UK Book Club discussion

We already have a topic for books we love. but what about those we didn't enjoy?

What tales should members avoid like the plague?

For me only 2 immediately spring to mind

The Illuminatus! Trilogy: The Eye in the Pyramid/The Golden Apple/Leviathan Maybe I was missing somehting but this really didn't make a lot of sense to me.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell likely to be strung up for this one!! But I just couldn't get into it - struggled through it but the characters never really grabbed me.

Jonathan Strange keeps coming up on my recommended list, but I don't know it. pray tell why it sucked for you

I absolutely loved Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and gave it 5 stars.....I thought it one of the best books I read last year.......just goes to show how tastes can differ!

Niall wrote: "Jonathan Strange keeps coming up on my recommended list, but I don't know it. pray tell why it sucked for you"

I'm finding it really difficult to answer this - the book should have been something I really liked historical fiction with am magic bent to it - I guess it comes down to the writing style which never really gelled for me. I found it a very hard read.

As Susan says tastes differ.

Dave, whilst I didn't exactly hate it, like you, for me the writing style didn't appeal. There was too much meandering and I felt that the book should have been about 200 pages shorter!

I have 8 books rated 1 star, but the worst one was How Late It Was, How Late. Hard to read, poor story which didn't go any where, awful characters. Why did it win a Booker prize?

Dave wrote: "I'm finding it really difficult to answer this - the book should have b..."

I hate that, when you find a book that ticks every box that it should for a great read, and then just doesn't work. really annoying

Can't really pick one. Most of the books that I'd hate this much never make it to reading stage. Even those I've rated 1 star are better than many I've rejected earlier in the choice process - eg anything with fantasy/magic/hobgoblins/Doctor Who etc. Most of the books I've rated 1 star have at least held my attention enough to read them and if I've not completed them, it's usually because I found them dull/boring. Recently started and abandoned Shackleton's Antarctica memoir, but can't honestly say I hated it.....it was just very dull.

Ian - I know what you mean about 'hate'. Might be a strong word for this topic - as any book I've finished will have had some redeeming features.

I'm such a softy! The lowest I've ever rated a book is 2 stars - I always manage to find something worthy of praise within it. Most books get 3-4 but I'm sparing with the 5 stars, not a total pushover!

I think I mentally rated a big fat zero....
And Enduring Love, by Ian McEwan actually got thrown across the room when I finished it .
I've read but dont remember how much I liked it.

I decided to give the Agatha Raisin series by MC Beaton a try - and wished to goodness I hadn't. I read 'Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet' which was enough to put me off completely. Ludicrously plotted, poorly written with a heroine I felt I was being encouraged to laugh at reath than with, and yet the books are massively popular, so what do I know?

I absolutely loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but... I do understand what it's like to hate a book everyone else adores! I thought Room by Emma Donoghue was rubbish. Maybe 'hate' is a bit strong but I really did think it was very poor and although I kind of get the hype (controversial/topical subject matter), I don't understand the love for it at all.

Just thought of one.....The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Complete and utter dross. Finished it for a book group and no other reason.

Really liked Room btw

Susan wrote: "I absolutely loved Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, and gave it 5 stars.....I thought it one of the best books I read last year.......just goes to show how tastes can differ!"

I also enjoyed it...a bit long...but I kind of missed it when it was over!

Blair wrote: "I absolutely loved Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, but... I do understand what it's like to hate a book everyone else adores! I thought Room by Emma Donoghue was rubbish. Maybe 'hate'..."

I did not care for Room either!

Ian wrote: "Just thought of one.....The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Complete and utter dross. Finished it for a book group and no other reason.

Really liked Room btw"

I agree about The Alchemist very poor.

I dont really enjoy any Coehlo books, I just dont get the deeper meaning to them, and so they wash over me.

I liked the beginning of Room, but it went seriously downhill when they came out of the room, almost wish the book had been completely set there...

Ian wrote: "Just thought of one.....The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Complete and utter dross. Finished it for a book group and no other reason.

Really liked Room btw"

I ditto this Ian!

Louise wrote: "I dont really enjoy any Coehlo books, I just dont get the deeper meaning to them, and so they wash over me.

I liked the beginning of Room, but it went seriously downhill when they came out of the ..."

Agree on both points Louise.

Well...I feel quite safe in avoiding The Alchemist!!
As for books I did not enjoy...at the top of the list is Eat, Pray, Love.

I also did not enjoy:
The Road
Mudbound and did not finishThe Almost Moon.

and I have read Everything is Illuminated twice and sorry to say, I didn't get on with it either time. Even though, it has one of the most emotionally moving scenes I have ever read, the book as a whole was a struggle for me!

I really didn't like Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín, it was a struggle to finish it, but even that wasn't as bad as Gathering the Water by Robert Edric....it was a Booker nominee, but I thought it dreadful......I only finished it because it was part of a challenge, but really I wanted to delete it from my iPad!

Guess I can skip those too susan....thanks!!

Shelli wrote: "I also did not enjoy:
The Road
Mudbound and did not finishThe Almost Moon."

I'm reading Mudbound at the mo and so far so good

Booker nominees - always treat with caution - occasional goodies but an awful lot of awful literary twaddle

Ian wrote: "Shelli wrote: "I also did not enjoy:
The Road
Mudbound and did not finishThe Almost Moon."

