BS: What books would you NOT reread?

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Charmion
Date: 10 Jul 25 - 05:27 PM

I think Shakespeare was brought up on ballads, like Child Owlet and Long Lankin. That’s the only possible explanation for Titus Andronicus.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Helen
Date: 09 Jul 25 - 04:47 PM

This book is a stand-out, "that's a couple of days of my life I will never get back" example for me. (Note: I couldn't remember the name of the book or the author, and luckily her surname is at the beginning of the Wiki list of Oz female authors of fiction so I found her details within seconds.)

Glenda Adams: Dancing on Coral

It won an award, it had a blurb which talked it up to the max, and I persisted through it, thinking it would possibly redeem itself by the end, but no!

I read it in the late 80's when I worked in the local public library. I still vividly remember that never-to-be-repeated experience and every time I saw the book on the shelves I would get that same dragging feeling again.

Since then, if a book is grinding slowly forward, not progressing, I skip to the end and read that to see if it is worth reading the rest of the book.

Disclaimer: other readers might have loved it. Not me.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: robomatic
Date: 09 Jul 25 - 02:15 PM

This was a listening experience. I often left the radio on while doing late night homework in college. One night I picked up a broadcast that sounded like a Shakespeare play. I was taking a Shakespeare course and I'd never heard this one. I had tuned in during the action, and there were no narrative pauses. I was not familiar with the characters' names but they sounded Roman. The action was vicious and violent, I'd never heard anything like it.
Some of you may know where this is going.
There were several bad guys and the main one had gotten a woman pregnant. She was a wife but not his wife. A nurse brings him the baby and he orders her to kill it. Then he kills the nurse, live on stage which for me of course was still the radio. It was pretty hard to concentrate on calculus at this point. I was kind of wondering what this would do to my getting to sleep while curious if I could stay up until someone announced whatthehell I was listening to.
Don't even think I told the worst part. Which for me were the vocal sound effects of some of the characters as they were tortured.
Well, it was Shakespeare. Those of you who know the plays will know the one I'm writing about because it's in a class by itself. I did NOT talk to the Shakespeare instructor about it. (It was all I could do to remember Kin Lear). I heard off the cuff that an English Shakespeare group staged it and audience members were fainting during the performance.
It was Titus Andronicus.
One of my favorite BBC series was "I Claudius". It was on TV and had plenty of sex and violence. But it was a walk in the park compared to the sounds and suggestions in my loaf during that radio rendition.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Nick Dow
Date: 09 Jul 25 - 12:20 PM

None of them. That was just Pan books trying to flog his work. Interestingly and on the same subjectof nudity, he believed the 1970's adaption of 'To the Devil a Daughter' was obscene and refused to allow any more of his books to be filmed. In the 1930's 'The eunuch of Stamboul' was filmed as 'The spy in white' (I think) with James Mason. It wasn't bad by the standards of the day. He could tell a good story sometimes. Not sure I would reread or re-watch it though.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 09 Jul 25 - 07:04 AM

which is the Dennis Wheatley one with the naked blonde tied up?

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Nick Dow
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 07:34 PM

He certainly wasn't a liberal. Most of his family loathed him especially his grandchildren. He also wrote some out and out porn which was never published entitled 'The Lusty Youth of Roger Brook' He did meet some interesting people including Rollo Ahmed 'Strange Conflict' and Aleister Crowley 'Mocata The Devil Rides out'. Allegedly both of them tried to tap him up for a loan!

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 10:28 AM

I must admit that I enjoyed Dennis Wheatley in my youth too, Nick. I recall, or maybe misrecall, that there was a considerable amount of antisemitism in some but I suppose I should reread some to check that out!

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 10:19 AM

MaJoC, I'll one-up you on the bad book redistribution. I had The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (he probably got the book accepted for publication solely because of the title, that was the only great thing about it.) I tossed it into the recycle bin to repulp the paper for a better use.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: BrooklynJay
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 08:44 AM

Anything by Franz Kafka.

His so-called writings were forced on me in my senior year of high school. I was put into a class - against my will - where the teacher was a Kafka fanatic. I managed to get through two short stories and started The Castle when I couldn't take anymore. I threw everything down in disgust and stopped attending that class.

I honestly do not know what anyone sees in Kafka. For me, crap is crap.


