence". We studied that one in detail. I liked the ending of SL though, it was touching.

Starr Polish · 01-30-2002, 11:20 PM

I suppose. I didn't like Dimmesdale though. He was kind of...meh...weak, in my mind, but not. It's hard to explain.

***gdl96*** · 01-30-2002, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Oh yes. The Scarlet Letter. I hated that book with a passion. Not so much the story, but the way it was written. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a horrible writer...our English teacher pointed out a sentence that was nearly a paragraph long, and the language was terrible (not as in...swearing, just badly used)

Amen.

Twilight · 02-05-2002, 10:49 PM

I remember being forced into reading the scarlet letter. I think that the length of the book could easily be cut in half, if not more, and still retain all of its meaning. I dislike books where you can read entire pages, and no new information, insights, or plot is given. To many authors just go on and on about nothing.

Sakata · 02-06-2002, 09:05 PM

-scarlet letter
-Death of a salesman
-and both were young
-plain truth
-red tent
-The Lord of the Rings -jk

Twilight · 02-06-2002, 09:32 PM

Right now, my organic chemistry textbook. I would burn it if it wasn't worth a hundred dollars.

The three musketeers. That book was really bad. (the movie was very good though)

The Man who was Thursday - the ending had no meaning at all. I had to read it for class. Most of it looked like it was going to be good, but it sudenly got strange in the last few chapters and made no sinse at all.

Laurelyn · 02-06-2002, 10:56 PM

Yeh . . . Tamora Pierce's lioness quartet was TERRIBLE! And I love books, I love to read, and whatnot, but those were just bad.
I didn't like the war of the worlds either . . . don't ask me why not . . .

Alethes · 02-08-2002, 08:46 PM

Basically anything by Edgar Allen Poe. I know some people like scary books, but I despise them. I tend to remember things that frighten me for a really long time, so it's not a good idea for me to read scary things. I've read several of the "Great Illustrated Classics" versions of his stories, and all but one scared me to death. (The pictures didn't help much. I could have lived a long, happy life without seeing a picture of a man getting bricked into a wall to die.)

I also dislike certain myths (especially Norse ones) for similar reasons. In one Norse myth I read, a man killed the two sons of the evil king and queen. Then, he made a necklace for the queen out of her sons' eyeballs and drinking cups for the king and queen out of the sons' skulls. Once the king and queen learned about this, they went mad. And they all lived happily ever after.

There's a really dumb sci-fi book called "Away Is a Strange Place To Be". It tried to take themes like child slavery (some aliens had human children for slaves) and incorporate them into the book, but the book just ended up being incredibly stupid.

I didn't like A Wrinkle In Time either. It's been several years since I read it, but it creeped me out when I did.

Liviaine · 02-09-2002, 01:21 AM

I'm being forced to read The Cay for a school assignment. I don't like it.

After my dad finished Moby Dick, he said, "Herman Melville sure needed an editor." I mean, it was a great book, but it went on about some things forever.

There's some more, but I can't think of them at the moment.

01-25-2002, 01:12 AM	#1
FrodoFriend Halfwitted Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Eryn Vorn Posts: 1,659	Books We Hate Must-not-reads: 1) The Left Behind series - GAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! One of the most hideous things I've ever attempted to read in my life!!! Horrible! Manages to make the Apocalypse boring! DIE DIE DIE!!! 2) Anything by Michael Crichton - Especially Timeline! Character development? What character development? 3) Great Expectations - Normally, I love Dickens, but this was just cruel. 4) Moby Dick - Not as bad, but I could really do without those loooong chapters classifying whales as fish and explaining the symbolism of the color white (off topic? naaah) Well, that's all I can think of . . . __________________ Fingolfin lives! ... in my finger! The Crossroads of Arda - Warning. Halfwit content. Not appropriate for people with IQ of over 18. The Fellowship of the Message Board Nyáréonié - The Tale of Tears

