Books I Couldn't Even Finish

Here are some books to steer clear of. I usually force myself to finish books I start but some are so dreadful I can't even begin to digest it. Either they were poorly written or so incredibly boring.

"Paint It Black" by Janet Fitch (what a disappointment after "White Oleander")

"Cold Mountain" by Jonathan Frazier (rent the movie it's a little less boring)

"Kaaterskill Falls" by Allegra Goodman (ZZZZZZ)

"A Redbird Christmas" by Fannie Flagg (was anything interesting going to happen?)

"Where Are the Children?" by Mary Higgins Clark (Her style is on a 7th grade reading level)

"Blue Angel" by Francine Prose (tasteless)

"The Pact" by Jodi Picoult (my pact, never read her again)

"The Corrections" by Jonathan Franzen (are you for real? some sentences were 30 words long.)

 "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant

 "Empress of the Splendid Season" by Oscar Hijuelos (the season was not so splendid)

"The Camera My Mother Gave Me" by Susanna Kaysen

"Prodigal Summer" by Barbara Kingsolver

"Talk, Talk" by T.C. Boyle (blah, blah)

"A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle (forget the wrinkles, this book is giving me gray hair)

"100 Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (and another 100 to finish it)

"Stupid Angel" by Christopher Moore (stupid book)

"The Deportees" by Roddy Doyle (my attention span was deported)

"Me and Emma" by Elizabeth Flock

"Astrid and Veronika" by Linda Olsson (snooze)

"We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver (I need to read another book)

"The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

"Good In Bed" by Jennifer Weiner (and not at writing)

"Fear of Flying" by Erica Jong (whore)

"Beach Music" by Pat Conroy

"Way of the Peaceful Warrior" by Dan Millman (should have been, "Way of the Peaceful Borrior")

"Bel Canto" by Ann Patchett (not beautiful music)

"The Maytrees" by Annie Dillard

"Olive Kitteridge"by Elizabeth Strout (surprisingly bad)

"Unaccustomed Earth" by Jhumpa Lahiri (what a disappointment)

"Dune" by Frank Herbert (look, I gave sci-fi a chance, but it was another language to me)

"The Used World" by Haven Kimmel (used-up)

"The Keep" by Jennifer Egan (she can keep it)

"Suite Francaise" by Irene Nemirovsky

"The Sound and Fury" by William Faulkner (he wrote he said, she said, after every single quotation!!!)

"Going After Cacciato" by Tim O'Brien (disappointment, read "The Things They Carried" instead)

"Madame Bovary" by Gustave Flaubert

"Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins (definitely forced into writing this sequel.  The magic was gone.)

"Bellevue is a State of Mind" by Anne Barry (and this drove me out of mine)

"Winesburg, Ohio" by Sherwood Anderson

"You Are Not a Stranger Here" by Adam Haslett (each story was more depressing than the last) 

"When the Cat's Away" by Kinky Friedman (what an odd man)

"Side Effects" by Woody Allen (disappointing cause I love his movies)

"Pack My Bag" by Henry Green (leave already)

"A Separate Peace" by John Knowles (piece of junk)

"This is How You Lose Her" by Junot Diaz (You lose her and the reader)

"A Casual Vacancy" by J.K. Rowling (A vacancy in her writing...leaving much to be desired.)

"The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by Rachel Joyce

"I Feel Bad About My Neck" by Nora Ephron (Oy Vey!..I feel bad for the reader)

"Dear Mr. You" by Mary Louise Parker (stick to acting, Hun)

"Nora Webster" by Colm Toibin (zzzz)

"I am Lucy Barton" by Elizabeth Strout 

"The Wangs Vs. the World" by Jade Chang (dreadful characters)

"Sing, Unburied, Sing" by Jesmyn Ward

"This Year It Will Be Different" by Maeve Binchy (bad stories about very weak women)

"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon (slow as molasses)

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame (Oh, that's why I never read this as a child.)

"Oh, Play That Thing" by Roddy Doyle (what a terrible sequel to his wonderful book "A Star Called Henry")

"News From Heaven" by Jennifer Haigh (more like from Hell) 

"Beautiful Ruins" by Jess Walters 

"The Crook Factory" by Dan Simmons (zzzz) 

"Run" by Ann Patchett (I keep giving her a chance.  Why?) 

"Blindness" by Jose Saramago (more like "Boredness")

"Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison (terribly wordy) 

"Before the Coffee Gets Cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (what the heck was going on?) 

"The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle" by Stuart Turton (I'm too logical of a person for this nonsense)

"Blood Meridian" by Cormac McCarthy (so dark, gruesome and graphic) 

"Behind Closed Doors" By B.A. Paris (I refuse to read about weak women.  What drivel) 

"The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" by Muriel Spark (what snobbery) 

updated 5/2024

SEE THE MOVIE OR READ THE BOOK?

