Submitted by oreominiest t3_zjw3if in books
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ASK_IF_IM_PENGUIN t1_izwp03b wrote
I read the entire thing.
I had set myself a challenge of reading 100 books in a year. The idea was I would intentionally choose books that I wouldn't normally read. This was one of them.
I can't say that it gave me any desire to read the rest of the series, or Twilight for that matter.
AboveAverageNova t1_izx5xx7 wrote
I read the series because I was young enough to think I had no right to criticize something I wasn't completely familiar with.
Makes you dumber is right. How many times per page can someone bite their lip?
Sandi_T t1_izww3a6 wrote
Omg, I'm sorry. :P RIP your time wasted on that book, lol.
yoteachcaniborrowpen t1_izwwrc9 wrote
I have to sheepishly admit that I read all three. I kept hearing how great the series was and finally decided to give it a whirl.
I truly read all three out of confusion. I just kept saying to myself - surely it gets better? Everyone says it’s good?!
It does not. It is not.
Sandi_T t1_izwxek1 wrote
Oh no, lol.
I don't remember what the exact phrase was anymore (thank goodness), but my friend said, "If you take out everything except the phrase 'he ran his hand through his dark hair,' you'd still have most of the book left," and that convinced me that my early dislike of it was right, lol.
Yikes. :P
Thornescape t1_izx0g29 wrote
I was talked into reading them as well. The most shocking thing was that the "Grey" book from the author and universe isn't nearly as painful (written from his perspective). It just made all the rest of the books look even worse.
They were bad, but I've honestly read worse books.
hobokobo t1_izwmwz9 wrote
You nailed it. Not only do you lose brain cells, but I weep to think of all the trees that were sacrificed for this execrable book.
Viclmol81 t1_izwomfr wrote
I tried this many years ago at a time when I hadnt even realised there was such a difference in writing standard between any books, but even then i only managed a few chapters before I had to stop, I couldnt put my finger on it but it was just intolerable to read. I've since learned to appreciate prose and talented writing and how anyone could read 50 shades is beyond me.
Sandi_T t1_izww7zh wrote
I'll be honest, it's not even useful as a "well, now I feel better about my own writing" because it's comparable to a toddler scribbling and a talented middle school artist saying, "I feel better about my own drawing skills now!"
It's THAT awful. Oy!
eight-sided t1_izww2f2 wrote
We're masochists! ;)
maplestriker t1_izwxxqq wrote
I finished it but started skimming the sex scenes. Never in my life have i been less turned on.
Sandi_T t1_izwydpv wrote
You mean sex scenes that include >!bloody tampons!< don't do it for you? Especially when he leaves it there for "the help" to clean up after?
maplestriker t1_izwyh9w wrote
Lol. I definitely have no recollection of that.
Sandi_T t1_izx0a6l wrote
Lucky you skimmed it, then. :P
Different person told me about that one. She was appalled. I mean it's one thing to know about such things, but who the hell wants to read about it in their leisure time??
maplestriker t1_izx738e wrote
I mean, im not gonna kink shame. If that turns some body on? Go for it.
But the parts that i did read were mostly just boring or straight up rape, because the autor doesnt know that bdsm involves respect and consent.
Sandi_T t1_izxir0c wrote
Well, leaving blood around for "the help" is, regardless of your kink, pretty inappropriate, imo. That was the center of our conversation. I mean, you do you, but... making people clean that up? I sure hope they get paid well. :P
killthemightysheep t1_izxqe5m wrote
Yeah, I totally agree with you. Therefore I will never read it. Thanks for sparing me!
Accomplished-Wolf123 t1_izwvyk5 wrote
Atlas Shrugged/the Fountainhead. Not just badly written but actively harmful stuff.
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izx3rst wrote
Atlas Shrugged was written like a cheesy romance novel.
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izx3uno wrote
I almost forgot The Secret!
That one basically ruined my ex-wife’s life. She couldn’t hold down a job, was homeless for 4 years, and couldn’t recognize her mistakes because admitting that it didn’t work supposedly prevents it from working in the future.
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izx36yi wrote
Left Behind
I read the first one when I was still religious because it was so highly recommended by people in my congregation.
The characters were one dimensional, the story was obvious, and the bad guy just decided to be bad for no reason.
