Worst HF you've ever read

Kailana · Post by **Kailana** » Thu September 18th, 2008, 11:00 am

Wideacre by Philippa Gregory is the first one that comes to mind. That was an atrocious book! I also didn't like The Queen's Fool by her. And then, like Marg, I did not like Madame Victorine. That disappointed me because it sounded promising and just did not work.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Thu September 18th, 2008, 11:11 am

I agree with the first two you mentioned. I also tried to read them and while I did finish Queen's Fool I asked myself why I finished it because I'm sure I could have foundsomething far better to read.

Wideacre was just an incest mess. I know she likes it in her books, and it shows, but it just a little much for me.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Thu September 18th, 2008, 1:46 pm

Its probably not fair, but when an author puts that much incest into her books, it makes me wonder about the author. Same for Pillars of the Earth; how much fantasizing and description about rape is to please the audience, and how much of it says something about him. Ew.

>Clive Cussler....

Hee, he's one of my husbands favorite author, but even he knows that he is not reading HF, and takes much of it with a grain of salt, but still likes the writing and books.

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Thu September 18th, 2008, 4:08 pm

There is one popular contemporary author who writes about Rome. It may have been his first book in the series. I read the first paragraphs in a bookstore and found them to be so poorly written I put it back.

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Thu September 18th, 2008, 10:09 pm

[quote=""donroc""]There is one popular contemporary author who writes about Rome. It may have been his first book in the series. I read the first paragraphs in a bookstore and found them to be so poorly written I put it back.[/quote]

Go on! Name names -- I tend to read a lot about Rome, and it always helps to know who to avoid.

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Thu September 18th, 2008, 10:31 pm

[quote=""Telynor""]Go on! Name names -- I tend to read a lot about Rome, and it always helps to know who to avoid.[/quote]

Conn Iggueldin (sp?).

I should add Mika Waltari's The Roman.

Mara · Post by **Mara** » Sun September 21st, 2008, 5:35 pm

There have been lots but not many spring to mind at the moment. From the distant past I can remember The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (tedious), and more recently Remittance Man by Nara Lake (confusing). Both tested my patience and I didn't get very far with them.

But I did like Pillars of the Earth and The Queens Fool, strangely enough (if you suspend your historical belief).

Perdita · Post by **Perdita** » Sun September 21st, 2008, 6:40 pm

'Scandal of the Season' by Sophie Gee was disappointing. It's set in 1711 and it's about a jacobite plot to kill Queen Anne. There's a bit of romance in there as well but the writing was too dry. The writer is an academic and I felt that that she was giving a history lesson rather than telling a dramatic story.
Main criticisms are,

1 - scenes that focus too much on characters that will never appear again.
2 - POV changes in the same scene
3 - telling not showing
4 - stilted dialogue

I stopped reading halfway through when I realised that the story wasn't really going anywhere.

Carla · Post by **Carla** » Tue September 23rd, 2008, 2:54 pm

[quote=""donroc""]Conn Iggueldin (sp?).

I should add Mika Waltari's The Roman.[/quote]

I've read Conn Iggulden's Emperor series. I don't think I'd be quite so harsh

It depends what you're looking for in a novel. I'd rate Iggulden's series as an action film in book form, complete with superheroes, cast-of-thousands battle scenes and all Hollywood's usual respect for historical accuracy. More detailed review here (http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/emperor.htm) and cross-posted to the reviews forum.

donroc · Post by **donroc** » Tue September 23rd, 2008, 3:51 pm

[quote=""Perdita""]'Scandal of the Season' by Sophie Gee was disappointing. It's set in 1711 and it's about a jacobite plot to kill Queen Anne. There's a bit of romance in there as well but the writing was too dry. The writer is an academic and I felt that that she was giving a history lesson rather than telling a dramatic story.
Main criticisms are,

1 - scenes that focus too much on characters that will never appear again.
2 - POV changes in the same scene
3 - telling not showing
4 - stilted dialogue

I stopped reading halfway through when I realised that the story wasn't really going anywhere.[/quote]

Interesting regarding #1.

When Exodus was released, I was in grad school, and a Lit. professor trashed it because Mike, the journalist, who is important in the opening chapters, was unceremoniously dropped and never heard from again. The prof's negs did not impede our enjoyment of the book or that of millions.