UK Book Club discussion

Looking back at my ratings i have only given 9 books (out of 344) a rating of one, not very many.

Do other people give many books a 1?

24 out of 766 with 1 stars. I think they go back to the days when I would finish a book once I'd started it, now I tend to put it to one side if I find I don't like it. I will only rate books I read more than 75% of, if I chuck it before that point, I don't rate; you never know there may be some redeeming feature I missed.
I have many more 2 stars, some of my favourite authors occasionally produce disappointing books.

Very rarely do I give 1 or 2 star ratings - I think its because I am usually quite careful what I pick up in the first place. They are becoming more frequent now as I try to broaden my horizons (and pick up freebies at Amazon).

Out of 533 read books I have 10 1-stars, seven of which were so awful they made it on to my 'gag me with a spoon shelf'. This 'ultimately horrendous' rating requires not just bad writing but a dash of 'irritatingly pretentious' as well.

I've given 9 one star ratings out of 836, but if I don't finish a book because I don't like it, I delete it, and don't rate it at all.

39 out of 472 rated....so roughly 1 in 12.

I've received a few one-star reviews... and oddly enough, one or two of them are my favourites!

A rant is often more entertaining than a gushing compliment.

I've given only the one 1-star review myself.

I've given no 1 star ratings yet (out of 460), because so far every book I've read has at least one good thing about it.

Michael wrote: "I've received a few one-star reviews... and oddly enough, one or two of them are my favourites!

A rant is often more entertaining than a gushing compliment.

I've given only the one 1-star review ..."

I thinks sometimes a 1 star review can be helpful. When I'm looking at a review because I'm interested in a book, I prefer to read the bad reviews because they tend to say more about the book and the person writing the review (if they are properly written, of course). I think you have to be careful looking at 5 star and 1 star reviews because it tends to be extremists who write them! That's not to say they aren't right, they just need to be read with a pinch of salt imo.

I tend not to give 1 star reviews. If I dislike it that much I stop. I also don't really know what to say with a one star review. I feel a bit mean as well.

As I listen to almost all of my books in audio format, I tend to rate the narration as well, not just the book itself, therefore I gave two Dickens audiobooks 1 star due to the terrible narration, and I'm glad to have found the right versions! However, I've also given two one-star ratings because the books were so bad that if I could give them -10000000000 stars, I would do it! Those two books are Twilight and Fifty shades of grey. I do not mean to offend anyone who loves these books, but I just couldn't stand either the writing style or the plot!

I also tend to avoid one star ratings, except to underline why I might give a book up.

Of my list of 'read' books, I only show 3 as having 1 star and two of those were remembrances from high school and maybe I should read them again to see if I appreciate them more (probably won't though).. I do have more 2 star ratings.

It's strange this aversion to 1 star ratings......it only means "I didn't like it" not that it was utter crap as Fiona says lol. I say more power to 1 star ratings are needed.....I think most 2 star ratings are probably really 1 star......I know many of mine are. Mind you I'd be an utterly brutal judge on tv talent shows lol.

My personal rating system is explained in my profile
"* appallingly awful - don't touch it with a barge pole"

Some books richly deserve the stars they get and I feel my ratings would be meaningless if I was nice all the time.

Looking back i've never actually given a book 1 star - perhaps I'm being to generous.

Looking over my ratings, clearly I'm very easily pleased - not a single 1 star and v few 2 star ones.

Em wrote: "Looking over my ratings, clearly I'm very easily pleased - not a single 1 star and v few 2 star ones."

A very easily pleased woman? Shurely shome mishtake lol

6 out of 132 have been given 1 star. 4 of those are one's I placed on my 'abandoned' shelf, I just could not get into them.

Less of your cheek, Ian!

Ian wrote: "It's strange this aversion to 1 star ratings......it only means "I didn't like it" not that it was utter crap as Fiona says lol. I say more power to 1 star ratings are needed.....I think most 2 sta..."

I use one star ratings and I would be right behind you Ian on the talent show judges panel... in fact I would even ban all reality type tv progs, dancing, ice skating, the lot - I hate them all!!

Em wrote: "Less of your cheek, Ian!"

Cheekiness is next to ungodliness. Ditto Lynne - scrap all reality shows.....all would get a -10 rating.

I recently gave a 1 star to a supposed classic which I finally abandoned at 60%. I hate not finishing books this is one of less than half a dozen in my lifetime I gave up on, but life is too short. i made it clear in my review I hadn't finished it.

I have received some one stars on Amazon for my first book one from someone who abandoned after 5 pages! Nice they gave it a chance...

i tend to review as dnf, with a 'popular' author i tend to add not author or book just me (or something along those lines), with an unknown author i tend remove the book from my list this is b/c i don't really want to put anyone off reading something they may enjoy immensely .....reading is very subjective and i've read some pretty cruel reviews on GRs (when i've actually really enjoyed the writing) where personalities get in the way of a more intelligent approach...some should remember we don't all like tea some of us like coffee...

Philip wrote: "I recently gave a 1 star to a supposed classic which I finally abandoned at 60%. I hate not finishing books this is one of less than half a dozen in my lifetime I gave up on, but life is too short..."

Hi Philip, Five pages seems a little harsh. Perhaps it would have been fairer to give no review at all in that case. What is the name of the supposed classic you gave a 1 star to? It sounds like a heavy read.

Guy wrote: "Philip wrote: "I recently gave a 1 star to a supposed classic which I finally abandoned at 60%. I hate not finishing books this is one of less than half a dozen in my lifetime I gave up on, but li..."

Hi

It was

Marmite all round. Tropic of Cancer appears on a lot of Greatest and Worst book lists.

Philip wrote: "I recently gave a 1 star to a supposed classic which I finally abandoned at 60%. I hate not finishing books this is one of less than half a dozen in my lifetime I gave up on, but life is too short... It was Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller "

I read Tropic of Cancer last year and funnily enough, I gave it just the 1 star too (and I rarely give only 1 star). I persevered, ploughing on until the end, in the vain hope that it might improve... no such luck ;)

If I could I would have given Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn 0 stars, hate them. Not keen on Ulysses or Finnegan's Wake either.

I watched the movie of Henry and June which I enjoyed and hence wanted to read a book by Miller, I have other classics ready to go not necessarily on my To Read shelf, but after this experience I am going to concentrate on other indie or lesser known authors for a while

Read them because I'm reading books from the 1001 list of books to read.

Yeah, I like a lot experimental lit, like Joyce, Proust, Woolf, all those classics and more modern like Pynchon, even more irreverent ones like Ginsberg and Burroughs, just a bit though, I. A sort of victorian and purist, but I really didn't finish tropic of cancer, didn't get it nor past pg 60, I was "lost" and bored, and I've heard he's big and has accomplished his place, but not for me!