BloomEPU t1_izxbaxy wrote
Is that the series that's rapture propaganda?
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izxbmh3 wrote
Yep
blazingbluelaser t1_izxl7n6 wrote
I can't take a book seriously if they have a character named Hattie. Also the insane end of the world BS was a factor also.
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izxlc1t wrote
I feel the same about books with characters named Buck :)
blazingbluelaser t1_izy0iva wrote
Godawful Movies podcast has great reviews on all three movies based on the books. There is a running joke on the name Rayford Steele. It's hilarious. 🤣
AboveAverageNova t1_izx6f46 wrote
I read about ten of the Kids series and the first eight Left Behind books and I have to say, Left Behind Kids was better, for all of the reasons you mentioned.
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izx8keg wrote
It legitimately shocked me. So many people loved it that I thought I was in for something special. I guess it was "special" but not the way I had imagined.
Aware--28 t1_izwp869 wrote
Thank you. I don’t understand why she is so popular? And all the sex? Spare me. I only read one book but that’s all it took
lefthandedlibrarian t1_izwx3e7 wrote
Anything by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci code was trite and lazy. Robert Langdon is the most Mary Sue character I've experienced in adult fiction.
Kurtopotomus t1_izx77yz wrote
Dan Brown will make you dumber if you believe what he’s trying to sell as fact when it comes to art, architecture, history, religion, and science. Sometimes he takes a fact and bends it to his narrative and sometimes he straight up lies. That’s fine in fiction but he claims at the beginning of most books that everything is rooted in fact. Other than that though his books are like a summer blockbuster. Popcorn thrillers that are easy to digest where every chapter is a minor cliffhanger.
BaxTheDestroyer t1_izx3p5a wrote
I felt the same way. It was reminded me of the National Treasure movies.
Iffy50 t1_izx40tq wrote
Of all the books in the world, you chose Dan Brown? I've read most of his books and while I would concede that they are formulaic, I have always found the concepts encountered in them thought provoking. I certainly wouldn't say I lost any brain cells.
lefthandedlibrarian t1_j0bfv65 wrote
If that is your opinion of his books, I might say you didn't have many to lose in the first place.
ok_chaos42 t1_izwut6o wrote
The Twilight books. I could feel the brain cells dying as I read. Needless to say I didn't finish it.
TheChocolateMelted t1_izwlzzq wrote
Lazy:
The Motion of the Body through Space by Lionel Shriver was extremely lazy in my eyes. Not saying it will make you stupider, but the shallowness and clear agenda were disappointing. It's actually put me off her as an author.
The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton. The plot felt quite lazy on that one. There's also a chapter towards the end which is basically just pontificating and feels like it's been inserted. (I suspect it's the only one Clinton actually wrote himself.)
I've almost always found Stephen King to be lazy as an author. Awesome ideas, but terrible execution, very much in need of a good edit before publication. For example, Mr. Mercedes was particularly poor in my eyes; while it was often quite visual, it fell back on typical King tropes, extremism and unfocused storytelling. However, I'll immediately agree that I'm a poor reader of his novels, so hoping he will one day prove me wrong.
I'll also say that Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) will give you the stupid feeling. However, I don't think it's laziness on his behalf, just a genuine lack of writing/linguistic talent. He seems to truly believe in what he's doing, but his editor should really be working harder on him. His books could be so much better.
Brain food:
Try Meanwhile in Dopamine City by DBC Pierre. It deals with the intrusive and controlling nature of social media. In fact, when the main character has his phone turned on, the pages are split in half, with one side telling the main story, the other a social media flow. This makes it difficult to read and focus on, but it is presumably deliberately the case. Quite a fascinating book.
Catch-22 and almost anything by Joseph Heller challenges me. The first is mentally acrobatic, jumping from here to there in the plot and also linguistically. An excellent book. I've read all his others and enjoyed them on different levels.
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers works on several levels. You always have the feeling that the story has been properly crafted. You could say the same for The Handmaid's Tale and The Testamants by Margaret Atwood and even Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
Happy reading!
hour_of_the_rat t1_izwprpc wrote
>“Do you know how long a year takes when it's going away?' Dunbar repeated to Clevinger. 'This long.' He snapped his fingers. 'A second ago you were stepping into college with your lungs full of fresh air. Today you're an old man.'
