I certainly wanted to stop reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, but alas it was required reading for school... it made me sad 
Ever read a book so bad that you actaully stopped reading?
- Thread starter retyopy
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I made it through Vince Flynn's term limits. But only barely. The good guys are so good they remain good even though it's hard to tell them apart from the villians judging by their actions, the main character is a Gary Stu to boot, the plot makes a hard right halfway through, and the writing style is wonky. And it preaches about the evils of the federal deficit and how violence is always the answer.
Other then that nothing stands out. Besides the Sword of Truth, of course.
Other then that nothing stands out. Besides the Sword of Truth, of course.
Ironically thats probably the only Stephan King book i've ever actually enjoyed; and i've read quite a few of them over the years.Mcoffey said:
It was one of the Dark Tower books. I don't remember which. They were all so bad.
I WOULD have stopped during this Oprah's book club pile of shit called "The Wedding", except it was for summer reading so I didn't have that option. :/
And I rarely stop reading a book, even when I hate it. Once I start a book, I feel it is my duty to finish it, which is especially crippling if I've started a book SERIES that is bad. Because even though it's so bad and I hate it, I still feel that I have to finish it. So for me to stop reading a book really says a lot about just how much I hated it.
I WOULD have stopped during this Oprah's book club pile of shit called "The Wedding", except it was for summer reading so I didn't have that option. :/
And I rarely stop reading a book, even when I hate it. Once I start a book, I feel it is my duty to finish it, which is especially crippling if I've started a book SERIES that is bad. Because even though it's so bad and I hate it, I still feel that I have to finish it. So for me to stop reading a book really says a lot about just how much I hated it.
I liked The Hobbit and made it through Fellowship and Return of the King but Two Towers was freaking horrible. It took me three tries to get through the entire thing and from what I remember, it seemed really unnecessary. I really dislike Lord of the Rings...DJDarque said:
O god, pride and prejudice... i forgot about that.Sagacious Zhu said:
You know considering how notoriously androcentric society was in the 19th century, the euro-american art and literature of the time is shockingly.... how to put this.... estrogenic.
Twain, Poe, Dickens, and Dickenson are the only ones i can really think of off the top of my head that had a more masculine prose.
^possibly the most ridiculously pretentious thing i've ever written. I almost feel dirty for saying it. My literature teachers would be proud.
There are some books I've just drifted off and didn't finish, but I can think of only two that I intentionally stopped reading out of sheer dislike.
One was some book about Star Trek, which I stopped because it was obvious that the author hadn't actually watched Star Trek.
The other, which should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, was Twilight. On a dare from a female friend of mine, I started reading it. I got to page 10 and threw the book out the window.* Periodically throughout the evening, I would crack it open, read a line and slam it shut again.
The style's what really killed it for me, as I didn't really get far enough to encounter any real characterization or plot (though I hear that I'd have to read a completely different book by a completely different author to find either of those.) It was all tell, tell, tell: there wasn't any showing, no sense of getting to know this chick. You shouldn't just have her say she's clumsy: put her in a situation where it becomes relevant (her new friends invite her to a volleyball game and she trips up.)
D-, see me after class.
*No actual defenestration took place.
One was some book about Star Trek, which I stopped because it was obvious that the author hadn't actually watched Star Trek.
The other, which should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, was Twilight. On a dare from a female friend of mine, I started reading it. I got to page 10 and threw the book out the window.* Periodically throughout the evening, I would crack it open, read a line and slam it shut again.
The style's what really killed it for me, as I didn't really get far enough to encounter any real characterization or plot (though I hear that I'd have to read a completely different book by a completely different author to find either of those.) It was all tell, tell, tell: there wasn't any showing, no sense of getting to know this chick. You shouldn't just have her say she's clumsy: put her in a situation where it becomes relevant (her new friends invite her to a volleyball game and she trips up.)
D-, see me after class.
*No actual defenestration took place.
I don't suppose anyone has suggested to you, or you have tried reading the novels about Gaunt's Ghosts? I'm kind of meh on the 40k front for the most part, but my boyfriend told me the fluff of Gaunt's Ghosts, and it sounded cool enough to try it out. He had the first omnibus, and I got hooked hard. I bought the second one, which I am currently working on. The thing that's great about it is that it doesn't even have to be 40k, it could be a completely original sci-fi setting thought up by the author, and it would still be an amazingly well-written piece of militaristic sci-fi literature. I used to not give even the slightest shit about the Imperial Guard, and now I love them.SnakeoilSage said:
Now you, I have to kill. One of the greatest books ever.t-money said:
Dammit, gonna have to stop reading this thread now...
So i was about to post that i've never actually successfully finished an Ayn Rand book, and how i think the only people who can do so of their own free will are those who buy into her political philosophy because the books are utterly lacking any literary merit.gostchiken said:I certainly wanted to stop reading Ayn Rand's The Fountainhead, but alas it was required reading for school... it made me sad
But then it occurred to me, that there is another author thats exactly the same way and I'm frankly shocked that none of his horrendously terrible 'novels' have shown up in this thread.
Scientology: A History of Man. by L Ron Hubbard is in fact the worst book i have ever had the misfortune of laying eyes upon.
I have heard some good things about Gaunt's Ghosts, but I've heard "good things" about a lot of Warhammer 40K books. I'm sorry, but at the risk of alienating myself from the setting (and it's fans) altogether: Dan Abnett is the most overrated hack I've ever read. His work isn't bad, it isn't offensive. It's boring.daftalchemist said:
I would say that's just my opinion.
Conversely I'm a huge fan of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files. I love it. Yes, it's full of cliches and melodrama. Yes, it's a campy, and cheesy, and nerdy. But the stories are fun. There hasn't been a single one of those books that hasn't moved me to blubbery joyful geek-tears because of how fun it is.
Only two.
Eldest. I rather like Eragon, but the sequel was so utterly dull I couldn't get 50 pages.
Halo Forerunners: Cryptum. Never before have I had fanboy rage like I did reading that FUCKING ATROCITY. I am one of the biggest Halo fans out there and this book is like what hardcore StarWars fans must have when they saw Episode 1.
And now they want to work it and it's sequels into the proper continuity.
Eldest. I rather like Eragon, but the sequel was so utterly dull I couldn't get 50 pages.
Halo Forerunners: Cryptum. Never before have I had fanboy rage like I did reading that FUCKING ATROCITY. I am one of the biggest Halo fans out there and this book is like what hardcore StarWars fans must have when they saw Episode 1.
And now they want to work it and it's sequels into the proper continuity.
[image/]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_WBzAtKXx_HM/Syz4SY9jsVI/AAAAAAAAAZ8/9GXiHYVdGXg/s320/FUUUUUUUUUUUUU-.JPG[/IMG]
It's not a BAD book though. I can see how you might not want to get into it...just... but in no way is it even comparable to Twiglet or any of that ilk.t-money said:
Three words: The Seperate Piece Ugh, story about all male school and how one guy is jealous of his friend and thinks he is trying to upstage him but isn't another friend goes to war and ditches, just ugh. It is sad how the most interesting part of the story is when the only character you will actually like in it dies...something is very wrong there.