Jay

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 06:51 AM

Iain Banks's Complicity. A nasty, gonzo-style tale about a nasty, gonzo-style journalist, and the exceedingly nasty disposal of certain nasty other persons in inappropriately appropriate ways. I bought it in the local OxFam bookshop, read it, then was so ashamed of having read it to the end that I put it back in the tray outside the shop without saying I'd done so to the staff. I'd only picked it up on the strength of the author's name (he's "Iain M Banks" to SF readers); it's put me right off him. The sort of book I want to wash my mind out with bleach after reading.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Nick Dow
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 02:14 AM

Like I say, suspension of disbelief! If you want worse than that, try 'The man who missed the war'. So bad it's good!

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Jul 25 - 01:58 AM

I don't remember reading many Dennis Wheatleys. They used to advertise them on the back of the radio times with a picture of a naked lady tieed up. So I did read one.

No naked lady in tethered or otherwise in my book.
It was about a secret agent - Gregory Sallust.
It was World War 2,
Gregory had fallen into the hands of the Germans. Interrogated by Herman Goering himself, Gregory says bring me a bottle of brandy and map of Europe and (not many people know this) it was Gregory whopoints out that rather than kill him what Herman should do is invade Russia - thus losing the war!

I was only fourteen, but I seem to remember thinking - this is complete cobblers! But then again, who knows....

Tells a GOOD tale...? Hmmmm!

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Nick Dow
Date: 07 Jul 25 - 02:26 PM

My guilty pleasure! I actually like Dennis Wheatley! Even though he has no style and was the first to admit it, he could tell a good story (sometimes). I am amazed nobody has given him a good kicking on this thread. Every body does elsewhere, and with some justification. Sorry! I like him. A huge suspension of disbelief and an ability to be easily pleased helps enormously. An ability to forgive him for his heart being in the wrong place is also an aid to your literary pleasure. (or not)

https://www.google.com/search?q=dennis+wheatley+interview&sca_esv=8fe472cf0c0bad30&udm=7&biw=1358&bih=650&ei=6Q9saNPJH5HrhbIPhIi

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Jul 25 - 09:15 AM

“Mein Kampf” was a set book in one of my history courses at uni. At the time, I wanted to wash my mind out with soap. Chances that I would read it again? Absolute zero.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 06 Jul 25 - 03:58 AM

Bram Stoker's "Dracula"

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jul 25 - 03:12 AM

lovely to hear the voices of some folk from the past...Jim, Peace

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jul 25 - 03:08 AM

I suppose someone must have liked these books that we can't stand. Perhaps the fault lies within ourselves.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jul 25 - 10:44 PM

Anyone who wants to follow my books on Good Reads can send a PM and I'll send a link. I enjoy seeing what other people are reading on that site.

I should note that I created a category there called "Never-gonna-read" that has four books in it at the moment. That allowed me to express my disdain for books I read about that sounded really awful or self-serving, or books I started that I simply couldn't finish.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: robomatic
Date: 05 Jul 25 - 08:18 PM

I rarely re-read anything. I believe I re-read "Little Big Man" a long time ago, because the author wrote s successor novel that re-visited the characters and gave them all satisfactory denouments, if I'm using that word correctly.

Now reading a very interesting novel by the late Harry Thompson: "This Thing of Darkness." It is a fictionalized historical recounting of the lives of Captain Robert Fitzroy of H.M.S. Beagle, and his erstwhile friend and co-traveler, Charles Darwin. I may have to re-read this.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: The Sandman
Date: 05 Jul 25 - 03:05 PM

I agree with Jim Carroll, I love the writing of Hardy,Mayor of Casterbridge, Tess, the Woodlanders, Under The Greenwood Tree , all worth re reading in my opinion

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Oct 16 - 09:38 PM

I had to find out how the darn thing ended! The book was well-written enough to keep you turning the darned pages...

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 09 Oct 16 - 07:40 PM

Well I don't understand that. As a non-reader of fiction who's tried to read fiction, I find that I know after ten pages whether I need to just ditch the book and seek out something a bit more life-affirming. Try Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E flat K.364. Why would you flagellate yourself by sticking with something so cold and negative?