"Never judge a book by its movie." ~J.W. Eagan

Now most the time I would say "read the book," but there are always exceptions. I usually do one or the other. I almost never do both and for obvious reasons. They never match up which usually leads to me being disappointed and frustrated. However here is my view on ones that I did do both. 

"All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque.  read the book, skip the 1930 film version.  1979 version isn't that bad.  2022 Film is best to watch.  

"Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll the book makes absolutely no sense useless you're on LSD. See the Disney animated film at least it makes the non-sense fun. Skip the Burton version.  

"Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt.  the book was priceless. It was both heartbreaking and hilarious. The movie was worthless. It was dry and a despicable attempt. Shame. 

"Ask the Dust" by John Fante.  read the book, but the 2006 movie was quite a good independent film. Varies some from the novel.

"Because of Winn Dixie" by Kate DiCamillo. Both. The book is very heart-warming and the 2005 movie has a great cast.

"Black and Blue" by Anna Quindlen. ugh, I guess I liked the 1999 movie more, but both were pretty dull.

"The Big Sleep" by Raymond Chandler.  I didn't love either but read the book then watch the 1946 version. 

"The Book Thief" by Mark Zukor was very slow moving.  I did not like the fact that "death" narrated the book.  It made it unnecessarily complicated.  The 2013 movie is much better. Death only narrates a few times and the story is more cohesive. Some scenes in the book that dragged where dropped from the movie which was a wise choice.  Geoffrey Rush is stellar.  

"The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" by John Boyne.  definitely read the book then see the movie. Both are very chilling. Wish the movie had gotten more praise.

"A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens.  great story, read the book then see any of many versions. I recommend the 1951 version, a modern version called "Scrooged" with Bill Murray, or the Muppet's 1992 version with Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge.  

"A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote.  Read the book first then watch the 1966 movie version.  Gerladine Page is absolutely wonderful. 

"The Crucible" by Arthur Miller.  play is just ok but definitely see the 1996 movie, Daniel Day-Lewis is amazing as John Proctor. 

"The Curious of Case of Benjamin Button" it is only a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald but as you read this complicated novella you can't imagine anyone being able to make this into a movie.  Yet, David Fincher made a remarkable, beauty of a film, perhaps even better the book.

"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck.  Obviously you must read one of the BEST books Ever written. The 1955 movie is a complete waste.  It is so BORINGGG! time for a remake. 

"Elegy for Iris" by John Bayley.  Made into the movie "Iris" (2001) great movie but also read the book.

"Ellis Island" by Fred Mustard Stewart.  Read the book, then watch the 1984 mini-series.  The film is spot on.  

"Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer.  both are good. Movie is Very funny, very sad.

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer.  Read the book, then watch the 2011 movie version, it's pretty exact. 

"Factotum" by Charles Bukowski.  Obviously read the book, but Matt Dillon isn't a bad Chinowski.

"A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway. read the wonderful book. The movie version is called "In Love & War" and it is shameful.

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green.  very good book and 2014 movie. do both. The movie is faithful.

"Feast of Love" by Charles Baxter.  read the book, the 2007 movie is lack luster. 

"Fried Green Tomatoes" by Fannie Flagg.  I adore this 1990 movie.  The book was actually not as enjoyable.  The movie is a lot better, more emotional and I enjoyed the ending so much more. 

"The Girl With a Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier.  read the book, it is quite good. The 2003 movie was pretty exact. 

"The Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt. Read the book, then see the movie, it's pretty exact. 

"Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.  I hated both.  the book a bit more, so watch the 2014 movie, it's a tad bit less painful.  Ending still sucks though. 

"Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.  The book is wonderful.  1939 Movie is pretty exact.

"Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens.   I didn't love either the book or movie.  The 2012 movie version of the book is not worth your time. Good acting but the adaptation and director's vision was lousy.


"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. read the book. The 1974 movie is a snooze.  The 2013 version was done very well. See it after completing the book.

"Hamlet" by William Shakespeare.  watch the Ethan Hawke modern version over Mel Gibson's classic version. It might actually keep you awake.  

"The Haunting of Hill House" -Although the movies are called "The House on Haunted Hill". Both the 1958 original and 1999 remake couldn't be further from the book. I didn't love the book but read it if you're a huge Shirley Jackson fan. The modern 2018 mini-series "The Haunting of Hill House" elaborates on the book but it is quite good and very frightening.  

"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.  Read the book first, then see the 2011 movie. Both are amazing.

"The Hottest State" by Ethan Hawke.  Love this book. Just Read it, the movie is absolutely horrible despite it being directed by the author.

