Bad Books or wish I hadn't bothered!

Why is the member who doesn't ever read the book in the book club I wonder Sussexborn?

I hate to admit this but I do find Dickens a bit tiresome. So much descriptive stuff to wade through.

Henry James.

Always thought it was my duty to read him. Really enjoyed TV dramatisations of a couple of his books way back in the 70s but he is so tedious to read.

I'm another who can't bear Wuthering Heights though I generally like Victorian literature.

eazybee @15.58 - Nice Dorothy Parker quote ?

GagaJo, I could written that word for word! I also love all those and decided to give 50 Shades a try, but couldn't get over the appalling writing!

Narrow Dog to Carcassonne by Terry Darlington was our book club choice.....about taking a narrow boat across to France. Dont bother.

I'm afraid I'm a committed 'if I start I have to finish' reader. It has led to me reading some rubbish but I really don't see any harm in reading rubbish sometimes. Interesting how some people's favourites are others baddies.

Rivers of London. Hideous book we were reading for book club and which divided the group, 70% hated 30% loved.
On the other hand best book from book club All the light we cannot see, one of the best books I’ve ever read

Glad to hear I’m not the only one who couldn’t get into Wolf Hall. I must be a pleb but I much preferred CS Sansom’s Shardlake series, though the last one was a bit of a plod. I just looked at 50 Shades in the bookshop and was horrified by the appalling writing, ditto anything by Dan Brown or Jeffrey Archer. On the other hand, I’ve read and reread Hesse’s Narcissus and Goldmund over the last 40 years.

I'm another who "once I've started, I'll finish" probably on the basis that there have been a couple of books where I did have to get quite a way in before the plot developed into what eventually turned out to be a really enjoyable book. "Atonement" fell into that category for me, I remember thinking "I hate this book" up until page 70 or so and after that couldn't put it down. I did give up after about 120 pages of "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" there was just another 800 or so bloody pages I think. I also wish I'd given up on "The Luminaries" another tome I found dull! dull! dull!

I really wish I had the self-discipline to abandon a book partway through. The number of times I’ve read a book in its entirety, and been thoroughly disappointed that I haven’t been able to enjoy it, are too many to mention.

The only problem is that I’m far slower at reading a ‘bad’ book than the good ones so I’m going to try adopting the 100 page rule and see whether that stops me wasting hours of my life that I’ll never get back

Can I stick the Harry Potter books on here? I know they’re hugely popular and all that stuff, but truly, I couldn’t get into them. All the time I read, my brain was going ‘This is a kids book, this is a kids book this is a kids book.’ I gave up.

terribull I read all of Jonathan Strange but the tv adaptation is much easier.

I couldn’t get on with Hilary Mantel either .I seem to recall,it was written in “historical present tense “:which I can’t bear. (was it?)
Withering Heights is probably one of my favourites but didn’t even bother to look at Fifty Shades.

Yes, Dorothy Parker, like Oscar Wilde, says all the things I want to say, but so much more elegantly.

I admit to doing just that, once, throwing a book aside, but only lightly.
It was a library book, Antonia Fraser's description of her life with Harold Pinter; not recommended, yet I enjoy her historical biographies.

I like being in a book group because it has encouraged me to continue reading books I would have abandoned with the 100 page rule, and I have found by persevering, that some initially difficult books have been surprisingly rewarding.
Not all, of course.

It's easy for me only to read within my comfort zone, and not challenge myself unless I have to.

Suedonim
Yes me too. Fabulous kids books but kids books nonetheless. Always felt that adults reading them were just getting down with the kids which is fine ......but not for me.

I nearly always try to finish any books I start but completely failed with Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I agree with NanKate. It was written in an odd way. There were two Roberts in it and I couldn’t tell which was which and also it wasn’t made clear who was speaking. Only did about three chapters.

50 shades was absolute rubbish. I've tried Hilary Mantel twice and cant get on with her at all, even though it's a period of history I love. Girl on the train and Gone Girl were wasted on me. Cant do with Dickins or Brontes.

I hated Lovely Bones too. Why did I waste time reading it all.?It left me cold and gave me a few nightmares too.

Jane Eyre
Most Dickens
Eleanor Oliphant
War and peace☹️

Oh yes! Can't bear Dickens. It's now on the curriculum for GCSE Literature. Argh! I hate it. The kids hate it.

I also hate Harry Potter. I'm GRATEFUL to JKR for getting children to read but find the quality of her writing poor.

Anything by Jodi Picoult. Quite why this woman is an international best selling author is beyond me - her stuff is formulaic drivel as she attempts and fails to deal with hard hitting issues in a believable manner. I’ve stopped even trying to read her books, they make my teeth ache.

OMG yes, SC. And I know English teachers that love her. They are often the ones that call me a literature snob. Just because I don't read tripe.

I have to confess I have a somewhat unflattering mental image of the sort of person who reads JP and English teachers don’t feature in that! Shame on them - and if not liking Jodi P means I’m a literary snob as well then snob me up.

Jodi P books are the types that read one, you’ve read them all.
Some people like them exactly because of the sameness. Nowt wrong with that, but not for me.
Conrad’s Heart of a Darkness. What that was about I never knew. My friend loved it.
Wm Golding's The Spire. I could have built my own spire by the end. Might appreciate it now,though.