'Old?' asked Clevinger with surprise. 'What are you talking about?'
'Old.'
'I'm not old.'
'You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?' Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.
'Well, maybe it is true,' Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. 'Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?'
'I do,' Dunbar told him.
'Why?' Clevinger asked.
'What else is there?
>
>
>
>-- Catch 22
That book is simply brilliant on all level. Reddit loves the passage about alfalfa, but it's quoted so often on this site it excludes other amazing examples of Heller's writing.
boxer_dogs_dance t1_izwsuuk wrote
See also Stolen Focus by Johan Hari, summarizing research about how social media is designed to be addictive and how it interferes with attention span.
Also the Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen is written with a clever and surprising form for the book. It has amazing unique metaphors, beautiful language and is a brutal and insightful approach to war, espionage and the refugee experience.
Key_Marionberry_8379 t1_izwvx0f wrote
The president is missing! Omg, I almost forgot that book (and this is a hint on my opinion). So useless, I forgot it right after finishing it
TheChocolateMelted t1_izwy2y5 wrote
You know they wrote a second book together? Haven't read it myself, but my wife says it makes the first one look good ...
Key_Marionberry_8379 t1_izx65pn wrote
Really? Ahahah I love your wife's comment!
TheChocolateMelted t1_izx8tqs wrote
Just note that it's about a former-president who was also a SEAL or marine. And then the Washington Post review wins :
>"Clinton has once again revealed such a naked fantasy version of himself that you almost feel embarrassed for the man."
Brutal. :-)
GypsyV3nom t1_izxlum8 wrote
Stephen King's writing has always given me the impression that he moved on to his next idea 3/4ths of the way through his book. He does an incredible job of building up to a climax, but never seems to stick the landing. His endings often feel half-baked and lazy.
[deleted] t1_izxmw91 wrote
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sjsmac t1_izwta45 wrote
Clearly The Alchemist. Utter crap.
granolatarian0317 t1_izycfmz wrote
Only redeeming quality is that it's so ridiculous it's inadvertently hilarious.
Paetoja t1_izwvmc6 wrote
Ayn Rand the negative.
Simone de Beaviour the positive, especially if you grew up Christian and are conflicted by your current or ex religion.
cdnspoonfed t1_izx69qu wrote
My co-worker suggested it as a read because it is one of her favourite books - so i gave it a try and just uuugh. I just smiled and nodded when she asked if i liked it, just didnt have the heart to tell her.
Ok-Spray2 t1_izwx164 wrote
Anything by Brandon Sanderson.
He will make you belive he can actually write, and will also make you think that books with good prose are "flowery and innecesary". You will start to hate any book that is not straight-forward, and the ones that don't tell you explicitely how every character feels in every moment and how you have to feel about them.
Thornescape t1_izx0qy4 wrote
It's perfectly fine not to like Sanderson. It's somewhat absurd to pretend that he cannot "actually write".
Ok-Spray2 t1_izxbu5d wrote
I believe that his way of writing, devoid of any prose, can be related to the concept of "actually write". I also think the way he writes in books like Stormlight Archieve is really the best he can do, which is very poor considering how long he's been writing and the sheer amount of work he puts out.
Of all the books, genre and authors I have read, Brandon Sanderson is the only writer where I have noticed serious shortcomings when it comes to writing; both within the fantasy genre and comparing him to authors of any other genre.
And all this I am saying is only relevant if we are talking about books that make you a worse reader, as the title of the original topic suggests. I agree that it's not the same thing to dislike an author and say their work is bad. But in the case of BS: I am entertained by some of his work, other work of his I dislike, but he is clearly the worst writer I have ever encountered and I can see how his books could damage a first time reader's perception of literature.
Thornescape t1_izxk3bh wrote
He's an award winning, well respected, prolific author who has had a profound impact on many people's lives. But you don't think that he is capable of writing at all. Sure.
Frankly, this kind of over the top gatekeeping says more about you than it does about him.
Ok-Spray2 t1_izyc38j wrote
> Frankly, this kind of over the top gatekeeping says more about you than it does about him.
I'm not gatekeeping. I'm giving an argument over the topic of, let me quote, "What fictional books will make you even dumber instead of making you smarter?".
