Worst HF you've ever read

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 1:25 pm

I ploughed my way through all of the Brothers of Gwynedd quartet, although sometimes in terms of going it was very heavy clay. Rather like pieces in Captain Corelli's Mandolin (a DNF for me), however, there are moments of absolutely beautiful prose that paint such wonderful mind pictures you want to hang them on a wall. But way too much weight in between. The Heaven Tree stuff was a bit that way, but the BOG quartet was definitely a lot more 'bogged' down!

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 1:29 pm

[quote=""Carine""]I didn't hate Pillars of the Earth Leo, and neither did my partner, in fact we quite liked it

Have you read the sequel "World without End" ? I haven't read it yet but my partner did and he says it's even better then Pillars of the Earth.[/quote]

Carine - glad I'm not alone

Yes I've both read and enjoyed World Without End - it's a very clever sort-of-but-not-really sequel to PotE. More fascinating architectural stuff, this time about bridge-building, and a really powerful sense of a community in flux.

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 1:31 pm

[quote=""AuntiePam""]Does The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova count as HF? Whether it does or not, I think it's an awful, awful book. There's no there there, as they used to say about Oakland, CA. Heavily hyped by critics who must have been impressed by a book's weight. "My gosh, a first time author and she wrote all that? It must be really good!"

[/quote]

God yes that was a turkey! I'd forgotten about it - must have been so bad I blocked it out. I was really annoyed that I ploughed through the whole d%$m thing - kept thinking that soon it would really get going. It never did.

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 1:33 pm

[quote=""EC2""] Rather like pieces in Captain Corelli's Mandolin (a DNF for me) [/quote]

What's a DNF??

Carla · Post by **Carla** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 1:58 pm

DNF = Did Not Finish, I think.

Leo62 · Post by **Leo62** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 2:33 pm

Thanks

I really liked Captain Corelli

The film was a turkey though.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 2:55 pm

[quote=""AuntiePam""]Does The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova count as HF? Whether it does or not, I think it's an awful, awful book. There's no there there, as they used to say about Oakland, CA. Heavily hyped by critics who must have been impressed by a book's weight. "My gosh, a first time author and she wrote all that? It must be really good!"[/quote]

It counts in my book and you are not alone. Its a book that should have been up my alley given the topic, but a few pages in I knew I was in trouble. Hee, I love the idea that critics were impressed by the books weight, that sounds about right sometimes!

Like you, I was unimpressed with The Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet. I thought my problem was just that I loved Sharon Penman's take on the story and so couldn't read another. Glad that EC spoke up as well! It really wasn't the same.

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 3:00 pm

[quote=""Leo62""]I really liked Captain Corelli

The film was a turkey though.[/quote]

I saw the movie before reading the book, and so I liked it. Then I read the book. Oh my. The book was excellent, till the moment when he returns. Oh I was furious with the author for making that character do something that was so out of character, and for causing the girl such heartbreak for years. I forgave him after reading Birds Without Wings (which is good if you can get through the rather dry historical passages that he did so much better in Corelli), but it still leaves me with a very bad taste in my mouth.

Tanzanite · Post by **Tanzanite** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 3:15 pm

[quote=""Ash""]Like you, I was unimpressed with The Brothers of Gwynedd Quartet. I thought my problem was just that I loved Sharon Penman's take on the story and so couldn't read another. Glad that EC spoke up as well! It really wasn't the same.[/quote]

I tried to read the Gwyneed Quartet before I read Penman and I couldn't make it past about 50 pages. I still have the book and maybe some day I'll give it another try. But I think you're right - no one will be able to live up to Penman's Welsh trilogy.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun December 7th, 2008, 4:13 pm

Yes DNF is 'Did not finish'. The older I gets the more it seems to happen.
There are two much lauded books, both DNF's for me that I much prefer as films but I know I'm in the minority. I really enjoyed Captain Corelli the film - much better than the book, and I much preferred The Name of the Rose the film, but couldn't get on with the book. In fact I've just bought the latter film on DVD as a Christmas prez to self.
The Historian was a DNF for me, as was Jonathan Strange and Mr Norel. I tried reading them one after the other and it nearly did for me!