Books You Hated

I see topics on different forums asking people what books they love the most. I'm looking for people to tell me what books they absolutely hated, could not get through, got through and were pissed that they bothered... etc That kind of thing.

What books did you hate? Why? 

Original Post by santonacci:

Original Post by pgeorgian:

wow.  people hate a lot of good books.

And some people love a lot of bad books.

Go figure.  

do they ever.

How has no one said Grapes of Wrath... HATED THAT BOOK! I was so depressed and unmoved- and it ends with an old man sucking on a girls boob for nutrients... very strange... Anyhow- love Great Gatsby, Poisonwood Bible, Lord of Flies, and Great Expectations..

Original Post by syorek23:

How has no one said Grapes of Wrath... HATED THAT BOOK! I was so depressed and unmoved- and it ends with an old man sucking on a girls boob for nutrients... very strange... Anyhow- love Great Gatsby, Poisonwood Bible, Lord of Flies, and Great Expectations..

I was just working my way through the other responses with The Grapes of Wrath firmly in mind. I loathed that book passionately. Now imagine living four blocks from his birthplace in a county that venerates Steinbeck all over the place.

I enjoyed many of the books listed on this post, but that doesn't make the people who hated them any less valid in their hatred. I also went to an anime convention last weekend for my 40th birthday, so clearly I'm no arbiter of taste.

i didn't hate the grapes of wrath but travels with charlie was preachy beyond my tolerance.  i think steinbeck's ego ran a little rampant as he aged.

Seriously?  There are people who hated The Grapes of Wrath?  This thread is getting me a little freaked out about my future as a literature professor.  

I didn't mind Grapes of Wrath. Not my favourite Steinbeck novel, but it wasn't that bad.

I've never met anyone who honestly enjoyed reading James Joyce - that might bug a lit professor!

Original Post by medveditsa:

Seriously?  There are people who hated The Grapes of Wrath?  This thread is getting me a little freaked out about my future as a literature professor.  

medved, i think you will find that there are a frightening number of people who just hate books, period.  and--yes--some of them will be in your classes.  aaack!

Original Post by vegetariangeek:

I've never met anyone who honestly enjoyed reading James Joyce - that might bug a lit professor!

not even the dead?

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe....

I haven't even finished it, don't know that I ever will... what a snooze-fest. I forced my way through about half , but my eyes may actually bleed if I try to read more.

It's like an unrealistic textbook for being desterted on an island with a flat pompous turd for a main character: BORING!!!

Original Post by medveditsa:

Seriously?  There are people who hated The Grapes of Wrath?  This thread is getting me a little freaked out about my future as a literature professor.  

Loathed it. I tried giving it a second chance years after I had to read it in school. I thought perhaps it was just immaturity and with time I would come to appreciate a classic.

Nope.

I loved Great Expectations, had no trouble with Shakespeare or Lord of the Flies or The Great Gatsby, but The Grapes of Wrath still inspires feelings of irritation at the time I spent trying to read that dreck.

Original Post by vegetariangeek:

I've never met anyone who honestly enjoyed reading James Joyce - that might bug a lit professor!

I know a charming young woman who honestly loves reading James Joyce to the point that she was playing a Joyce character in the online role playing game I help run.

"Shirley" by one of the Bronte's (charlotte, I think)

We had to study this at school, but I could not finish, it was such a snore fest and so long winded, with no real story to get your teeth into (love the other Bronte books I have read, BTW)

I think my teacher only chose it because she thought it had a "political theme", which she was SO into at the time, all her class comments were attempts at showing the political angle. The political aspect was mostly in her head though, as there were only passing references to the issues of the time.

Luckily I had read enough that I could write the essay and do the exam etc but I never did finish the book.

I loved Great Expectations, had no trouble with Shakespeare or Lord of the Flies or The Great Gatsby, but The Grapes of Wrath still inspires feelings of irritation at the time I spent trying to read that dreck.

 Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!! I had no problems with Steinbecks other literature either- but, seriously!?! 600+ pages of trying not to commit suicide

I remember being annoyed at by The Great Gatsby because the characters said some racist things, and I know, "the time it was written blah blah blah" Still annoying.

Flowers In The Attic - Girl in love with rapist brother. STUPID STUPID STUPID! My favorite band has a name from one sentence early on in the book, this is my cross to bear...

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest - ok, Nurse Rachet is bad because she's bossy and domineering over the patients. Well, so is Red, he forces everyone to do what he wants all the time, how come no one points out that?

There are also a number of neo-Pagan authors who irritate me, but that would be a whole other topic, probably.

Also so of the so-called "racy" classics of literature, left me cold. I'm looking at you, "Fear Of Flying" and "Lady Chatterly's Lover". The men in both books struck me as really unappealing jerks. The guy in "Lady Chatterly" in particular, in one scene she comes across him cursing out a 4 YEAR OLD who's crying because he's KILLED her cat. Yeahhhhh, a guy like that sure is some prize catch!

Original Post by coffincritter:

Also so of the so-called "racy" classics of literature, left me cold. I'm looking at you, "Fear Of Flying" and "Lady Chatterly's Lover". The men in both books struck me as really unappealing jerks. The guy in "Lady Chatterly" in particular, in one scene she comes across him cursing out a 4 YEAR OLD who's crying because he's KILLED her cat. Yeahhhhh, a guy like that sure is some prize catch!

yeah.  well some books are important and some are just important at the moment.

The Reader - I thought it was boring and pointless!!

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks.

First and last NS book I ever read. It was about a woman and her dog. It was terrible. Don't read it.

If you hate The Grapes of Wrath, I recommend East of Eden- Steinbecks' masterpiece.

Original Post by editorpredator:

The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks.

First and last NS book I ever read. It was about a woman and her dog. It was terrible. Don't read it.

 

If you hate The Grapes of Wrath, I recommend East of Eden- Steinbecks' masterpiece.

I can't agree.  If you didn't like Grapes of Wrath (and it is inconceivable to me that anybody could not love it), probably Steinbeck is not for you.  East of Eden is considerably more depressing.

Beowulf! ugh! 10th grade sucked because of it! they made us read it year long and do reports on it... the worst! about 10years ago I hated "How Stella Got her Groove Back" ugh! what a waste of my time! Love Alice Walker and Agatha Christie! woot woot!