01-26-2002, 08:27 PM	#2
mirrille Elven Warrior Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Canada Posts: 479	1) Some of Michael Crichton's stuff is actually not bad. Like the "Andromeda Strain" or even "Jurassic Park" if you can ignore some of the more sensationalized parts, it qualifies as good sci-fi. But "Timeline" was horrible. The whole story was about people running around while depraved medieval people try to kill them. I skimmed the last 2/3 of the book because that was all that was going on. 2) The Cay. I was forced to read this in elementary school. By this time, I had had about as much as I could take of "stranded on a deserted island" stories. The whole story is told by this racist white kid who whines whines whines about/at this black guy who is actually very nice and trying to protect the spoiled brat. 3) Anything by Margaret Atwood. I don't understand why she is so popular here. I can only assume that it is because Canada suffers from a lack of really good authors. But that's hard to believe. I'm pretty sure we can do better than that. Still, why would anyone read her stuff if there is anything else around to read? Her characters are either so confused or so maladjusted or so annoying, you want to slap them all. Well, there was one character that was kind of cool. That was in only one of her books i read. She killed him off. People are not allowed to be sane in her novels. 4) Beloved by Toni Morrison. I was forced to read this in university. I believe there was a movie made this. In actual fact, the story was not too bad. Or the idea behind the story was not too bad. But the style just killed any interest I might have had. It's one of those books that skips all over the timeline, sometimes several times in the same chapter, without any explanation that that's what is going on. Then every once in a while, it inserts sections of chopped up phrases, which may or may not be punctuated and make no sense whatsoever. This can go on for pages at a time. shudder I might be able to think of more, but the worst ones, i think i've suppressed. Last edited by mirrille : 01-27-2002 at 04:01 AM.

01-26-2002, 09:25 PM	#4
FrodoFriend Halfwitted Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Eryn Vorn Posts: 1,659	Nooo! You lie!! Somebody recommended them to me as very good books, and I was just horrified. The characters are so predictable and whiny, and the whole thing is pervaded with a massive Christian Superiority Complex. And the writing is so . . . simplistic. No depth whatsoever. I seriously think it's the worst book I've ever tried to read. __________________ Fingolfin lives! ... in my finger! The Crossroads of Arda - Warning. Halfwit content. Not appropriate for people with IQ of over 18. The Fellowship of the Message Board Nyáréonié - The Tale of Tears Last edited by FrodoFriend : 01-26-2002 at 09:26 PM.

01-27-2002, 06:21 PM	#6
FrodoFriend Halfwitted Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Eryn Vorn Posts: 1,659	Oh well. Maybe it's just me, but they really made me want to bang my head against the wall in protest. __________________ Fingolfin lives! ... in my finger! The Crossroads of Arda - Warning. Halfwit content. Not appropriate for people with IQ of over 18. The Fellowship of the Message Board Nyáréonié - The Tale of Tears

01-27-2002, 06:26 PM	#7
Starr Polish Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Slow down and I sail on the river, slow down and I walk to the hill Posts: 2,389	Mooo...I liked Timeline. Do not read "Meet the Austins" by Madeleine L'Engle. That is a terrible book. Her others are okay, but I hated this book with a passion (and that's saying something, since I love to read). Also, why is Tamora Pierce so popular? She's not that great of an author. I read her Lioness Quartet books and they were amazingly BAD. __________________ “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” –Bertrand Russell

01-26-2002, 10:49 PM	#5
Kamyel Hobbit Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: USA Posts: 29	The Left Behind books start out a little slow, but they get better the further into them you get. However I'll admit they can be a bit predictable, but over all they're not bad IMO.

01-28-2002, 04:18 PM	#8
Finmandos12 Elven Warrior Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Tampa Posts: 327	If you've read Left Behind, read Right Behind. It's a hilarious parody. That said, the series started out good. The last two have just been rather... I don't know, bad. __________________ The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

01-30-2002, 10:25 PM	#11
Starr Polish Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Slow down and I sail on the river, slow down and I walk to the hill Posts: 2,389	Flowers for Algernon made me cry. I like depressing books once in awhile, I just get in the mood for a good cry, but I don't read them all the time I like to be happy. Tamora Pierce is just...not a good author. There aren't many books I hate though, so I may not be able to contribute to this thread much more. Oh yes. The Scarlet Letter. I hated that book with a passion. Not so much the story, but the way it was written. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a horrible writer...our English teacher pointed out a sentence that was nearly a paragraph long, and the language was terrible (not as in...swearing, just badly used) __________________ “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” –Bertrand Russell

