Really Rubbish Books

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and Daughters of the House by Michele Roberts.
Both books were Booker Prize nominees. I persevered hoping they would get more interesting, but it was a waste of time.
I am obviously not intellectual enough!

I really couldn't get on with The Detective's Daughter by Lesley Thomson, and gave up very early on. I find her style confusing and pedestrian, spending far too much time on trivial detail and getting nowhere with the actual story. And then I made the mistake of buying a second book by her - it was only after a couple of chapters that I began to recognise the style and the penny dropped. Now I know to avoid Lesley Thomson at all costs!

Sometimes I'm pleased I've persevered with a book that I struggled with. One of these was After The Fall by Charity Norman. Yes the first 200 odd pages should have been thinned down considerably, but it turned out to be absolutely breathtakingly brilliant. And I nearly gave up and missed it.

I love reading and if the beginning of a book isn't too good I usually work on the theory that it might get better and have a good ending so I usually persevere until the end.

Babs758

Re "Far Pavilions", have you read "Shadow of the Moon" by the same author?

See Amberone’ post 3 above yours

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel, any Robert Galbraith. Any fantasy or science fiction. Now, if I don't like a book in first 60 pages I stop, whereas before I would persevere. Just gave up on Perfect Remains by Helen Fields, subject matter too disturbing in these times. Agree Transcription, I didn't enjoy it.

Oh good God Cloud Atlas reading that was a penance, my son thought it was amazing, but I found it really, really heavy going. Clever concept undoubtedly but that didn't make it an enjoyable read, I did like one brief interlude set in pre war Holland, but as it rolled on into a far future and then back tracked down to where it started I lost the will to live. Strangely, I quite enjoyed the film, it made far more sense.

Rowyn
I’ve never used a kindle, I agree, it has to be a book

I really loved Wolf Hall, I really like her writing style, I’ve got her latest on my pile, so looking forward to that.

I very rarely cast a book aside after a few chapters but Wolf Hall was one.

Interested to see several have not enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club. Osman's style of writing is appalling in my opinion - felt as if I was 5 years old being told a story, and the story wasn't even interesting.
What really, really annoyed me was the hype it received and all the complimentary quotes on the cover from people like Kate Atkinson, Ian Rankin, Marian Keyes etc. I believed them and feel I was utterly misled!
On a sideways note, am I the only one who hates reading books on Kindle or similar. I need the real physical book!

That's what I like about my Kindle as I can download a sample, usually the first two or three chapters and, if I don't like it, I don't buy it. It's annoying to spend quite a lot of money on a book you don't like isn't it? I enjoy a wide range of books from psycological thrillers to some chick lit like Jo Jo Moyes. I don't like historical books very much though. I started a book club in our village a few years back but backed out after a couple of years as some people wanted to read very heavy stuff like Dostoevsky and I ended up feeling as if I was forcing myself to read them for an A level rather than for enjoyment.

Another here who does not like to read Dickens, with the exception of Tale of Two Cities., because it's shorter than the others, he doesn't overdo the descriptions and it's truly exciting. Generally speaking, he needed a good editor.
I recently decided to read the first Bridgerton book to see what all the fuss was about. Utter trivial rubbish is my verdict I'm afraid. I cannot understand Netflix finding enough promise in it to make a series. Georgette Heyer is so much better if they want to televise a Regency Romance.
I struggled with Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall and gave up on it at first. Then I tried it again and couldn't put it down. Brilliant isn't good enough. Bring Up the Bodies the same.
I put them both down thinking 'whatever am I going to read now that will be as good'.
Can't get on with Donna Tartt. Maybe I should try again.

Ignore my last comment! Hilary Mantel - I really enjoyed "Beyond Black" but found "Wolf Hall" hard to read although I enjoyed the tv production recently very much. Has anyone read the "Starchester" series by Susan Howatch re a priest called "Jon Darrow" and the trouble he gets into when using his pyschic abilities?Lots of church history and theology thrown into what is quite a good story.

Mamaa, I'm with you on Captain Corelli's Mandolin. I've tried to read it twice but couldn't get past the swearing chapter. I found the same thing with Wolf Hall. It's the laziest form of writing IMO. I loved Life after Life by Kate Atkinson but gave up on Transcription. I'm working my way through the Inspector Montalbano books at the moment which are great lockdown fare as they are clever and funny.

Moggycuddler
Oh goodness, Cloud Atlas was awful, a truly terrible book!
I only finished it because it was a present, and I thought I might get questioned on it!

But love all Thomas Hardy, my dad gave me Far from the Madding Crowd when I was about eleven, and I’ve loved them all, with the exception of A Pair of Blue Eyes.

We did the Woodlanders for GCE when I was at school. I did like it and have also read Tess of the D'Ubervilles,. Hardy's books can be very gloomy at their worst, inspired I believe in him seeing an actual hanging as a young man. We visited his house he grew up in as a child (NT) down in Dorset a couple of years ago.

Re "Far Pavilions", have you read "Shadow of the Moon" by the same author?

That was supposed to say loved ,not over

Over I am Pilgrim. Read it twice!!

Greyduster

I’m another one who adored M.M. Kaye’s “The Far Pavilions”. I followed it up with her “Shadow of the Moon” and didn’t enjoy it half as much. But this has reminded me of how much I loved John Masters’ novels of India. Read them all. Must read then again.

Although I enjoyed them both I prefer 'Shadow of the Moon' to 'Far Pavilions' - and I didn't like what TV did to 'The Far Pavilions' either. I also used to love John Masters' novels, although the only ones I can remember right now are 'Nightrunners of Bengal' and Bhowani Junction'.

Never been able to get on with Donna Tartt, OH reads hers but he seems to be going off them too.

JdotJ

I read Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy at the start of lockdown. I really enjoyed it so thought, months later I would try another Hardy classic.
Downloaded Tess of the d'Urbervilles and settled down to start another classic but urgh, I couldn't get into it at all, despite trying really hard so I gave up. Unfortunately that has put me off trying any other classic.
Much like Henry IV Part 1 which I had to read at school. Turned my stomach against Shakespeare to this day!

How interesting. I love Tess Of The D’Urbervilles and have read it several times over the years but I really disliked Jude The Obscure, way too dark. My older son studied The Woodlanders for A Level and it is still one of his favourite books.

As my daughter says, 'Life is too short to read a bad book or drink bad wine'.

Can't think of any books I thought were rubbish right now. Oh yes I can - Cloud Atlas. And I hate Jane Austen. I find it hard to understand why some people feel they have to finish books that they're not enjoying. Why??!! You could be spending all those hours of your life reading a different book that you will actually enjoy. I really don't get it! I do stick with books for a short while because some are just a bit slow or maybe confusing at the start and then pick up, but I only allow about 50 pages. Sometimes I've abandoned books after about 10 pages if I just know I won't like it.

gran5up The Thirteenth Tale and Once upon a River are great, I suspect she was having dreaded second book syndrome and had to deliver another on her contract. Second books are often duffers.

Nell G, I read Diane Setterfield's " Once Upon a River" and loved it so much I bought (used!) copies for my nearest and dearest. However, like you, "Bellman and Black" was not for me.

Sad when folk say they," don't like Dickens" as they are all so very different." Martin Chuzzlewit" not for me but "Oliver Twist", "Old Curiosity Shop"."Barnaby Rudge" all very gripping-his stuff was mainly written in instalments so there are often real cliff-hangers!