Pretentious, predictable and puerile. One redeeming feature is that, thanks to the fact that the central message is so trite and hackneyed, it is mercifully short.
Here is a choice selection of guff from the novella...
Quote:
There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.
I have read a few books that I did not like, but, mostly, I quit the book before giving myself a bad experience. Often, my dislike is a personal thing, such as, some classics I did not appreciate.
, mostly, I quit the book before giving myself a bad experience.
When I was a student I devoured lots of pulp sci fi and fantasy novels. I found this one a bit predictable and uninspired, but I gave up when one of the characters was introduced. His name was Yriah Esrah Eloh, or Hairy Arse Hole spelled backwards.
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ehBeth
3
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 10:03 am
Anything by Bill Bryson.
Worst.
I'd rather read a romance than to attempt another Bill Bryson. I slogged through one. Hated it. Was convinced by some A2k pals to try another. Tried 2 or 3 more - never finished them. He is way too entertained by hisownself. blecccccch
Barbara Kingsolver comes close on my oh god no get it away from me list.
edit: the only reason Ms Kingsolver is second is because I've never made it through one of her books - so not as much trauma.
I've only liked one Bryson book at all, the one about the Appalachian trail, hated two others, one about England, the other about Iowa.
Only read one Kingsolver, a gift to my husband from my cousin who didn't know he doesn't read novels, despite being a playwright/theater major. I finished it, I think, but it went to a thrift shop soon enough.
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jespah
4
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 11:58 am
@tsarstepan,
Noooooooooooo! It's the Bichon Frise stare of death!
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tsarstepan
1
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 12:15 pm
@edgarblythe,
edgarblythe wrote:
I have read a few books that I did not like, but, mostly, I quit the book before giving myself a bad experience. Often, my dislike is a personal thing, such as, some classics I did not appreciate.
To the best of my memory (outside of high school*), I don't believe I ever finished a book I hated. I quit a dozen or so books a year, barely past the first several chapters. I don't have patience for reading books that annoy, bother, piss me off because of the lack of sympathetic characters/stupid protagonists doing even stupider things... because ... that's what they were written to do....
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Finn dAbuzz
1
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 01:41 pm
I can't remember all of the great books I've read, I'm not going to devote brain cells to keeping the bad ones in mind.
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Finn dAbuzz
1
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 01:43 pm
@jespah,
Interesting. I love him, although I prefer to hear him read his stuff. Can you explain why you don't like him? Too dry?
Yea. We're in the same boat. If I read the first chapter, and it's not a good read, I just quit. Some start slow, but they catch your interest enough to keep reading. I found that with couple of James Mitchener books.
I love Michener's style of writing, because I can picture the scene/environment as the people are engaged in activity or social discourse.
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Sturgis
1
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 03:08 pm
Anything supposedly written by that traitorous hack Larry Block. I forced myself to read one of his alleged mystery books and the only mystery is why anyone would pay for them or bother taking g them out of a library. Perhaps as examples of how to slop together substandard plots with stolen characters and themes.
A runner up is Redemption by Leon Uris. There were glaring errors in the timeline.
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edgarblythe
1
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Wed 17 Aug, 2016 03:19 pm
Michener wrote some good books. He also wrote The Agony and the Ecstacy.
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