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: keberoxu
Date: 09 Oct 16 - 07:06 PM

The book "Damage" on which the Miranda Richardson/Jeremy Irons film was based -- I didn't go near the film after looking at the book. It is brilliant, as a well-made watch/clock is, and a cold and heartless bit of writing. Reading it left me feeling chilled to the bone.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 09 Oct 16 - 07:01 AM

"The Klansman" by William Bradford Huie. Not a criticism of the author. I just found it upsetting.
Yours wimpishly
Charlie

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 08:39 PM

Cor, I never read fiction so I can hardly answer this. The non-fiction books I read I tend to dip in and out of, so I can't really discard any of them. I suppose there must be something wrong with me.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 08:27 PM

I read quite a few Nevil Shute novels also, Trustee from the Toolroom was fascinating. On the Beach was a thoughtful and remarkable book - but I agree, reading it once was enough. :)

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: michaelr
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 06:42 PM

Mein Kampf.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 06:42 PM

Given that there only seem to be two copies of Dick's brother's roman à clef for sale anywhere in the world, at rather silly prices, it doesn't look like many people have to worry about picking it up by mistake:

Rufus Miles: Marsh Heirs

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Gurney
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 06:29 PM

'On the Beach' by Nevil Shute. Ive read all of the rest and enjoyed them, but this post-apocalyptic novel, concerning the last hopeless, dying humans on Earth, ruined my sleep for a long time.

Kim C, I re-read and sold my old Louis Lamour paperbacks recently, and got a good price for them. There was a small bidding war.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 02:08 PM

the naked lunch

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 01:12 PM

There are books I find myself rereading by accident. Looking at the first page at our dance club charity bring & buy, not recognizing it till after I've bought it again.
I usually finish books even if I wonder why afterwards, but The Popes Rhinoceros has been on my bedside table for weeks - about 2 chapters in - I've no idea what it's all about. It's going back for someone else to plough through.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: fat B****rd
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 12:23 PM

It may be some sort of heresy, but, I tried a few pages of "The Girl On The Train" and found myself disliking the narrator intensely. Maybe that was the author's intention. If so she succeeded admirably in my case. I notice the film version has been moved to America and has an attractive leading lady.
Yours, getting older and crabbier
Charlie

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 12:08 PM

There are still people who haven't read these novels. Please don't offer up spoilers.

Jim said "Re-reading is difficult and even counterproductive" - to which I must disagree. Re-reading is very productive and allows one to do a "close reading" of a text. Particularly useful for scholars.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 10:56 AM

I do hate the way you can see Hardy's characters setting themselves up for their downfall. Far too true to life.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Senoufou
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 09:23 AM

I know Jim, and there are some absolutely wonderful passages in his novels. The Woodlanders, for example, gives a detailed account of a woodcutter's life in the forest, 'Tess' about dairying and so on, and I'm a country person myself. But oh dear, 'Jude The Obscure'! And 'Tess Of The D'Urbevilles'! And 'The Return Of The Native'! All describe a cruel twist of fate which causes tragedy and sorrow. I couldn't handle reading those again, I'd need a box of tissues and some anti-depressants.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 08:50 AM

"Anything by Thomas Hardy. Studied him at Uni. Miserable bugger."
Sorry, couldn't possibly agree.
Hardy's novels throb with English rural life - sunshine and scabs.
Moving and humane, yes, miserable, no.
All down to personal taste I suppose.
There's a difference between reading for enjoyment and and 'studying' - I know people who hate Dickens, Shakespeare, Salinger, Cervantes... for exactly the same reason
Ask any Irish ex-pupil over a certain age what they think of Peig Sayers - then duck - wonderful, courageous woman who wrote one of the finest autobiographies of Irish island life.
It's all down to how these authors are taught.
I love Hardy and have read all his books twice.
Traditional singer, Walter Pardon, doted on his books and read all of them at least half-a-dozen times - except 'Tess', which upset him too much.
He once told us that the two greatest crimes in English literature were "the hanging of Tess and the drowning of Maggie Tulliver.
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Senoufou
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 07:56 AM

Anything by Thomas Hardy. Studied him at Uni. Miserable bugger.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 07:33 AM

Marsh Heirs, a completely inaccurate description of my childhood written by my brother, a fantasy in which i appear cast as a juvenile delinquent, feckin cheek

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: The Sandman
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 07:30 AM

Pincher Martin., imo a complete waste of time
Most novels by Martin Amis., He doesnt seem to understand the need for a story or plot.
Maos Little Red Book, a collection of inane statements

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 04:27 AM

Re-reading is difficult and even counterproductive
I've lost count of books I have enjoyed and revisited, only to be disappointed the second time around - 'Catch 22' springs to mind.
I might read Garrison Keilor's 'Lake Wobegone Days' again - to see if I can finish it this time - I got to the penultimate chapter and gave up thinking why bother
Dreadful bore
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: CupOfTea
Date: 08 Oct 16 - 01:41 AM

I'm inclined to reread favorite books on a regular basis, but some have passed out of my inclination eventually.
When I was young, I re-read Atlas Shrugged yearly. Been unwilling to crack it for decades, likely never again (same true for the rest of Rand's novels)
I adored Ray Bradbury from about 5th grade on. His intro to "The October Country" stuck with me so much that every fall I'd go digging through boxes of books for it, but somehow reading the whole collection was no longer necessary. I do know that after my husband took a writing workshop with Bradbury at Cal Tech, and reported that Bradbury was an avowed athiest, it gave me a different slant on his writing that that made it less attractive.

