Books I Loathed discussion

There's a little debate going on in another thread that I thought deserves its own thread.

If you read one book by an author and loathe it, do you give the author a second chance? What would make you give the author a second chance?

What about series? If you loathe the first book in the series, will you keep reading with the hope it will get better?

Let's keep this general and not discuss particular authors or series.

It's very rare for me to give an author a second chance. If I do, it's because someone with similar tastes really liked the book. The first book in a series is usually the best.If I loathed the first book in a series, I won't torture myself reading the rest.

My criteria for any of my books - and for the most part, anything I do - is to ask myself, Is this the best use of my time right now? There are many factors when I choose books - character archetypes, themes, plot/conflict setup, the tone of the first few pages or even the flyleaf. How I've enjoyed other books by the same author is definitely one of those factors.

Reading is comparative. When I choose to read one book (right now it's the cult book by Jon Krakauer - not sure on the spelling - he wrote Into Thin Air), I am in effect choosing not to spend that time reading something else. So when I read a book by an author and I don't like it, it makes it less likely that I will read other books by that author, but it doesn't completely rule out the possibility.

I will sometimes give authors a second chance on standalone books. One of my favorite books is by an author whose first book I absolutely hated, so I was really glad I read his second book. However, I'll usually only do this if a friend or trusted source recommends it to me.

With series, I tend to agree with Gisela. If I didn't like the first book in the series, I probably won't like any of them, so I usually stop reading.

I've had good and bad experiences with giving authors a second chance, so I'm sure I will continue to do so in the future.

I will give an author a second change if my sister or mother insists that another book by them is really worth reading, especially if they also read and disliked the same book I did. But I have never read the second in a series if I didn't enjoy the first.

That's a really good question. Usually the answer would be no, but if a person I usually share tastes with recommend another book by the same author I'm more inclined to give that author a second chance. Especially if whoever recommended it also disliked the book I'd originally read.

But like the others I'd never read the second in a series if I disliked the first.

Great question! I'm currently reading a book by James Lee Burke, an author I HATED the first time I tried one of his books. I gave him a second chance and discovered what I had missed the first time around. Likewise, I keep trying Patrick O'Brian every few years or so simply because so many people love his work.

In general, I need to be in the mood for any particular type of book. Sometimes it's literature, sometimes sci-fi, sometimes horror, non-fiction, satire ... you get the idea. There are times I'll start a book and discover I'm just not in the mood. I may come back to those at a later date.

No, Never.
Unfortunately my bias against a book I dislike is carried to the writer's other books too. That should'nt be the case, but I cant help it, I'm petty that way.

I posed the question, so I guess I should answer it. In general, if I loathe the first book I read by an author, I will not be picking up a second book except under extreme duress. (An example of duress would be having to read a loathed author for an English lit class.) However, I am about to give one author a second chance. My middle-school son and I were reading a kid's book out loud by a somewhat well-known author of grown-up fantasy novels. I really, really hated the book and told my son that he was welcome to finish it on his own about halfway through. I really loathed that book. Now, one of the reading groups I belong to is about to discuss one of this author's grown-up books. The book was available at Borders for $4.99, so I'm going to give this author a second chance. This is the exception to my general rule and I am prepared to loathe this book. Maybe my low expectations will make the book seem wonderful in comparison.

As for series, I try to avoid them. There have been very few series that I've felt compelled to devour in succession. If I loathed the first book in a series, I would not be wasting my time with the rest.

There are too many books and there is too little time to read the stuff I'm looking forward to without wasting it on books that I probably won't like.

Sandi, for me "duress" would be if everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) thought that this was a great book that I, as a school librarian, Absolutely.Must.Read. Fortunately, very few fall into that category.

Having said that, there are authors I loved - or liked - that have fallen down in quality. Those I'll give at least one more chance, in case it was simply a bad patch.

Don wrote: "In general, I need to be in the mood for any particular type of book. Sometimes it's literature, sometimes sci-fi, sometimes horror, non-fiction, satire ... you get the idea. There are times I'll start a book and discover I'm just not in the mood. I may come back to those at a later date."

