What is the Worst Book You Ever Read?

[fallenbutterfly]

It's a tie between Peace Child and The Red Badge of Courage. I read the first one in 9th grade for Honours Lit, and was told that it was a good book...but they were wrong, lol. The other I read in both eighth and ninth grade, and don't think I finished it either time.

 

[ZeKe9807]

Worst book I ever read, that would have to be a tie between The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, my 6th grade teacher made us read it, and at 11 or 12 years old, no one understood the book, actually I still don't. The other book is across five Aprils’, it’s a kids book that I had to read in 8th grade history(it’s about the civil war) because the book was made for kids in third or forth grade, it was just boring to everyone, expect the teacher who just loved it.

 

[artybloke]

The Late Great Planet Earth, by Hal Lindsey was pretty terrible. Not to mention heretical.

 

[artybloke]

Finnigan's Wake by James Joyce. It is aclaimed a classic but it seems gibberish to me.
Jeff the Finn

Read it aloud in a very strong Dublin Oirish accent, boyo. Makes perfect sense then.

 

[towodi]

Passing by Nella Larsen - the whole book irked me
Equus by Peter Shaffer - the horse thing was disgusting
Awakening by Kate Chopin - because it was so dreary

 

[Turn'D-OuT-DiffurnT]

I don't know about its artistic or technical merits, but I really hated Ethan Frome.

 

[nuarc]

Beloved by Toni Morrison. It was just a little too... weird for me. Didn't make any sense whatsoever. (Feh to senior English...)

I totally agree!!

 

[ThePhoenix]

Ooh, worst books ever. I have some real drivel for this list too!

Dracula- Bram Stoker - It does not end. And drivels on and on. It's not scary, it's not dramatic, but it does cause pain. Extreme pain.
Reason for reading: I have no idea. Masocism I think.

Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - Why will it not end? It will not end! It goes on and on and on ad nausium. Moby Dick was more readable, the Hunchback of Notre Dame was more readable, wittier, and just better in every way. And those are both supposedly intermitable books.
P.S. A tale of two cities should be on this list except I never made it past chapter 2. Actually anything by him really...

Anything by Toni Morrison - ok, maybe she's written a good book. Why am I inclined to doubt it.
Reason for reading: My assignments suck.

Sphere and Prey - Michael Crichton - Just why, oh why? Especially Sphere. Prey was bad, but it wasn't the inane drivel that was sphere. WHY?
Reason for reading: People need to give me better presents.

Circle of Magic - Tamora Pierce - they should center college courses around this book, to analyze every element of bad found within. The only saving grace is it makes a decent way to start a fire if you don't have newspaper.

 

[Turn'D-OuT-DiffurnT]

Sphere and Prey - Michael Crichton - Just why, oh why? Especially Sphere. Prey was bad, but it wasn't the inane drivel that was sphere. WHY?

Really? Hmm, it's been several years since i read it, but I remember Sphere wasn't half bad as pure bubble gum entertainment. It was way, waaay better than the movie, which was a DOG.

 

[Ave Maria]

I wouldn't really know. Most books that I have read I actually enjoyed. But then again, I read mostly non-fiction and very little fiction.

 

[Grizzly]

Ooh, worst books ever. I have some real drivel for this list too!

Dracula- Bram Stoker - It does not end. And drivels on and on. It's not scary, it's not dramatic, but it does cause pain. Extreme pain.
Reason for reading: I have no idea. Masocism I think.

Absolutely!!! I love books and have shelves and shelves of them. Stokers Dracula is the only book I have ever thrown into the trash after reading it. It was terrible. At the ending, I was tempted to drive a stake into my own heart....

Sphere and Prey - Michael Crichton - Just why, oh why? Especially Sphere. Prey was bad, but it wasn't the inane drivel that was sphere. WHY?
Reason for reading: People need to give me better presents.

I have not read these, but I hated Jurrasic Park II. I liked the first book. The sequel read like he was given a week to write it.

 

[FreakofGod83]

Christianity Exposed. Whatever.

 

[tqpix]

What is the Worst Book You Ever Read?

I can't nail it down to just one; the worst books I've read are the ones I was forced to read in my high school English classes.

 

[ThePhoenix]

Absolutely!!! I love books and have shelves and shelves of them. Stokers Dracula is the only book I have ever thrown into the trash after reading it. It was terrible. At the ending, I was tempted to drive a stake into my own heart....

I took it out of the library, so I at least had the comfort of knowing I didn't pay for it. And believe me, after reading that I needed comfort

I have not read these, but I hated Jurrasic Park II. I liked the first book. The sequel read like he was given a week to write it.

The Lost World was good in comparison to either of those two books.

P.S. Whoever said the movie is worse is right. It would be right at home on MST3K (from the 15 minutes I saw before giving up).

 

[jidujiao]

The Kingdom By The Sea, by Paul Theroux. It sucked. I threw it against the wall when I was finished. I love books about travel, but this one was a waste.

 

[jidujiao]

Oh, and the high school books so many of you hate--I've reread quite a few of the books I hated in high school and found out they're actually quite fantastic when they're not being forced down your throat.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

"Sleep's Brother" by Robert Schneider, a German novel about a musical genius born in an incestuous mountain village somewhere in the Alps. This genius believes for some mad reason that sleeping is incompatible with true love, because the unconscious state deprives us of the ability to love another human being - and kills himself by refusing to sleep any more.

Absolutely pathetic, isn't it?

 

[Fools Hope]

I had to read this crappy story in 7th grade. It was entirely about a guy who was trying to buy a pair of shoes. I'm not sure, but I think it's by Avi or Ray Bradbary...I'm going with #1. But anyways, it's just how he keeps trying to get the shoes and convincing the store owner how much he needs them. In the end, he gets them and works to pay off the remaining money.

It was my teacher's favorite...it was junk.

I also hated Where The Red Fern Grows. Anybody else read that?

Oh! And The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe. It was SO gross.

 

[Akuma]

To Kill a Mocking Bird. Well written but I was forced to read it and I that kind of genre.

 

[Amy]

I've reread quite a few of the books I hated in high school and found out they're actually quite fantastic when they're not being forced down your throat.

I think that's the key!