I'm reading Mudbound at the mo and so far so good"

Ian...I hope you enjoy it! I didn't necessarily think it wasn't well written....I just personally didn't enjoy reading it...I couldn't relate to any of the characters.

I can't really say I 'hate' any book, even the odd few I've given one star to.

The one stars were just books I didn't enjoy for some reason and I just make sure that I don't read another book by that particular author!

And FYI, I quite liked Jonathan Strange, thought it was very different but in a good way!

I agree about The Alchemist being dross, though I think The Road is superb (it helps if you think of it as a prose poem, rather than a novel).

Other popular books on my "Overrated" shelf include a couple of YA ones that I was persuaded were worth reading as an adult:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Hunger Games
The Eyre Affair
Little Women
The Diary of a Nobody
Never Let Me Go
Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I have both The Road and Never Let Me Go to read on my kindle - they sound like Marmite books...wonder how they'll taste??

Ian wrote: "Booker nominees - always treat with caution - occasional goodies but an awful lot of awful literary twaddle"

I found this with this year's winner The Sense of an Ending. After having read a few other short listers that I enjoyed I thought this would be great, but I thought it was really pompous and didn't enjoy it at all. A load of hype over nothing as far as I'm concerned with this winner!

I didn't like Jonathan Strange either, and gave up about a third in. Another book I did finish and absolutely hated was The Magus by John Fowles. A total waste of my life and yet so many love it. Its always on Top lists of books, but not on mine.

Ian wrote: "Just thought of one.....The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Complete and utter dross. Finished it for a book group and no other reason.

Really liked Room btw"

I thought The Alchemist was overrated too, quite boring and nothing life shattering, as with other people.

Susan wrote: "I really didn't like Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín, it was a struggle to finish it, but even that wasn't as bad as Gathering the Water by [author:Robert Edr..."

Funny what different people like / dislike - I really liked Brooklyn by Colm Toibin.

Ian wrote: "I have both The Road and Never Let Me Go to read on my kindle - they sound like Marmite books...wonder how they'll taste??"

I like both of these!

The Da Vinci Code, tried to read it and got about 100 pages in, hated it. Even worse two friends bought me copies of it for christmas.

Deanne wrote: "The Da Vinci Code, tried to read it and got about 100 pages in, hated it. Even worse two friends bought me copies of it for christmas."

Didn't hate the Da Vinci Code - it was fun in a kinda of summer switch of your brain book. But there are plot holes I could drive a jumbo jet through.

I think my problem with Brooklyn, was I couldn't care less about the main character... so felt it all a bit pointless.

Shelli wrote: "I also did not enjoy:
The Road
Mudbound and did not finishThe Almost Moon."

Oh dear, I loved: The Road, Mudbound, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Never Let Me Go - just goes to show, we're all different!

I was very disappointed by On the Road though.

I've been meaning to read The Alchemist & The Da Vinci Code for years - just to find out what the fuss is about - but I keep putting them off, I suspect they're not going to be my thing....

Liz - if you ever do fancy a bit of Dan Brown - the one before Da Vinci Code is miles better - Angels and Demons, but as Dave said the plots have chasms to drive through - still good poolside reading though.

And I'm finding Mudbound OK - no more no less

Shelli wrote: "Well...I feel quite safe in avoiding The Alchemist!!
As for books I did not enjoy...at the top of the list is Eat, Pray, Love."

I liked The Alchemist, but I truly did not like Eat, Pray, Love.

Ian wrote: "Liz - if you ever do fancy a bit of Dan Brown - the one before Da Vinci Code is miles better - Angels and Demons, but as Dave said the plots have chasms to drive through - still good poo..."

I agree....Angels and Demons was a better story.....I think all his books are just a bit of escapist fun....not to be taken too seriously.....

Liz wrote: "Shelli wrote: "I also did not enjoy:
The Road
Mudbound and did not finishThe Almost Moon."

Oh dear, I loved: The Road, Mudbound..."

Liz....I really liked The Boy in the Striped Pajamas! I have Never Let Me Go on my TBR!

Ian wrote: "Liz - if you ever do fancy a bit of Dan Brown - the one before Da Vinci Code is miles better - Angels and Demons, but as Dave said the plots have chasms to drive through - still good poo..."

While I did enjoy Da Vinci Code....I also liked Angels and Demonsbetter......last year though I read The Lost Symbol and it just felt overdone.

Over the past week I was reading Blue Sky Days. I got it free in exchange for a review. The book was truly awful. I knew a few chapters into it that this was one of those book that I was going to really struggle to finish. I basically had to speed read through most of the book, promising myself I'd treat myself to a really great book afterwards.

Over the past two weeks, I've been reading Lolita and have grown to hate it.

I really disliked Delta of Venus - a load of pointlessness!

My hunt for a good horror novel threw up two terrible books... Apartment 16 (which has a deceivingly good cover) and The Birthing House. The author of BH has gone on to release two more books with dire reviews, leaving me questioning the sanity of
his publisher!

I like The Hunger Games but my dislike grew with Catching Fire and overpowered me with Mockingjay!

Also must add I have Jonathan Strange here... but my chances of reading it are growing ever doubtful with the amount of people who hate it.