Don, I've found that to be true for me sometimes. There have been a few books that I've started and just couldn't get into. But, I'll recognize that it's a matter of where my head is at the moment and not the book itself. There is one book in particular that I just couldn't get through even though I thought it seemed really good. It was just very dense and very complex and I was to distracted to give it the attention it needed. It took a few years before I was able to pick it up and read it all the way through and I ended up loving it.

Violating the guidelines here... Sandi, from message 9, won't you tell me what the 2 books were (the kids one and the adult one)? And how is the adult one so far?

I think the key phrase here is "loathe" - I for one "loated" Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" - I know many love it but I will be VERY hard pressed to try anything else of his. On the other hand....I'm reading my first Neil Gaiman book "Stardust" and while it is not grabbing me...and really not my "cup of tea" I will try another of his books because he comes so highly recommended by people whose opinions I respect.

Not every book from an author is a winner but if their style rubs completely against your grain then there are probably better things to do with your time.

Wife of GR author: Michael J. Sullivan | The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

Don wrote: "Great question! I'm currently reading a book by James Lee Burke, an author I HATED the first time I tried one of his books. I gave him a second chance and discovered what I had missed the first t..."

I think that was a terrific example because some of his books are great and some just lame, but he is such a descriptive author that you can feel and smell the scenery and taste the poor boy sandwiches.

Sorry, I posted my comment in the wrong place. Don't do this often enough. It was a response to Don about his comment on James Lee Burke

Erica wrote: "Violating the guidelines here... Sandi, from message 9, won't you tell me what the 2 books were (the kids one and the adult one)? And how is the adult one so far?"

Okay, I'll break my own rules. The kid's book I hated and wouldn't finish was
Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. The next book I will be reading, but haven't started yet, is Mistborn: The Final Empire. "Mistborn" is supposed to be excellent and I'll give it a try since it is for a group discussion.

I read a little bit about Salman Rushdie when I was in high school, and being extremely into punk and bucking the system, I thought he was awesome on principle (what with the fatwa on his head and all). So I tried to read the Satanic Verses, and it was full of allegorical references I didn't understand, and peripheral characters momentarily centralized and then forgotten, which confused me, and these thick, languid sentences that spanned paragraphs and took me forever to read. So I gave up.

I recently read his book Midnight's Children for a class, and I fell compltely in love with it, and have been re-trying to read Satanic Verses in its wake. I guess the difference was the intellectual scaffolding of the grad class made it more comprehensible and enjoyable for me.

But yes, I gave him a second chance, and now Rushdie is one of my favorite authors.

If I read one book by an author and enjoy it, then I'll usually read more even if I encounter one or two that are disappointing. But if I the first I read is loathsome, then I will only read more if someone I really respect has a fondness for those books (regardless of whether or not we agree on the book I thought was loathsome).
I often think it is better to enter a series nearer its midpoint-- sometimes series that start off flat become quite wonderful, and then earlier books can be forgiven their flaws as I appreciate getting filled in on the backstory of favorite characters.

Robin wrote: "On the other hand....I'm reading my first Neil Gaiman book "Stardust" and while it is not grabbing me...and really not my "cup of tea" I will try another of his books because he comes so highly recommended by people whose opinions I respect. "

My feeling is there are two types of authors--the kind who write basically the same book over and over--John Grisham come to mind. If you don't like one of their books, you really might as well not bother with another. And then there are the kind who change genres/writing style/voice in every book. Like Neil Gaiman. Yes there is an overall voice, and he generally focuses on magical realism, but every book is different. If you don't like one subject matter, or tone, try another.

And that's the kind of author I'm drawn to. One-note authors, like one-note musicians, really don't appeal. I want an artist who grows with me.

That's a good point, Holly. However, don't you think authors like Gaiman who have such a wide range are rather rare?