"The Hours" by Michael Cunningham.  hated the book, loved the 2002 movie.

"Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins.  First, read the book to get all the details, then watch the 2012 movie.  It was highly entertaining. Warning: the books get worse as the series continues. Stick with the movies. 

"I Know This Much is True" by Wally Lamb.  The book is a masterpiece.  The 2020 mini-series by HBO is an excellent adaptation with an amazing cast. 

"In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote.  read the fabulous book then watch "Capote" (2005) for a better feel of the overall story.

"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.  read the bone chilling book.  The movie did the book no justice. 

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte.  the 2011 movie version of the book is very good.  Read the book, then see the movie.

"The Last Picture Show" by Larry McMurtry.  the book is much better. The movie was a bit over-acted.

"Lonesome Dove," by Larry McMurtry. the movie had a great cast but I felt no emotion from any of the actors.  The movie was dry and low-budget.  The book was epic.  Just Read the book.

"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding.  Meh, read the book. If you must, watch 1990 version over the 1963 one. 

"The Mammy" by Brendon O'Carroll was made into a 1999 movie by Anjelica Huston called "Agnes Brown".  It is pretty exact to the book and is a wonderful version of it.  I recommend doing both. 

"Marley & Me"by John Grogan.   the 2008 movie is not nearly as touching, but I sobbed during both.

"Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden. just READ THE BOOK!!  The 2005 movie is miserably boring.  Shame. 

"Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt. read the book because I don't think Clint Eastwood (the director) did. He didn't even use the same character names. I was so disappointed. Waste of a talented cast.

"Motherless Brooklyn" by Jonathan Lethem.  Read the book because besides the characters names the movie has absolutely nothing to do with the book.  Edward Norton held onto the right for 20 years...so long he must have forgotten the premise of the book! 

"Needful Things" by Stephen King.  Read the book.  The book was extremely long and so much was left out during the movie.  Many differences between the two medias.  If you do watch the movie definitely try to find the extended version.  

"News of the World" by Paulette Jiles.  Read book then see the movie.  Film is pretty faithful to novel. 

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck. you must read the book, but you must also see the 1992 version. John Malkovich is amazing at playing Lenny.

"Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson.  Both are very sad. Spare yourself the book and watch the 1957 Disney version. 

"The Painted Veil"   by W. Somerset Maugham.  good book, excellent movie (2006). Do both, however I have to admit I enjoyed the film a bit more.

"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky.  great book, great 2012 movie directed by the author.

"The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio." by Terry Ryan. read the book, then see the 2005 movie.  However, the movie can be a bit heavier than the book at times.

"The Razor's Edge" by W. Somerset Maugham. the 1984 movie version is so boring. Read the book.

"Reservation Road" by Jonathan Burnham Schwartz.  Read the book, then watch the 2007 movie. 

"Requiem for a Dream" one of the few times I'll admit the movie was better. If I was Hubert Selby Jr. (the writer) I would have been very happy with the outcome of the film.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy.  read the book or see the 2009 movie.  Both are very dismal.

"Romeo & Juliet" I'm not a fan of Shakespeare.  Forced to read this in school.  just watch Baz Luhrmann's 1996 modern version.

"The Shining" I love Kubrick's 1980 film, much more than the book.  However, book ending makes more sense.  Forget the 1997 mini-series, that was dreadful.  

"Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham.  they're both pretty corny but if I had  to choose read the book. (The movie was called, "Christmas with the Kranks.")

"Snow Angels." by Stewart O'Nan.  Read the book. The movie isn't bad but it leaves out such great character development.

"Snow Falling on Cedars". by David Guterson.  Read the book, then watch the 1999 movie. The soundtrack is a bit much but the cinematography is great.

"A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens.  Great book, but a tough read.  if you can't get through the book watch the 1935 version it's pretty accurate.  

"Tara Road" by Maeve Binchy.  Read the book, the 2005 movie is a bit bland.

"The Tender Bar" by J.R. Moehringer.  Read the book, the movie is just ok.  

"True Grit" by Charles Portis.  both. Read the book then see the awesome 2010 release. 1969 movie version is not nearly as good.  

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.  obviously you MUST read the book. 

"Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom.  the book is excellent.  The 1999 movie is a good companion to the memoir.

"The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" by Dominick Dunne.  Read the book.  The 1987 mini-series is a bit dry. 

"An Unfinished Life." by Mark Stragg.  nice book. good movie. 2005 film is pretty faithful to the book. 

"Valley of the Dolls." by Jacqueline Susann. Read the book, the movie was garbage.

"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.  just read the book. Forget the movie.

"White Oleander" by Janet Finch.  read the book, the 2002 movie was lame.  

to be continued when I get more...

4/2023