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Most Disappointing Authors?

I just can't read Anne Rice. Her books hold no appeal for me. Her ideas for the stories are interesting with the vampires and such, but her writing style just seems to ramble and trivial things and it does little to hold my attention. I've tried reading her other books, but with the same results of an urge to throw the book across the room in disgust.
 
sandymae2000 said:
Hi!
I find James Joyce's inside humor, dark allusions, and wierd references distracting and self-indulgent. He may be a "genious," but he's very hard to read.
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Would that not just mean you aren't up to that level of reading yet? He certainly should not be appearing in a "disappointing authors" list. Difficult, yes; but not disappointing.
 
Pearl said:
J. R.R. Toilken. Sure, I enjoyed "The Hobbit" but the rest of his books bored me to tears, I couldn't even finish The Fellowship of the Ring.
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i never got past the first page.

the first 15 pages of On the Road by Jack Keroauc disappointed me. i'm going to give it another shot, but i guess i was expecting it to grip me right away.
 
abecedarian said:
Well, I can start my list with James Michner. At first I thought it was my fault I couldnt finish Centennial when I was in the 8th grade. Then I tried Alaska a few years later, and I think I picked up Texas too..then I realized the blame lay with the author..

I also am stuck in the middle of Robert Jordan's series..I have most of the rest of the books in the basement, but I just can't seem to get motivated.

Louis L'Amour is another huge dissapointment..I was so thrilled to learn he was writing a book about the Anasazi, and was dying to see his take on the cause of their dissappearance. Then when I finally read The Haunted Mesa, I was so mad! It was one of those moments where I thought I could have written a better story, and wished I had.
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I also am dissapointed in some of Michener's books as I have attempted several and have had enough of his work.

Louis L'Amour, please try "Last of the Breed". I like L'Amour although there are probably a few of his that will dissapoint. Remember though that he has written over a 100 books and there are bound to be some that dissapoint.

I have read all the "Wheel of Time" books by Jordan and liked most with the exception of the last 2 maybe. Too bad when authors drag a good series out too long.
 
I might get the Wheel of Time companion book to refresh my memory on the story to my point of departure. It's a very good thing that Jordan includes the glossary at the back of all these books, or I would never be able to keep all these odd names and places straight. I bet his storyboard takes up every wall in his house! I remember wondering how Roger Zelazny kept up with all the details in his Amber series; imagine keeping up with this one:eek:
 
Kerouac. Everyone I know loves "On the Road." It's the only book I've never finished and have no intention to finish. Plain and simple: it sucked.

Though, I am going to try to read Dharma Bums. I hear that's the Kerouac novel for Kerouac haters.
 
I was disappointed with Ludlum, and I didn't even have very high expectations. His characters seemed so cliche.

The other one that really fell short of my expectations was Heinlein. I think I have said this before here, but Stranger in a Strange Land, was like reading some 70 year old mans sophmoric fantasy. And the female characters were down right ridiculous, and silly. I read the whole thing, because it is such a classic, but it made me want to bang my head against the wall.
 
dragynlady said:
I was disappointed with Ludlum, and I didn't even have very high expectations. His characters seemed so cliche.
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I liked Ludlum. His later books though fell short of what I expected from him.
 
Slacker said:
Besides her, well, I'm really trying to like Diana Galbadon, but I haven't been able to get into her books yet.
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Really? I love Diana Gabaldon. She just might be my favorite author.

I loved V.C. Andrews early novels, but when she died, the writers who took over in her name don't do her justice. I can't read anything else with her name on it anymore.
 
i would have to agree wtih whoever said J. D. Saliner. i read catcher in the rye in english class and i really didn't like it.

also, phillip pullman. I enjoyed the ruby in the smoke and its sequel, but the dark materials were a bit disappointing. I enjoyed them, but not as much as i thought i would.
 
Isn't it amazing, the variety of books, and the variety of reactions!

I LOVE Pullman entirely, especially the first book of the dark materials series. Lyra Belaqua is an absolutely fabulous character. It was the third and final book that met with my disappointment on the first reading. I waited a year and reread it with a little more realistic expectations...(silly, huh) and found myself more satisfied. I was just so in love with the first two books and was "waiting on the cliff" with my breath on hold by the time the third came out... how could I NOT be disappointed. Still, I love and recommend those books.

Harry Potter-unbelievably supreme and engaging. I fear a similar experience with this series, but I'm wiiling to risk it, just for the experience of getting there. So far, so great! Molly Weasley and Fleur, at the bedside of the grievously wounded Bill Weasley... what a wrenching, sweet scene!

Bet you'd never know juvenile fantasy is not really my genre. But those are TOO neat.
 
Well as a fantasy fan I stay clear of anything by Robin Hobb, Terry Goodkind, David Eddings, David Farland and for non-fantasy Dan Brown...:(
 
steffee said:
Catcher in the Rye was a disappointment, I thought.
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I loved The Cather in the Rye! It seems strange to me that everyone who doesn't like seem to know tons of people who do, while I'm the only person I know (since we read it in class) who liked it at all, except for this one dork in my Biology class who picks his nose when he thinks no one's looking...

Anyway, on with the point. I think Scott O'Dell (writer of mostly YA novels) is overrated. I must have attempted to read Island of the Blue Dolphins at least six times (back in elementary school for AR points :D ) but I could never get into it. Funny thing is, I was fascinated by the story (based on a true one), but was stunted by the floundery writing and word choice. Recently, I picked it up again to force myself to read it, but I just couldn't do it. Everyone else seems to love it, so I feel like a dolt for always challenging the majority concensus. I've tried reading his others books too, but usually end up barely refraining from chucking them out the window. I don't hate any books, but these were on the border of severely dislike.

Another is Cecilia Dart-Thornton. I picked up The Ill-Made Mute a few weeks ago from the library and could tell immediately that it would be tough going, but decided to give it a shot. This woman is an exploiter of adjectives, which the language is so thick with, there is virutally no plot development at all in the first 100 pages (all I was able tor read). She used and abused a thesaurus until it was so wrung out that it was about ready to file for a divorce or commit suicide. I was very disappointed.
 
veggiedog said:
I loved The Cather in the Rye! It seems strange to me that everyone who doesn't like seem to know tons of people who do, while I'm the only person I know (since we read it in class) who liked it at all, except for this one dork in my Biology class who picks his nose when he thinks no one's looking...
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I know a lot of people who love it... I think maybe I must have missed the point or something.

veggiedog said:
Another is Cecilia Dart-Thornton. I picked up The Ill-Made Mute a few weeks ago from the library and could tell immediately that it would be tough going, but decided to give it a shot. This woman is an exploiter of adjectives, which the language is so thick with, there is virutally no plot development at all in the first 100 pages (all I was able tor read). She used and abused a thesaurus until it was so wrung out that it was about ready to file for a divorce or commit suicide. I was very disappointed.
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LOL, I haven't heard of it (or the author), but I just love your review of the book. Very funny!
 
I too loved The Hobbit but had to give up halfway through Lord of the Rings Trilogy.. I have never given up on a book, will usually get to the ending but with this I got to a point where I couldn't keep up with the names and hobbits and really didn't care where the ring was...

Read something recently by author Joy Fielding, called Lost, first time I'd heard of her and after first thinking it was a fast-paced thriller I quickly changed my mind halfway through. I did finish it but was very disappointed with it and will not be wasting my money on any more of her stuff. Especially if all her main characters are whining drama queens like this one :mad:
 
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