When I first began reading Hawaii by Michener, I put it down several times thinking that this author is not someone I would ever like. When I persevered and finished the book, Michener became one of my favorite authors.

Sandi wrote: "That's a good point, Holly. However, don't you think authors like Gaiman who have such a wide range are rather rare? "

Well, yeah. That's part of the fun is finding them. :-)

That's not to say I don't read quite a few one-note writers as well. But they are generally writers that I've enjoyed everything by. If I don't like the first book I've read by someone, and I know all of their books tend to sameness, I won't bother with more.

I still plan on reading more books from Ayn Rand someday even though I hated Atlas Shrugged. I think it depends on the style of book. I see her books as philosophical in nature and I really would like to see where she is coming from.

Dianna wrote: "I still plan on reading more books from Ayn Rand someday even though I hated Atlas Shrugged. I think it depends on the style of book. I see her books as philosophical in nature and I really would ..."

Sorry to hear you did not like Atlas Shrugged. I personally enjoyed it greatly. Ayn Rand certainly has a particular point of view and it comes out loud and clear in her novels. Sometimes when she would go on a tiraid(sp) I would just skim that part and get back to "the story". She certainly was a woman of her time and a lot of her writing makes sense in the context of living under communism. The thing about her which I find strange is how she portray's her female characters with respect to men. They are so strong and self-assured but you put them in bed and they are totally submissive. My guess is she is projecting some real life perspective in her books. In any case I've read several of her stories and generally enjoyed them. Atlas Shrugged was my favorite

As to "one note authors" - If they are one note and you don't like that note - then ya you have a problem - but sometimes I go to authors that I "know" as a given quantity.

Then there are the few that change over time. Early King was very "one note" horror but later he did some great stuff like "Different Seasons" and "Green Mile".

I put the book down and I don't look back, operating out of the "so many books, so little time..." philosophy.

Since I am the one who inspired this discussion, I am going to add my two cents. I usually don't read books by an author if I didn't like the first book in a series or single book. Sometimes, I have read and liked a book; and was surprised to find that it was by someone I don't like writing under a pen name. I am more apt to give a new series my time if it is by an author I like already, and have not always read anymore in that series but do continue to read the orginal series by that person. I belive it is a matter of taste. Some authors just have a style that is off putting to some. I generally give a book 50 pages to get my attention. I have read books to the end just hoping something interesting would happen or read an entire series to find out what the currently big deal is (as is the case with the discussion I began that apparently inspired this thread.) I feel that there are more books out there that I want to read, and that there will be clinkers along the way. To their own.

I give authors second chances. Being a writer myself, I know how one day you can write something and think it rocks, and then a few years later you'll look back on it and realize it's not all that great. I'm sure published authors have the same issue sometimes. Just because you're published doesn't make you perfect. Published authors still make mistakes, they still experiment with their style, they still improve. Therefore, I don't judge books by their author. If a book looks interesting, I'll read it, regardless of who wrote it.

I generally give authors second chances if the concept for another book seems intriguing enough or the author isn't known for really pigeonholing themselves. For series though, if I really hated something it's very unlikely I'll go any further with it. I'll admit though that there are the occasional weird cases that are hard to classify. There's a certain fantasy series where the first few books were so good, but the next few really fell off for me and now there's only one book left to come out to finish it and I'm conflicted. I'm pretty invested by now and yet the last two have been really disappointing that it's beginning to feel like a waste of time. And yet there's another smaller series where I read the first book and totally wrote it off, but one of the sequels sounded so interesting that I gave it a shot and ended up really loving it.

Okay, I'm going to break the rules here and discuss some particular authors and books-it is necessary so you can understand my feelings on this topic.

When I was thirteen, my mother gave me three books for my birthday: "Little Women", "Dr. Zhivago" and "Great Expectations". I never managed to read "Dr. Zhivago" and eventually lost it. "Little Women" became a lifelong love of mine, a book I have read more than a dozen times (and of which I have worn out several copies!)

