Books you can't bloody stand...

I had a hard time reading through the first part of the book. Halfway through it, though, it got interesting for me and by the end of it I was totally surprised and I thought it was very good. But it took me about a month to read it because I really freaking hated it at first.

But I would recommend it. It's a hard read, though.

I had a difficult time getting into it too, Ashley. By the end I was crying.  A coworker gave it to me because she couldn't get through it. She said the author used too many words to describe something that could have been summed up in many less.  I don't think many people liked it.

Or, if you really must go for a 'Kevin' type book which begs the question, is a psychopath born or bred?, a far better one is 'The Fifth Child'

Oooh! I've never heard of this one, expat. What's it about?

I had a difficult time getting into it too, Ashley. By the end I was crying.  A coworker gave it to me because she couldn't get through it. She said the author used too many words to describe something that could have been summed up in many less.  I don't think many people liked it.


Oooh! I've never heard of this one, expat. What's it about?

It is what 'We Need to Talk about' would be if it were any good.  Written by Doris Lessing, it's the story of a happy family - a couple w/four kids.  Who have a fifth.  REALLY believable. 

I had a difficult time getting into it too, Ashley. By the end I was crying.

Yeah, me too!

And can I just restate here how much I HATE Wuthering Heights. I read it years ago and didn't like it. I saw the movie with Ralph Fiennes and it's just confirmed that I freaking hate the story. All the hate and inhumanity in the characters really bothers me. 

Yeah, me too!

And can I just restate here how much I HATE Wuthering Heights.

You are not alone.  Catherine and Heathcliff really were made for each other - both total gits. 

I HATED, HATED, HATED Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier. I think it is the only book I have ever read that I can truly say that about. IMO, any author who utilizes stream-of-consciousness should be staked to an ant pile with honey coating them!

I strongly dislike anything by Danielle Steel, Stephen King, and (davispigeon, I am a sci-fi lover and a woman) I detest Heinlein!

I absolutely loved Confederacy of Dunces, as did everyone I know. As a native, I agree that it is the quintessential New Orleans novel!

Confederacy of Dunces RULES!!!

Mua ha ha ha haaaa....

Maybe I should buy The Fifth Child for my youngest brother for xmas...

Seeing as how he's the youngest of five...

I liked Wuthering Heights even though the characters are damnable

Hate:
- Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Madame Bovary (just get angry at these women...dammit)
- Harry Potter (I don't get the hysteria)
- Catcher in the Rye (didn't mean anything to me)
- Much of Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy (the first one is an emotional manipulator, the second one goes on and on...)
- Mists of Avalon and similar "bodice-ripper goddess and valiant knight of the magic green stone-type" crap.  Just doesn't seem believable plus most of them just aren't that well-written.
- Thomas Pynchon.  Ok, he's some sort of a genius.     But have you actually tried to READ his stuff?  Not in this life.
- The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier.  I liked Girl with a Pearl Earring, so I thought I'd read her other novel.  As a result, I found that:  1. Someone's REALLY obsessed with France.  2.  Someone's a one-hit wonder. 

I'm so glad there are GOOD books to compensate for all this....horror 

I liked Wuthering Heights even though the characters are damnable

Hate:

- The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier.  I liked Girl with a Pearl Earring, so I thought I'd read her other novel.  As a result, I found that:  1. Someone's REALLY obsessed with France.  2.  Someone's a one-hit wonder. 

Exactly my opinion!

HME 

I'm reading DaVinci Code right now, because I really wanted to read the book before the movie comes out next year and because everyone kept recommending it. I have to agree with previous posters: it's sh*te. It's dumbed-down to about an 8th grade reading level. But I still plan to finish the book.

As for other books I don't like: There are many where they've started out strong but the ending was so anti-climactic. The most recent I read was Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America."  FANTASTIC book until about the last 2 chapters.

Also I've never understood the appeal of Harry Potter, Stephen King or Anne Rice.

"Johnny Got His Gun". 

By far the worst book I have ever read.  Depressing and silly all at once.

Confederacy of Dunces RULES!!!

Shizzle my nizzle! FanTAStic book!

- Mists of Avalon and similar "bodice-ripper goddess and valiant knight of the magic green stone-type" crap.  Just doesn't seem believable plus most of them just aren't that well-written.

- The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier.  I liked Girl with a Pearl Earring, so I thought I'd read her other novel.  As a result, I found that:  1. Someone's REALLY obsessed with France.  2.  Someone's a one-hit wonder. 

I'm so glad there are GOOD books to compensate for all this....horror 

Agree about Mists of Avalon.  and Tracy Chevalier is just a crap writer. I couldn't get through the first 40 pages of Pearl Erring because the writing was so bad.  Ditto about Da Vinci Code!  If the writing's crap, then I can't get past it. 

Also, HATED the Lovely Bones.  the writing was good but the plot was CRAP and in the end, what was the point?

Agree about Mists of Avalon.  and Tracy Chevalier is just a crap writer. I couldn't get through the first 40 pages of Pearl Erring because the writing was so bad.  Ditto about Da Vinci Code!  If the writing's crap, then I can't get past it. 

Also, HATED the Lovely Bones.  the writing was good but the plot was CRAP and in the end, what was the point?

Oh, MrsPink -- you and I are going to get on VERY well!