The Worst Book I Ever Read

by The Unbearables (Editor), Shalom Neuman (Editor), Tim Lane (Illustrator)

Literary Nonfiction. Literary Criticism. Over 400 pages of the most searing, scandalous and scurrilous denunciations of fellow writers ever to appear in print! Innovative, free-form and traditional reviews of texts from the Bible and Ulysses to Borges, Calvino and David Sedaris by Luc Sante, Peter Lamborn Wilson, Jim Knipfel, Carl Watson, David Ulin, Sharon Mesmer, many more. Profusely illustrated in color and black and white. "The Unbearables bare all; they are unbearably smart, unbearably talented, and unbearably lively—but here are the Unbearables at their highly bearable best. It's a pleasure to find out what this group finds unbearable in such an engaging manner"—Samuel Delany.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays

416 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2009

Reviews

[Michael Lindgren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um, yes, the only thing I have actually read in this is my own essay, an ill-tempered and possibly ill-advised attack on a novel by a man named Andy Greenwald called Miss Misery, which appeared about two years ago and promptly, and deservedly, sank without a trace. I had been commissioned to review the book by a Brooklyn-based arts periodical, and when I turned in a profane and violent denuciation, they promptly killed it. There it lay, forgotten, until Ron Kolm — a legendary downtown writer and poet, and my editor and friend — resuscitated it by way of inclusion in this anthology. Perhaps I will write more when I have had a chance to read the rest of the book.

[Thomas Shalom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, a well edited group of satirical writers.
The Worst Book I Ever Read
by The Unbearables

[Trent Mayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worst book EVER

[Johnny Junk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was hoping it would be worse

[Krisstya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bad

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a while, but I do remember this as being a damn entertaining read. Wonderfully scathing critiques that are deliciously plagued with a contempt unparalleled by any other craft other than that of a writer.

[YZ]

Free copy courtesy of Ron Kolm. Thanks!

[Steven W · Rating 3 out of 5]

The essays were too uneven to get a higher score but very interesting!!