And then there was "Great Expectations". I tried. I REALLY did. But I never got more than halfway through before I gave up and threw the book in frustration. I don't know whether it was the language, or the general sadness of the story, or my age, or what, but I could never finish it and, as a result, had developed a real antipathy to Charles Dickens.

Fast forward several years: Last October, I decided to read my library in alphabetical order (no mean feat, as I own somewhere in the neighborhood of five hundred books). During this process, I discovered both Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters are much more enjoyable on the second reading, and that some of the books I loved as a child were still worth having. But over the experience loomed the prospect of reading "Great Expectations". It was coming-and soon, since I organize by books by author. Would it derail the project? Would I once again be overcome by a book that thousands of high-schoolers have managed? Would my distaste for Charles Dickens last a lifetime?

It didn't. I wasn't. It won't. I did (finally) read it from cover to cover, and found out what so many people already knew: that "Great Expectations" is, in fact, one of the great novels of the world. And I was glad, at last, to join that happy company.

And THAT is why I think authors (and books) should be given a second (or third and fourth and fifth) chance. Sometimes things get in the way of the experience we are meant to have with a book-even things as seemingly minor as the mood we are in or the person who gave the book to us. These things distort our understanding and our enjoyment, and spoil what otherwise might have been something special and important.

I do not presume to inflict this rule on everyone (I can't even follow it myself always, as you'll know if you read my review of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"; I will never read anything of Victor Hugo's again as long as I live). I just know that, in this instance, I was glad I did.

I would have voted the other way because I think an author has just one chance when you've chosen their book, opened it, and committed brain real estate. If they haven't gotten me by the time I'm half way through a book I'm going to abandon it...

BUT I also understand I may at any particular time not have the energy to devote myself completely to what may be an intense read. Those books can often be picked up later and enjoyed.

Sharrell - I'm glad you broke the rules and were specific. It makes the discussion far more real when we can have, for instance a Dicken's debate or an Austen debate. I'm glad you found your way through Great Expectations. I'm one of those readers that really like him and thinks his place in writing history is under- appreciated. I hope you read some others of his that haven't been tainted by movie versions spoiling a read by making it feel vaguely familiar. Our Mutual Friend is my particular favorite.

Mary wrote: " If they haven't gotten me by the time I'm half way through a book I'm going to abandon it ..."

You're WAAAY more generous than I am! *laugh*

I rarely give authors a second chance. Although, if I have liked an author, and come across one of their less likeable books I usually won't allow one book to cloud my judgement of them...
I too give up on a book if I am not loving it halfway through it!

It depends on lots of things, like why I disliked the first book (was it the writing style, or was it just the subject matter?), how much I disliked it, if my mood may have been a part of it, recommendations or trusted people, and how many other things I am doing/reading at the time. If I have all kinds of free time and nothing to read (like right now) then I'll at least give it a shot.

There are some authors, like Jodi Piccoult or Stephanie Meyer or C.S. Lewis (sorry), for example, that I've just given up on. I've read a few of their books and they were consistently bad. Those people have run out of chances with me, and I will never read another book of theirs no matter how highly recommended or how bored I am. I've got to have some kind of standard.

I gave Cecelia Ahern another chance. Regretted it though.

For me, it depends a lot on the author and the types of books they write. When it comes to mass market, the answer is no (with the exception of Stephen King--I disliked one of his early books, but gave some of his later stuff another chance since I'd heard it was different). I dislike a lot of mass market anyway, so I don't bother with an author again if I didn't like the first book I read.

When it comes to literary fiction or classic literature I am more likely to consider reading another if it is recommended by people whose tastes in books are similar to mine.

Like others who've posted, I never read a second book in a series if I don't like the first.

i usually give authors AND books second chances, but it really depends on why i disliked it the first time. writing style always makes a great impact on me. so if i dislike the style i probably won't give it another shot. but if it's only the theme for example, i will. like when i read Thomas Hardy's Tess. i read the translated version and i hated it sooo much. but then i read far from the madding crowd in english and i fell in love with the words. so now i know that i will read his books again.

in series like nearly everybody, i won't read on if i don't like the first book. but if i like the first one, and then dislike the second or the third one, i won't give up. this happened with the Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin.

i'm a true believer in people changing, readers and writers all. but i have one exception. i WON'T try a second book of an author who SHOWS a mind that i dislike. people change, but basic beliefs don't, so if i loathe an author's basic beliefs i won't ever try another book if his.

