The Dusty Bookshelf discussion

I'm curious about books that just plain infuriated you.

Ooh, that is a strong title - all caps and exc. points etc :O Was expecting you to at least name one book you hated as you feel so strongly about it ;D

I hope you don't mind but I've moved this to the more appropriate 'General Book Discussions' thread :)

So, anyway - whilst I find 'hate' to be a strong word - I will admit to having been put off Ian McEwan due to The Child in Time and I'm definitely not a fan of Fifty Shades of Grey (needed a red pen for corrections whilst reading that!). Hope that helps :)

atonement.

A Child Called "It"... see the full rant on my review of this book. For now, two words only: ghostwriter, please.

People Like Us: Short Stories Again, I've written a longwinded, nasty review, but my two words here are "horrible" and "disgusting." Although you could also use "demented" and a stronger version of "messed up."

Skipping Christmas Threw this book away rather than give it to goodwill. Didn't want it to be on my conscience that someone read it because of me.

I hated Gerald's Game, by Stephen King. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it never did. There were suggestions that something or someone might be there, but again, nothing.

I hated The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher for different reasons. The first book is because I found the main character to be such a turn off, even though I know most popel just loved, made it the best thing since sliced bread. The second book I found the plot to be way too predictable, like something I would find back 25 years ago.

Jessica wrote: "atonement."

I liked the movie though, never read the book and after a lecture on McEwan (about his works/style and all), I dont feel like reading him really :)

I was extremely dissatisfied with Beastly by Alex Flinn. It's the biggest pile of crap I've ever had the displeasure to lay my eyes on.

wow...hating is a bold feeling..i don't think i ever hated a book...before clenching one in my iron fucking fist i like to tell myself that it's the author's best work under a specific circumstance... i also have difficulties deciding if a liked a book two or three stars much...if i like it, i give it full stars and if i don't and don't get a chance to explain why..i simply go with one star... i feel obliged to the author as he gave his time and energy in the book and put his name on it; and so, if i want to criticize him i should do so too..

but to name one book i really disliked.. it was a award winning book here in Bangladesh.."teish nambar tailachitra" ("#23 oil painting", written in bengali) i read a few months back..was a terrible read... the central character was a phony, in one word...and as he is an artist, it was so unacceptable to me.. the guy keeps judging his acquaintances for seemingly scandalous behavior throughout the book...it's so annoying..i found it a little cowardice of the author to be so determined about maintaining his heroic appearance.. i really don;t know what earned the book an award...the story line's very ordinary, narration not very well defined..i literally skipped pages which i never do...totally ruined my reading experience...

ps. there is nothing in the book that would shed some light on the significance of the naming of it.

April Lyn wrote: "A Child Called "It"... see the full rant on my review of this book. For now, two words only: ghostwriter, please.

People Like Us: Short Stories Again, I've written a longwinded, nasty review, but ..."


lol on your comment on "skipping christmas" :P

I hated "The Great Gatsby" and "The Red Badge of Courage". I couldn't like anyone in Gatsby, and everyone was just horrible to everyone. I read it twice trying to see what people liked about it, but I couldn't find anything really redeeming. Of course, since I am an english major, it comes up all the time. -.-'. I hated "The Red Badge of Courage" because I couldn't understand what was going on. It seemed like half the words were missing, and I know the author was trying to illustrate the dialect, but it became incomprehensible to me. That and the characters not having names/having similar titles like "the tall boy" and the "redheaded boy" made it even more confusing for me. I know it takes place in a war, and the main character didn't know thier names and couldn't find out right then, but even the fact that it is about a war already predujices me against it. I also read this one twice in a row, and I still didn't get it. And of course, that one was also for school.

I am also extremely prejudiced against "The Jungle", the most depressing book I've ever read at Christmas time. My history teacher assigned it, and of course reading a book about the utter failure of the American Dream is the perfect read for that time of year. It didn't help that I am extremely squeamish. I don't utterly hate that book, but I don't ever wish to read it again.

oh and don't get me started on infinite jest.

Jessica wrote: "oh and don't get me started on infinite jest."

