Thread: Books you wouldn't recommend

Originally Posted by Jer

footnote: I can't believe nobody has mentioned Moby Dick yet. On of my favorite novels, but I can definetly see why some people would want to dig up Melville and piss on his bones. Anal Warts...

Moby-Dick tops my list of books I enjoyed the least, but it's probably worth reading. Obviously lots of people think it's a masterpiece. It's certainly unique. Hard to imagine anyone going to be on the fence after reading it. You're either going to love it or hate it.

Originally Posted by Chugachjed

You haven't spent nearly enough time with bad weather keeping you in a tent.

Maybe, but I have about 100 books on my kindle at any one time, so it would have to be a really long stretch of bad weather. LOL.

That being said there were a few times pre kindle days, where I struggled through something I didn't find too enjoyable, but I can't really remember which titles they were.

Originally Posted by XtrPickels

Atlas shrugged started slow for me. In my opinion, the if you are only able to take things at face value, you will not enjoy her writing because it is "insane", however the concepts are an interesting and telling experiment.

and here's the stereotypically clueless defense of her

author libdopes love that sucks: Paulo Coelho

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

author libdopes love that sucks: Paulo Coelho

i got a bunch of this shit from my sister and her husband. couldn't stand it and can't understand why anybody would (okay, i can. it's vapid and harmless).

Originally Posted by spook

i got a bunch of this shit from my sister and her husband. couldn't stand it and can't understand why anybody would (okay, i can. it's vapid and harmless).

Funny. He's one of my favorites.
Which is especially odd considering that I got into his works when I was stridently atheist.

I have read all of his books except for Aleph (the newest one), and I wasn't able to finish The Witch of Portobello.
The Valkyries is probably my favorite, other than The Alchemist, which is one of those books that everyone should read, IMO.

i'm sorry. i'm crabby. i could have just said i don't like it. i didn't expect much, but i expected more. in fact, it might have been around that time that i stopped expecting more and became surprised by more. and i'm not sure if i should blame my brother in law. i think it was just my sister. but they both like that trendy bullshit and think it's earthshattering (obama voters) so who knows. maybe they're disillusioned by coelho now, too.

I guess I need to admit that I was higher than shit on hash oil when I read most of his stuff. LOL

Wenesll Odom - CCENT / CCNA ICND1 640-822 3ed edition

I hated Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance so much that I misspelled "Motorcycle" just now. See? It really is bad.

Originally Posted by Viva

I hated Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance so much that I misspelled "Motorcycle" just now. See? It really is bad.

i actually liked it but i was 18 when i read it. i have no idea what i'd think of it now. i was staying at the hillcrest cottages in gardiner, montana, on my way to my first summer working in the park when i read him describing staying at the hillcrest cottages. it was pretty intense.

Originally Posted by spook

i actually liked it but i was 18 when i read it. i have no idea what i'd think of it now. i was staying at the hillcrest cottages in gardiner, montana, on my way to my first summer working in the park when i read him describing staying at the hillcrest cottages. it was pretty intense.

I actually recall digging the book until he became obsessed with determining the nature of "quality". Then he goes on a hike and loses it because his kids shits his pants. There had been enough insanity in my young life by that time and I was not interested in reading someone else's drama unfold.

I'm with you, though, on perspective. I'm more likely to be more patient (and sympathetic) to psychos now and would probably read through the whole book.

Originally Posted by Viva

I hated Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance so much that I misspelled "Motorcycle" just now. See? It really is bad.

Can't really say how I felt about that book. I was too asleep to form an opinion.

Originally Posted by DeathVan

Chuck Palahniuk Haunted

I went on a Palahniuk kick a few years back and read all of his available novels, enjoying most.

Haunted, on the other hand is even more disturbing than his other works and it is has parts that I have tried to forget, unsuccessfully. This may appeal to some people, but for me it went over the top and became uncomfortable (and I would not consider myself overly sensitive or prudish), ymmv.

