My Ten Least Favorite Books

For me, not liking a book is most often about the situation in which I've read it. Where there are aspects of the books I generally dislike, what gets it into my least favorite books list is most often something beyond the control of the author or me. For whatever reasons, though, these are books that I seriously did not like:

1. 'Cold Sassy Tree' by Olive Ann Burns

I read this book as part of the curriculum for my Freshman year of high school. It takes place in Cold Sassy, Georgia in 1906. The book dragged, in my opinion, and it seemed as though it would never end. It's not even that long. Besides all of that, though, was that the teacher told us something happened that she did not want to hear anyone making fun of later. That was it. *SPOILER ALERT* As it turned out, one of the characters recounts a rape they went through as a child.

Some thing I can handle with no warning, others I can't. I find that kind of thing to be extremely disturbing, and I barely finished it after that. If there had been a proper warning, then I may have a different view of it, but being required to read something with such a scene without being told beforehand is not ok. Ever since, this book has been colored for me in a very negative light. Since I didn't enjoy it to begin with, I think I am doomed to never like this book.

2. 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad

Have you ever read a book that you couldn't wait to stop reading? That was this one. Situation has very little to do with me disliking this book, I just really didn't like it. Interestingly, I read this book as part of the same class as 'Cold Sassy Tree'. We had been given a list of books to choose from, so I did this one to myself. I remember giving the book report and discussing the end to show that I had read it, but openly admitted how I couldn't stand the book and thus could hardly remember anything that had happened in it. Who knows, maybe if I read it again I would like it. But I doubt it.

3. '1984' by George Orwell, 'Slaughterhouse Five' by Kurt Vonnegut, 'Brave New World' Aldous Huxley

These three are grouped together for a reason, and I am sure that if I read them again I would have a totally different view on them. These I read for class in my Junior year of high school. We read them one after another in extremely quick succession. Now I can read quickly, and I did finish them and score well on the tests. This was a perfect example of having to memorize and regurgitate information, because looking back on them I honestly can't tell the three apart. They blend together in my head so I can't remember what book the part I'm thinking of happened in, or what character belongs to which book.

I know they are all very different and distinct books, but being rushed through them did me no favors as far as really learning from them goes. Like I said, I can read quickly, but I prefer not to. I prefer to go along at the pace that the book guides me along. Some books are quick reads, like Diana's 'Dark Lord of Derkholm', where you pick them up and unintentionally emerge severl hours later wondering what year it is. Other books are slower reads, meant to be savored, like anything by Dickens. These three books I really wanted to take my time with but couldn't due to assignment deadlines and test dates. I have every intention of reading these again to change my view on them. Until then, please forgive me if I start talking about aliens in a conversation about '1984'.

4. 'The Da Vinci Code' by Dan Brown

This is another book I intend to read again, though I don't know if it will change my viewpoint on it. This isn't a book I read for class. I picked it up on my own after I had read 'Angels and Demons', one of the books on my favorites list. I found 'The Da Vinci Code' to be nothing like 'Angels and Demons' in it's exciting pace and intrigue that swept me along it's rapids. Unfortunately, I found the sequel to be so tedious that I had to put it down.

I've heard several people say, since I've had this experience, that those who read 'The Da Vinci Code' first more often than not very much enjoyed both books. Those that read 'Angels and Demons' first found the sequel so slow moving that they could hardly finish it. It makes me regret reading 'Angels and Demons' first, but what can I do about that now? Maybe since it's been some time since I've read the first one, I can try the second one again and maybe find it more interesting.

5. 'The Lovely Bones' by Alice Sebold

This book was recommended to me by someone who ended up almost always suggesting something with some element of rape or brutal sexuality, things that are very much not what I enjoy reading. Where I didn't dislike this individual book, per se, it's more that I ended up disliking the string of books that were suggested to me because I thought this one was ok. So again, this one had more to do with the situation than with the actual content. I thought the difficult passages were done very tastefully, and I loved the part about the dog. 

6. 'Ghost Story' by Peter Straub

I went into this book expecting something very different. When it was suggested to me, it somehow came across that it was a collection of short stories. I guess I can see where the mistake was made. It jumped between times and told different stories about the same person that all came together in the end, I imagine. I didn't finish it. I would like to go back to it when I don't have a set of expectations for it to live up to. I bet it would be a much better book then, though I didn't get far enough to understand the significance of the title. I may check out the detailed plot before I pick it up again, though. just to be sure it I have a warning about any difficult material. If I have warning and I can prepare myself, I am normally alright.

7. 'Vamphyri' by Brian Lumley

This is the second installment in the 'Necroscope' series, of which I had read the first one at my husband's request when we first started dating. It was an exciting horror book, with plenty of action and intrigue. Anything that I wouldn't have been able to handle otherwise was done in a way that was clear but not overly graphic. When I started in on the second one, early in the book was a part that really upset me. I put it down an haven't picked it back up since. Some series that are horror based or have difficult material get more and more gritty as you go on, and it seems the 'Necroscope' series does this. I am really sad that I had this reaction, because this series is one of my husband's favorites. I imagine I will someday try to venture into it again for his sake, but not yet.

8. 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombies' by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

I wanted to like this book so much. I really did. I have found other parodies of 'Pride and Prejudice' to be hilarious, and I really believed this one would be the same. Unfortunately I found the blending of cultures was choppy and poorly done, with overlaps that made no sense. It was so abrupt and jostling that I couldn't manage to stay focused and it seemed like the Jane Austen part of the book was just slapped on to a book that had previously been written. I was very disappointed in this one.

9. 'Audition' by Michael Shurtleff

This book is very valuable and helpful. It makes a lot of sense, and I would say to anyone studying acting to read it. I put it on this list because I had to read it SO MANY TIMES in high school theatre classes. It makes sense and is applicable, yes, but after a while it just started grating my nerves. Again, this one is more about situation than content.

10. 'Glengarry, Glen Ross' by David Mamet

This script is honestly just a bunch of unlikable characters screwing each other over, and yelling and swearing at each other. I have tried to like, I really have. I just don't. I know, I know, it's a great piece of theatrical literature, blah blah blah. I just don't like it. If none of the characters are decent people, if I don't feel any kind of emotional investment in them or their goals, then it's a bad script. Is that part of the point? Maybe. Some people have made that argument. I can accept that, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Honestly, anything that has me wondering when it's just going to be over is not something I'm going to give anymore of my time to.


Do you love any of these books? Why? Don't let me own opinion stop you from reading them! I would love to hear from someone that enjoys these books!