Out with it!
Hmm you got me started and six weeks later I was still going! Numerous times wondering when it would all be over.

I AM SO SORRY... The time and energy involved in reading infinite jest is not worth it.... I feel like my soul was repeatedly raped by this novel... this book was about stroking the author's ego.

oh and anything Jack Kerouac has written. on the road .... garbage!

Jessica wrote: "oh and anything Jack Kerouac has written. on the road .... garbage!"

LIKE!

Hate is not a word I associate with books ... more like dislike. Much of what was assigned in high school, I disliked ... but then again would love to revisit some now that there is no test/paper needed! Also books-on-CD read by the author ... ;o)

Jessica wrote: "oh and anything Jack Kerouac has written. on the road .... garbage!"

I couldnt stand even the shortened version of On the road - I understand that it is in a way a document to the times he lived in, but then - booze, drugs, sex, car, more booze more sex... and me being a person that doesnt booze or do drugs nor approve of those things, I cant really read a novel that spends a lot of time describing those

well, I am one of those people who indulge in those things and I still can't stand him!!! :)

Books that I really hate "HOST" and the "the witch of portobello "

I can only imagine how awful host was. ::hugs :: it's OK now that book will harm you no more!

Jessica wrote: "I can only imagine how awful host was. ::hugs :: it's OK now that book will harm you no more!"

unless someone set upon vengeance upon you gifts you this book... on your birthday! Mwahahaaha :D

I don't think I've ever 'hated' a book, but I've definitely been disappointed with some. For example, the Hunger Games trilogy and the final Dark Tower book. They had so much potential but just fell flat :/

I agree as well about the hunger games. They started off so strong, and then became what felt like a rushed experience. I just didn't like the feel of the third book at all :/ Who knows, maybe the movies will be better?

Yvonne wrote: "Books that I really hate "HOST" and the "the witch of portobello ""

ye the witch of portobello really got on my nerves too... but i liked the innovative idea of the narration...

Chimney wrote: "There have been books that I finished that I've felt 'meh' about, but only one I've finished that I really disliked. That book would be Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker. The main character just reall..."

really..?? kite runner..??? man, anything that's associated with school has a way of screwing up the reading experience..everything that i read for school.. i had to read them later again to like them.. but it's sad that it had to be kite runner for you... when i read it...i was so sure that no one could ever not like the book...

I hated Fifty Shades of Grey a couple of pages later..

did you know fifty shades started out as fan fiction for twilight???

Jessica wrote: "did you know fifty shades started out as fan fiction for twilight???"

lol... no wonder... :P

Adverbs by Daniel Handler who is otherwise known as Lemony Snicket.
It was almost as if Handler wrote this book to say "see I can write adult fiction. I can be complicated and interesting and obtuse and..." I did get the book (his jokes, "complications", and what he was trying to achieve), BUT still wanted to beat the writer with my paid-full-price hardback edition. One reviewer here on Goodreads called the book "intellectual masturbation" -- yeah. seriously. no one wants to read that.

Diane wrote: "One reviewer here on Goodreads called the book "intellectual masturbation""

LMAO.. what does that even mean??

April Lyn wrote: "Diane wrote: "One reviewer here on Goodreads called the book "intellectual masturbation""

LMAO.. what does that even mean??"

someone who read a whole oxford library and got to show it to everyone how clever and learned they are :D

someone who feels a need to look so damn clever nobody really gets what the hell they wanted to say :D

April Lyn wrote: "A Child Called "It"... see the full rant on my review of this book. For now, two words only: ghostwriter, please.

People Like Us: Short Stories Again, I've written a longwinded, nasty review, but ..."

Hello April Lyn..I had that book A Child Called "It" and did not finish reading it..

Jessica wrote: "did you know fifty shades started out as fan fiction for twilight???"

Seriously???
Wow..I didn't know that..
And what a coincidence! I hated Twilight too!
Thanks Jessica..

I read that in my writing digest magazine. I laughed so hard my sides hurt.

Jessica wrote: "I read that in my writing digest magazine. I laughed so hard my sides hurt."

Had my share of laugh too!
Thanks for sharing!