Really? How sheltered has your life been? I thought haunted, while not one of his more meaningful works, was a delightful read.

Originally Posted by PassTheDutchie

- "Galapagos" by Vonnegut; what a pos
- "Executioners Song" by Mailer; just went on and on and on and on and on. Kill the fucker already.
- How anyone made it through "The Divinci Code" I'll never understand; talk about hackneyed

The better book to comeout of the executioners song is In the Belly of the Beast. I wouldnt call it an enjoyable read per se, but it sticks withyou. Short book and took me a long time to get through it, but I'd still recommend it.

Originally Posted by Chugachjed

Wild Animus, was terrible.

Girls in bikinis wearing animal tails and hats were handing out cds with the first chapter on them at the bottom of aspen mnt a few years ago. I think I got like 4 cds and 2 phone numbers, but never bothered listening to the chapter. Not surprised it sucked. One of those girls ended up being fun though, so I guess I should be grateful?




I'm going to add way of the peaceful warrior. What a fucking circle jerk.

Originally Posted by leroy jenkins

I'm going to add way of the peaceful warrior. What a fucking circle jerk.

Good call.

Originally Posted by leroy jenkins

One of those girls ended up being fun though...

An even better call.

Originally Posted by DJSapp

"On the Road"

Yeah, flame me. I guess I haven't done enough speed to get it. The disjointed narrative just grated on me and I couldn't get through it, no matter how hard I tried.

Don't ever read The Subterraneans. It's like he decided to go all Kerouac on himself.

Originally Posted by Viva

I hated Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance so much that I misspelled "Motorcycle" just now. See? It really is bad.

YES!! Kept waiting for it to get interesting or fun right until the end. Nah, din't happen.

Originally Posted by PassTheDutchie

- "Galapagos" by Vonnegut; what a pos

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, I guess.

Faulkner's "The Reivers" was a fucking chore to read, IMHO.

Originally Posted by Tippster

We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, I guess.

Faulkner's "The Reivers" was a fucking chore to read, IMHO.

Yeah, I'm apparently in the minority on G-gos. Just thought it was completely lacking his usual wit, insight and depth; on top of being a bore. Blech. I still throw up a little in my mouth when I think of it.

Originally Posted by Viva

I hated Zen and the Art of Motorcyle Maintenance so much that I misspelled "Motorcycle" just now. See? It really is bad.

One of the few books I was unable to finish.

Yep, same here. Pirsig always struck me as that smug nerdy IT guy at a company picnic.

Anything by Emily Bronte. I think I wanted to douse my kleenex in ether before my freshman English Lit class in H.S.

Glad to see no one has disliked Hemmingway... yet.

For a thorough literary dry heave seasoned with embarassment for the author and anyone who knows him, try "Surfing the Himalayas".

Truely a dredging pathetic journey through one of literatures lowest, most abysmal self absorbed crock of bullshit ever dreamed of.

The World Peace Diet: Eating For Spiritual Health and Social Harmony by Will Tuttle, Ph.D. This is the worst book I've ever read. Really confused author with a vegan and religious agenda.

He quotes an MD at the beginning of chapter 5:

"Human beings are not natural carnivores. When we kill animals to eat them, they end up killing us because their flesh, which contains cholesterol and saturated fat, was never intended for human beings, who are natural herbivores."
-William C. Roberts, MD. Editor-in-chief, The American Journal of Cardiology




"When we look into one apple, we see the entire universe. All the planets and stars, our sun and moon, the oceans, rivers, forests, fields, and creatures are in this apple."



"...there is no nutrient that we need that we cannot get from non-animal sources." You know, except A, D, K2 and B12

Anything by that fuckstick Jared Diamond.

Originally Posted by Gripen

Anything by that fuckstick Jared Diamond.

Bah!!!!!!!! "Guns, Germs..." is an awesome book. AWESOME, I SAY!!