People can read (and do) whatever they want. It would be wonderful for them to read BS and realize his big flaws instead of beliving he is the next Nobel, even if they like what they do; and also stop beliving that all reading is good reading, as if observing words written in ink on a piece of paper were a magical act in which a torrent of wisdom enters your brain, regardless of the content you are reading. There are good books and bad books, and I think BS makes bad books if we limit ourselves to the topic under discussion in this post, as I've already arugmentated. And likewise, I think you can like his books (or anything really) without having to justify yourself to me or anyone else.
I won't chase you to stop reading his books, everyone has their own tastes and it's none of my business. But I'm not going to not say my opinion on the topic we're discussing so that a few fans won't get mad at me. Call that gatekeeping if you want.
[deleted] t1_izymrny wrote
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reliableDilettante t1_izww5ff wrote
Collected works of Paolo Coelho. He repeates almost every sentence three times in slightly different wording. Good for language learning though.
Direct_Scarcity_2471 t1_izwl9dj wrote
A book that definitely makes you dumber is 1421: the year china discovered the world. Written by an arse hat of a clown. Totally fictitious but marketed as fair dinkum.
Well, maybe reading it will improve your critical thinking skills.
GypsyV3nom t1_izxmquh wrote
Ugh, I remember this one. Thought it was pretty good at the time, until you realize that there's a lot of embellishment and poor logic that goes into the conclusions.
Plus, if any culture would have "discovered" the New World between Leif Erikson and Columbus, it would have been the Polynesians. They were cultivating the sweet potato as early as the 13th century, a crop that previously only existed in South America.
burt777 t1_izx19g5 wrote
Rutger Bregman - Humankind is an excellent non-fiction book that will make you think twice about a lot of (negative) stereotypes about people in general.
He has a special place in his heart for the book Lord Of The Flies (tl;dr: a bunch of kids get trapped on an island, since they're too young to have learnt how to be civilised, all hell breaks loose and they turn savage on each other). The premise of the book had actually happened, except the kids took great care of each other, became best of friends, had the time of their lives.
A whole generation grew up praising LotF for it's "realistic" psychological depiction of human nature (read: cruelty.) What a shame....!
(And now, thanks to Bregman for pointing this out, they're making a movie of what actually happened!)
CrazyCatLady108 t1_izxyx2v wrote
Hi there. Per rule 3.3, please post book recommendation requests in /r/SuggestMeABook or in our Weekly Recommendation Thread. Thank you!
[deleted] t1_izx8qbt wrote
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Fun and cute read, but holy shit the “discussions” about Kant and Schopenhauer and the book’s saccharine and contradictory treatment of morality made my eyes roll back into my head. Actively harmful, at best intellectually lazy/ignorant at worst dishonest, sleight of hand stuff.
I get that it’s YA but young adults don’t have to be stupid
[deleted] t1_izxdya7 wrote
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oliveee555 t1_izxegxt wrote
50 shades of mfin grey.
I swear, it is toxic and it makes your anger issues rise till they meet the sun and burn. Anastasia and Christian, both are equally toxic and they've been put on the pedestal by bookstagram and booktok. I regret reading them. Periodt.
Also any Penelope Douglas books can make you dumber than ever (because of the toxicity ofc), but I don't think anyone reads these books for smartness.
UnimaginativeNameABC t1_izwknss wrote
Graham Greene’s Quiet Fucking American, not so much lazy as drab, dreary, with an overcoat of nastiness and an undercurrent of cynicism that makes you want to tenderise your head against the nearest wall. I mean I know his subject matter is pretty depressing, but there are so many better and more likeable books about it. Bleurgh. (Avoidance of doubt this is only my opinion, know others swear by Greene)
disnameisokay t1_izx63vt wrote
I read this wattpad book in high school that I forgot the title, but I hated it so much.
I remember this one scene that disgusted me wherein the girl MC was in a date with one of her love interests and she started farting. Like why.
Characters were cliche -- 'I am not pretty but I end up getting pretty' MC; a mean badboy that falls in love with MC after getting pretty; a second love interest that exists to make a love triangle. No real conflict besides MC getting bullied by bad boy while bad boy falls in love -- and the farting.
Also the characters are named 'Cross Langton' or something like that even if the setting was at a SEA country. Those names don't exist there.