Razmatus wrote:

someone who read a whole oxford library and got to s..."

Thanks Razmatus! I was contemplating a "appropriate for all" way of talking about "it". LOL No way I could explain it in such a classy fashion! :)

I understood Adverbs but his effort to be clever (and adult and mature and "complicated") was sooo obvious and overwhelming that I just wanted him to STOP!

heh, no offense to some authors, but I think there are two kinds of complexity - one that edges close or becomes, well, those two words I explained :D (like many modernists did) and then the one that doesnt require you to study a whole degree to get one book, where your heart, brain, basically your imagination and logical thinking, suffice, and still you have to work to crack them (a good example here would be Tolkien, Martin or Erikson; you dont have to be a literary scientist to understand their works, you just got to have open mind, working brains and imagination and some hints at least of logical thinking, and any extra knowledge you possess just helps, but is not essential to understanding their works)

so yea, I prefer books that make me work out my brain, that require my imagination, emotions, logical thinking and such things that can be honed over time, the kind of books that ENCOURAGES me to read some other books to understand it better maybe

but I cant stand books that would FORCE me to read other books, because without those books I wouldnt understand a thing

amen! that's how I feel about infinite jest.

diane..and april lyn..and razmatus..(since you guys are talking about it).. i read a review about the fifty shades (actually it was a review abt fifty shames, a mockery caricature of fifty shades) and she said she had to actually keep a red pen with her to make corrections throughout the book..

i never want to read the book.. :\

and diane's "wanting him to stop" reminded me of another book that i really disliked and couldn't finish it..(i refuse to write a review about it)..it was called "divine by mistake" by p.c. cast that i picked up for the read-a-thon..it was a total mess...the writer, being a girl, that is, described all the characters (particularly males) in detailed erotics; that she had to put in how much she herself loved the book, in the introduction...

oh, i wanted her to stop alright..

lilaboti you're hilarious ... I feel like mailing you a bunch of terrible books just to read your reviews.

Does this make me a bad person?

Jessica wrote: "Does this make me a bad person?"

No way.

whoop whoop flowers in the attic in. coming!

Jessica wrote: "lilaboti you're hilarious ... I feel like mailing you a bunch of terrible books just to read your reviews."

jessica..it's so nice of you and you're fun... >.< the irony is you guys (i got a friend request from another friend from this group, she also wanted to read reviews from me) responded to a post that i was most willingly trying to avoid to make it sound like a review..because my policy is if you don;t finish a book, never write a review about it...:\ so much for the policy...

i am sorry to disappoint you guys, but i don't write reviews..literature has its own compartments..the beauty lies in people interpreting them differently..what i write about is my reading experiences..if you guys find it any worth to read about how a book (that you read) got to a stranger personally, and how it varied from or makes you remember about your experience..then i'll give you the link to my blog..

and thanks again, you guys, really, i'm- well i was gonna type "flattered," but what i really am is, inspired.... :)

cheers..

The Fountainhead...Christ. I couldn't decide between the pretention and boredom.

Someone told me "this is the best book I ever read", so I felt obligated to finish it. I have often hated books people told me were the greatest.

Also Eat, Pray, Love and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. People loved them, but I found them abominable.

It's usually the writer's voice that bugs me. Someone bitching about their failed marriage in a book is terribly annoying to me, so a lot of "Women's Fiction" is unreadable.

LOL sparkleface. you might like Margret Atwood .. Ayn Rand has a special place in my heart. Atlas shrugged was the biggest soul rape ever created .... it was WAY worse than fountain head..and WAY longer...

my best friend recommended it to me... friends shouldn't do that to each other.

Jessica wrote: "my best friend recommended it to me... friends shouldn't do that to each other."

you make me chuckle.. what book are you referring to? Atlas Shrugged? I haven't read any Ayn Rand (how do you say that anyway? Ann? AIN? my husband and I have fought over this) but my husband loves her. We just rented the movie that came out in the last year or so and it wasn't anything fantastic either.

I rented the movie too! I believe it's pronounced Ann but I am from Kentucky and do not speak properly.