01-30-2002, 11:17 PM	#12
FrodoFriend Halfwitted Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Eryn Vorn Posts: 1,659	LOL, yeah, Polish, the so-called "interrupted sentence". We studied that one in detail. I liked the ending of SL though, it was touching. __________________ Fingolfin lives! ... in my finger! The Crossroads of Arda - Warning. Halfwit content. Not appropriate for people with IQ of over 18. The Fellowship of the Message Board Nyáréonié - The Tale of Tears

01-30-2002, 11:20 PM	#13
Starr Polish Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Slow down and I sail on the river, slow down and I walk to the hill Posts: 2,389	I suppose. I didn't like Dimmesdale though. He was kind of...meh...weak, in my mind, but not. It's hard to explain. __________________ “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.” –Bertrand Russell

02-05-2002, 10:49 PM	#15
Twilight Elven Warrior Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wilmore, KY Posts: 269	I remember being forced into reading the scarlet letter. I think that the length of the book could easily be cut in half, if not more, and still retain all of its meaning. I dislike books where you can read entire pages, and no new information, insights, or plot is given. To many authors just go on and on about nothing. __________________ Sometimes I wonder how many monkeys with typewritters it would take to reproduce what I just wrote.

02-06-2002, 09:05 PM	#16
Sakata Elven Warrior Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Lothlorien Posts: 216	-scarlet letter -Death of a salesman -and both were young -plain truth -red tent -The Lord of the Rings -jk __________________ "When evil people come to destroy me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will know no fear." -Psalms 27:2-3 -Dare you venture into Gollum's Lair? JESUS LIVES!

02-06-2002, 09:32 PM	#17
Twilight Elven Warrior Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Wilmore, KY Posts: 269	Right now, my organic chemistry textbook. I would burn it if it wasn't worth a hundred dollars. The three musketeers. That book was really bad. (the movie was very good though) The Man who was Thursday - the ending had no meaning at all. I had to read it for class. Most of it looked like it was going to be good, but it sudenly got strange in the last few chapters and made no sinse at all. __________________ Sometimes I wonder how many monkeys with typewritters it would take to reproduce what I just wrote.

02-06-2002, 10:56 PM	#18
Laurelyn Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Valinor, right next to Telperion . . . what did you expect, Michigan? Posts: 1,315	Yeh . . . Tamora Pierce's lioness quartet was TERRIBLE! And I love books, I love to read, and whatnot, but those were just bad. I didn't like the war of the worlds either . . . don't ask me why not . . . __________________ The Third Age of Entmoot has begun. Angel of music, guide and guardian! Grant to me your glory! The country I eat and spend the day in is by no means the country I sleep and dream in. Define patriotism. Hold the boat, you spastic monkey! ~ Elenka

02-08-2002, 08:46 PM	#19
Alethes Enting Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: urban Oklahoma Posts: 73	Basically anything by Edgar Allen Poe. I know some people like scary books, but I despise them. I tend to remember things that frighten me for a really long time, so it's not a good idea for me to read scary things. I've read several of the "Great Illustrated Classics" versions of his stories, and all but one scared me to death. (The pictures didn't help much. I could have lived a long, happy life without seeing a picture of a man getting bricked into a wall to die.) I also dislike certain myths (especially Norse ones) for similar reasons. In one Norse myth I read, a man killed the two sons of the evil king and queen. Then, he made a necklace for the queen out of her sons' eyeballs and drinking cups for the king and queen out of the sons' skulls. Once the king and queen learned about this, they went mad. And they all lived happily ever after. There's a really dumb sci-fi book called "Away Is a Strange Place To Be". It tried to take themes like child slavery (some aliens had human children for slaves) and incorporate them into the book, but the book just ended up being incredibly stupid. I didn't like A Wrinkle In Time either. It's been several years since I read it, but it creeped me out when I did. __________________ He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend. -Proverbs 22:11 Last edited by Alethes : 02-10-2002 at 07:07 PM.

02-09-2002, 01:21 AM	#20
Liviaine Elven Warrior Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Ithilien Posts: 203	I'm being forced to read The Cay for a school assignment. I don't like it. After my dad finished Moby Dick, he said, "Herman Melville sure needed an editor." I mean, it was a great book, but it went on about some things forever. There's some more, but I can't think of them at the moment. Last edited by Liviaine : 02-09-2002 at 01:23 AM.

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