General Chat

for a 'bad' book in your opinion? You know when you pick one from the library and stop reading after the first few pages, or skim to the end to avoid having to read it all.

Is it the language used, or lack of plot continuity, or characters that don't seem 'real' ?

We all have favourite books, what are your least favourite and why please ( it will help us in the writers group to know! )

One that drags.

I tried a Stephen King once, while visiting the former No.1 in the States. Nothing else to do.

It was actually somewhat interesting to start with -- the lead female character sounded just like me. ;)

But after 20 pages, it just kept saying the same things over and over and over. So she'd found a spaceship (I think that was it). Well let's get on with it. Let's not just keep telling us she found the blasted thing, six different ways.

No wonder his books are so thick, and make such slim movies!

I remember in a batch of paperbook books I got for Christmas once in my early teens, I got Tolstoy's Resurrection. My mum had dutifully asked the bookstore clerk what her precocious (not to say pretentious) tasted daughter might want. The clerk shoulda been suspended for a week w/o pay.

I read the whole thing through -- had more tolerance then, I think, I'd read anything set in front of me -- and then I read the editorial note.

Resurrection was Tolstoy's "failed novel".

Yeah.

I don't think I ever have read War and Peace all the way through. ;)

... The movie confused me quite enough!

Thank you Janey ( makes mental note to keep the pace snappy!)

I like to be intrigued and surprised,I don't want everything spelled out for me. There is a writer called Anne Tyler and she does it every time for me But then I also like James Lee Burke's books and they are completely different! I think I just don't want all my questions answered!

mental note 'keep it snappy... and oblique'..... :-)

I've read plenty of 'indifferent' books, but don't tend to persevere with 'bad'! However some of that is just personal taste, as OH has enjoyed those I've hated and vice versa. One that was particularly hyped and which I found awful was 'Labyrinth' by Kate Mosse. Reasons? Good story idea and some lovely descriptions of the area and period, BUT, plot wandered and loose ends not tied up, no explanation of motives, bad characterisation and dwelling on irrelevant events. One character was tied up and left in a cave at the beginning and we never find out what became of her. You only have to look at reviews on Amazon to see that my verdict was not uncommon ;-)

I like the element of surprise too, I must say.

Two of my favourite books are Graham Greene's The Quiet American (actually, anything Graham Greene at all) and (Ruth Rendell) Barbara Vine's Asta's Book.

I didn't even realize either one was a mystery novel til I was almost through!

I don't know what it is about Graham Greene, I just adore him. Roman Catholic convert that he was. (Oddly, some of my favourite writers are notorious Roman Catholic converts.) Maybe they just don't drag?

'Lorna Doone' is unbelievably tedious. Loads of pages and only 3 things happen as far as I remember!
Fave books - 'Jane Eyre' and 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven'. (The latter has the best last page - and last word in fact - in fiction in my humble opinion! Cover that word up if you ever read the book to avoid temptaion.
Jan

Good job we don't all enjoy the same books or there'd be massive queues for the popular library books and the others would sit on the shelves Lol!!! I liked Labrynth.

I think it depends, if I am on holiday and sitting around the pool I like fairly light entertaining books. Other times I like something that makes me think. I don't enjoy gory or creepy.

...mental note number three... 'snappy pace, oblique, no blood and guts or creepy' ;-)

It's so subjective isn't it? i have just waded through a book which I didn't think terribly good, I found the characters were one dimensional...but have just read a review from a reader who thinks absolutely the opposite lol.