Last but not the least, the series ended with the MC just dreaming the whole thing. Lazy writing.
NoisyCats t1_izx6pso wrote
Those murderbot books are atrocious and I'm not even a book snob.
mirrorsinsmoke t1_izxarwu wrote
A Court of Mist and Fury made me feel like my brain was oozing out of my ears.
killthemightysheep t1_izxqrwu wrote
I have heard "It ends with us" and I genuinely thought it was a good book. I haven't read or bought it, because I'm not that interested in it. But I will not buy it after this.
oreominiest OP t1_izxsy6b wrote
You can read a few pages online if you're not willing to buy it. See if you like it after you've read a few pages in, i wouldn't recommend buying it but my preference isn't yours, so it's your choice at the end of the day.
killthemightysheep t1_izxu1dg wrote
All right. Thanks 👍.
Roadtohades_BX t1_izxwfa6 wrote
Steve toltz's books Jojo moyes books
Opposite-Birthday112 t1_izyygg5 wrote
Wicked by Gregory Maguire was the limpest garbage I've read in a while, it was lent to me and had one the more compelling book designs I've held. Story has way too many ideas being juggled with no narrative consistency, author is a bad writer and a character thief.
Puntkick t1_izwlryr wrote
The Hunger Games. it was awful.
[deleted] t1_izwyk77 wrote
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oreominiest OP t1_izwzyll wrote
How is finding a book "lazy" and wattpad-like being an elitist or a snob?
throwaway-clonewars t1_izx9f3a wrote
Not defending the language the person used, but I think for many it comes down to not being the target reading type despite perhaps being the target age group.
Some people REALLY like the "wattpad" writing style, or an extremely easy to follow low thought level book (if that's what you're describing as "lazy"). Others want more intensive thought provoking books and complicated stories that make them think and work, which I find sometimes lead to books being called lazy by those people when it's targeted for the less intensive type reader.
Objectively, books can be bad as a whole, but I think it majorly comes down to the type of reader- as you said, you dislike Hoover, while her popularity is high with others. So it's an obvious preference thing.
No answer to this question (being called a snob), as I also don't have any books off the top of my head i find "lazy", but did want to share my thoughts on the matter.
CrazyCatLady108 t1_izyv0n8 wrote
Personal conduct
Please use a civil tone and assume good faith when entering a conversation.
[deleted] t1_izxbpjz wrote
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ottprim t1_izxfsju wrote
LOL. It would be more fun to witness if they didn't always include the same books and authors like they are freethinkers who are the only ones to notice how bad these authors and books are.
Colleen Hoover seems to be the look down your nose queen of the moment. But she's selling more books then the entire rest of the book industry each week and must be laughing all the way to the bank.
oreominiest OP t1_izxsico wrote
Quantity doesn't equal quality.
ottprim t1_izxuqt5 wrote
And quantity doesn't equal lack of quality either.
oreominiest OP t1_izxv5mk wrote
That book lacks intelligence. Are you telling me after reading that book, you would at least be 1% smarter? There's also the fact that her books are romanticizing abuse, like...
[deleted] t1_izxwpjs wrote
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[deleted] t1_izxxkft wrote
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CrazyCatLady108 t1_izyuyf0 wrote
Personal conduct
Please use a civil tone and assume good faith when entering a conversation.
[deleted] t1_izy82xb wrote
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oreominiest OP t1_izy8683 wrote
Mhm yep, you answered my question alright.
CrazyCatLady108 t1_izyuyxl wrote
Personal conduct
Please use a civil tone and assume good faith when entering a conversation.
oreominiest OP t1_j01blmb wrote
I was just called an ahole, im civil.
CrazyCatLady108 t1_j02wag0 wrote
If you see rule breaking behavior you should report it and let us handle it. Not take it as permission to also break our rules.
You were not engaging in good faith, which is why you got the warning.
Sandi_T t1_izwle3l wrote
50 Shades of Gray
I didn't finish, to say the least; which is good because my friend who prides herself on never ever, under any circumstances, quitting any book said it gets worse, and worse, and worse..
I think you lose 50 brain cells per page from that dumpster fire and reading something decent is the only way to regain them.
(Footnote: "Oh, stop, [50 Shades] wasn't that bad, you just didn't read far enough," people are sadists, I'm convinced.)