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Bestsellers that suck

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  • Bestsellers that suck

    Provacative title aside, which books moved the world, but made you go "hmmn?"

    pax

  • #2
    Re: Bestsellers that suck

    uh, would you please rephrase the question?

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Bestsellers that suck

      Originally posted by kimo55
      uh, would you please rephrase the question?
      Do I have to?

      When I was in 6th grade, the book "Illusions" by Bach was quite the rage. Many of my classmates would ooooh and ah over how profound the ideas were, the clever graphic of the diary pages, to enhance the Illusionâ„¢. My first read-through left me with a grand first impression, but I couldn't get into it the way others around me did. Over the years, I would take further stabs at rereading it, to see if I could capture the essence which clearly eluded me. In fact, a paperback copy of that insipid little book still sits on my shelf, and one day, after reading it again, I am either going to 1)love it or 2)give it away.

      pax

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Bestsellers that suck

        Oh that tome with a seagull by some name like johnathan livinston?
        dat da one?

        I luvvved it for the first few pages. Then the whole damned world fell for it. Then I lined my birdcage with it's pages.

        My bird showed his love for it too.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Bestsellers that suck

          uh, would you please rephrase the question?


          Originally posted by Pua'i Mana'o
          Do I have to?
          No. but it would be fun to see if you could.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Bestsellers that suck

            This list could go on forever.
            Unfortunately, it probably will.

            I'm a worshipping Christian, and even I can barely stomach Tim LaHaye's and Jerry B. Jenkins's Left Behind series.

            It was a wonderful movie (seriously), but The Bridges of Madison County is nearly undreadable.

            Most people don't know it unless they read library journals, but one of the best-selling writers of the nineties was R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps books. I can totally see what the appeal was for the tweeners who loved them, but they weren't very good.

            I'll probably draw a few flames for this, but The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, a sportswriter I admire, is nearly impossible for me to get through.
            But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
            GrouchyTeacher.com

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Bestsellers that suck

              Originally posted by kimo55
              Oh that tome with a seagull by some name like johnathan livinston?
              dat da one?

              I luvvved it for the first few pages. Then the whole damned world fell for it. Then I lined my birdcage with it's pages.

              My bird showed his love for it too.
              no, that was Bach's other insipid book. Illusions was the one where the Messiah hung out in Indiana and flew cropdusters.

              pax

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Bestsellers that suck

                Originally posted by Pua'i Mana'o
                When I was in 6th grade, the book "Illusions" by Bach was quite the rage. Many of my classmates would ooooh and ah over how profound the ideas were, the clever graphic of the diary pages, to enhance the Illusionâ„¢. My first read-through left me with a grand first impression, but I couldn't get into it the way others around me did. Over the years, I would take further stabs at rereading it, to see if I could capture the essence which clearly eluded me. In fact, a paperback copy of that insipid little book still sits on my shelf, and one day, after reading it again, I am either going to 1)love it or 2)give it away.
                Oh, that's a good one for this list. I read it my frosh year of college and first thought it was just wonderful; especially the blue feather and the Mobius strip thing. I wrote a glowing review of it for my expository writing class.

                A few years later, I was embarrassed to have liked it so much. Today, I can hardly admit it to anyone. Oh, wait. The Mobius strip is from that other book of Bach's, A Bridge Across Forever, also a book I once loved but now realize is awful.

                I think I'll add Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series, which started off pretty good (the writing wasn't great but the story was terrific), but went totally downhill from there.
                But I'm disturbed! I'm depressed! I'm inadequate! I GOT IT ALL! (George Costanza)
                GrouchyTeacher.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Bestsellers that suck

                  "I'm a worshipping Christian, and even I can barely stomach Tim LaHaye's and Jerry B. Jenkins's Left Behind series."



                  I like the sequel tome:
                  "Turning the Other Cheek; the Right Behind"

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Bestsellers that suck

                    Originally posted by scrivener
                    This list could go on forever.
                    Unfortunately, it probably will.

                    I'm a worshipping Christian, and even I can barely stomach Tim LaHaye's and Jerry B. Jenkins's Left Behind series.

                    It was a wonderful movie (seriously), but The Bridges of Madison County is nearly undreadable.

                    Most people don't know it unless they read library journals, but one of the best-selling writers of the nineties was R.L. Stine, the author of the Goosebumps books. I can totally see what the appeal was for the tweeners who loved them, but they weren't very good.

                    I'll probably draw a few flames for this, but The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, a sportswriter I admire, is nearly impossible for me to get through.
                    I need to add this: I recently bought Kipling's "Kim" to read with my son. Oh man, that one is a toughie! First the level of writing is quite high, a fact not in the least bit alleviated by the Indian terms and societal systems mentioned throughout.

                    CLARIFICATION: Kim does not suck. Its just too hard for my son to wrap around.

                    Oh, and Left Behind does a disservice to Christianity. Nothing about it furthers post-tribulation theory. And as someone who has deep aloha for Iesu, I find that a bummer for the Christians out there who believe in a tribulative future (yeah, that's a reasonable adjective, no?)

                    Now, back to books that suck...

                    pax

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Bestsellers that suck

                      Originally posted by Pua'i Mana'o
                      Now, back to books that suck...

                      remember that one a while back?
                      it really was a book:
                      "Suck or Blow:
                      The Dilemma of the Hoe"

                      by
                      Velvet Jones.


                      really.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Bestsellers that suck

                        Originally posted by scrivener
                        Oh, that's a good one for this list. I read it my frosh year of college and first thought it was just wonderful; especially the blue feather and the Mobius strip thing. I wrote a glowing review of it for my expository writing class.

                        A few years later, I was embarrassed to have liked it so much. Today, I can hardly admit it to anyone. Oh, wait. The Mobius strip is from that other book of Bach's, A Bridge Across Forever, also a book I once loved but now realize is awful.

                        I think I'll add Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series, which started off pretty good (the writing wasn't great but the story was terrific), but went totally downhill from there.
                        We need to identify this sub-genre: Sucked After the First Impression.

                        And, to join you in the SAFI fire: Mists of Avalon.

                        I loved, Loved, LOVED the premise. The writing was well-done and I thought the book did a great fresh take on Aurthurian legend. I thought about it for years, until that fateful day when I procured a used copy and upon reading it, wondered WTF??

                        pax

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Bestsellers that suck

                          Originally posted by kimo55
                          remember that one a while back?
                          it really was a book:
                          "Suck or Blow:
                          The Dilemma of the Hoe"

                          by
                          Velvet Jones.


                          really.
                          Ya sure that wasn't Xaviera Hollander? OoooooooOOOOOh! My dad is gonna *kill* you when he finds out you stole that copy from under his bed! He's been looking for it for 30 years!

                          pax

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Bestsellers that suck

                            Originally posted by scrivener
                            I think I'll add Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series, which started off pretty good (the writing wasn't great but the story was terrific), but went totally downhill from there.
                            My sister worked in a bookstore during the 1980s. One day a customer came in and asked, "Do you carry Clan of the Care Bears?"

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Bestsellers that suck

                              Originally posted by MadAzza
                              My sister worked in a bookstore during the 1980s. One day a customer came in and asked, "Do you carry Clan of the Care Bears?"
                              oh my, you made me choke on my 10:30 snack....bawahahaha!

                              brumbrumbmumblefarkingcarebearsruemgrumbleguerrrr. ..

                              pax

                              Comment

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