For me, it depends on the author and how much they have written.

There is an author I was really looking forward to reading and when I read his book, I was really disappointed with the ending. He's fairly prolific and I want to give some of his other books a chance but I'm worried they may all suffer the same fate.

As for series, I've been fortunate that I have enjoyed almost all first books. When I was reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I had the "trilogy" of all five books in one and some parts/later books in the series seemed to drag on while others were definitely better but since they were all in one book, I felt like I HAD to finish!

Geoffrey wrote: "If I read a book when I was younger and didn't like it, I'm usually willing to give it a second chance now that I'm older, as I've changed much since my adolescence. Sometimes I find that a book I..."

Oh my GOSH... TV shows too. We couldn't even stomach an entire episode of Inspector Gadget on hulu, and I used to ADORE that show! ;D

I have given books and authors a second chance. The thing that tends to stop me is simply the range of books I want to read. I do not always find time to return to a book or author, though there is one famous fantasy trilogy I am very glad I gave a second chance.

I rarely give books and authors a second chance. I'm pretty extreme, if they sucked I wouldn't read them again except by accident. then they usually suck again! LOL

I heartly concur. If you don't like the style the first time, why torture yourself a second time?

Usually, I'll assume it's the plot and not the author that I'm not crazy about--especially if the author is very popular. I'm always up for giving a writer another chance, BUT when it comes to book series, if it doesn't grab me, I don't feel any compulsion to read the rest.

I always give authors a second, third, or more chances. And if I really want to like a book I'll try it until I find a way to finish, even if I have to get it on CD. If I'm not interested that much and after 30-50 pages I am not grabbed, I'll put it down. I won't dismiss the author, but I will dismiss that book. I'll just try a different one.

And if it is a really popular book that I want to put down, usually the desire to know what all the hype is wins over giving up on a book. Also the desire to be able to bitch intelligently is a bonus. ;)

As for series, I usually do try to finish. Mostly because if I liked it at first, I want to know what happens.

I rarely give authors a second chance. However, some authors varely widely in quality and so, sometimes I'll look through the various titles and find something I really like. IOW, I'll like Book X but not Book Y.

Like others have said, it depends on whether or not I dislike the style of writing, or if the subject matter for that one book doesn't appeal to me.

I think it's helpful to read Amazon reviews, because fans often mention if the book they're reviewing is very different from an author's normal style or genre or whatever. I frequently see comments like, "If you were expecting this to be like his Such and Such series you'll be very disappointed."

The one thing I'd like to disagree with is the notion that 'few' writers write very different books as opposed to one-note books. I don't think that's true. Perhaps they are somewhat in the minority, but not to the extent that some people are saying. It honestly seems like plenty of authors branch out into different sub-genres and styles.

I will give the author a second chance if a book of their's that I haven't read comes highly revered. For example, I loathed Atonement by Ian McEwan, but I plan on reading Amsterdam by him very soon because this book is highly acclaimed. I figure it's only fair to give an author a second chance, especially if a book by them that I haven't read is well liked and respected.

While I will give an author a second chance, I will NOT give them a third chance. I've read The Bean Trees and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and I hated both of them. Even though I have heard good stuff about other books by Kingsolver, I cannot bring myself to give her yet another chance.

I did it once and maybe never again I tried it with Stephenie Meyer with The Host.

I won't read books from authors I don't like. Ideology is something that authors take with them from work to work. Pulp fiction is normally what gets my blood hot especially if I read something that isn't supposed to be a friggin' comic book!

Depends on how bad the book was. If it was well written but just not up to my liking, I might try an author again. If is was a bloody mess of grammar then no way.