Don't want to reread books that were spun out into series. So often, even if the first book is great, each one after it gets weaker and weaker till I get disgusted, even with authors I like very much, like Roger Zelazny's Amber books.

Used to reread Dean Koontz when I needed a mindless spooker. Had a whole big collection, but I think the only one I'd bother to reread of the bunch was the one about the superintelligent Golden Retrievers... the rest went to half price books.

Wonder why I haven't thrown out all sorts of old text books - any chance of a reread of those is slim to not-gonna-happen.

A batch of the above wouldn't qualify, as I had the sense not to read 'em the first time, being willing to believe Cliffnotes and lit. crit.

Joanne in Cleveland (whose overly read copy of The Last Unicorn is out on loan, and who knows if I'll ever see it again)

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Janie
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 11:20 PM

I'm with you re Lord of the Rings, Nigel. I've read the trilogy several times, starting at about age 16, and including reading it with my son twice. While I did enjoy the movies, I'm one of those who tend to prefer the book and my own imagination to the movie. It is rare that I like a movie based on a book that I love if I have already read the book.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 11:06 PM

Atlas Shrugged. I couldn't get more than about halfway through that nonsense before I had to put it down, and I usually will tough it out through a book just to see if it gets better before the end.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 10:02 PM

Wicked. I thought it was vile. I was amazed that it was turned into a successful musical. When I saw it, I kept thinking I would have enjoyed it more if I'd never read the book.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 08:13 PM

Having read through the thread, I didn't see anyone mention Shakespeare.
Just as well. I'm currently re-reading some of his. (No, I don't like all of Shakespeare)
Some people 'knock' authors whom I happily re-read. Well, different strokes for different folks.
A couple of comments finding Heinlein hard to read. Fair enough, if you want to re-try, try "Friday". (Nothing to do with Crusoe!)
Tolkien gets a mention as the films being better. Ok, that's an opinion. Not only would I re-read Lord of the Rings, but I do, every few years since the 60s. If you prefer the films, maybe you should try the Radio 4 dramatization. This kept me spellbound for 26 half hour episodes in the 80s. Even though I already knew exactly where the story was leading.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 05:46 PM

Janie, regarding Stephen Donaldson:

the final two books are worth looking at for the following:

The penultimate book, Against All Things Ending, fulfills two things:
Thomas Covenant finally does the merciful thing for his wife, all these books later. Also Linden's Jeremiah is finally healed.

Then The Last Dark confronts Thomas Covenant's son Roger, and Lord Foul.

He certainly was a long time getting there, though.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 05:32 PM

We've got this far and nobody's nominated the Bible?

I'd read a shelf of Mills & Boon and a Dan Brown before I'd go near that again.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Janie
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 03:50 PM

I had forgotten about the Thomas Covenant saga, keberoxu. As I recall, I thoroughly enjoyed the first 6 books. Started the 1st book of "The Last Chronicles...." but couldn't get into it. Never finished it and never attempted the next 3.

There are not many works of fiction I have been inclined to re-read, no matter how much I enjoyed them the first go round. The exception is books I read when younger that I either read to my son or he read to me when he was young.

Re books on tape or CD, for a number of years now I have found it difficult to concentrate or stay still long enough to read a complete novel. I find I can focus when listening to books on CD, maybe because I can listen as I go about doing chores or while driving.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Oct 16 - 03:22 PM

When Stephen Donaldson finally wrapped up the Thomas Covenant saga, I started at the end and worked backwards. I could do the reading as long as I skipped a lot of pages. Can't really imagine putting up with Thomas Covenant before it was known how the series would end, but because the series took so long to complete, decades of readers were asked to do exactly that.

Authors with whom I was not happy were John Buchan and Talbot Mundy. Although Mundy's   "Om the Secret of Ahbor Valley" held my interest, I was disappointed by his other books.

Subject: RE: BS: What books would you NOT reread?
From: Cluin
Date: 05 Nov 03 - 07:14 PM

Anything by Bret Easton Ellis is all caca.