Yesterday, I was rudely interrupted by clashing thoughts when one train of thinking decided to wonder why there were no Worst-Music-of-the-Week shows or Crappiest-Movies-Ever show. And the answer was of course obvious : who’d watch it? We all want the good stuff. We want the greatest hits, the most watch-able movies, the most amazing class acts, the superlative part of everything. But what if there’s not enough of the best of it all to go around? Nobody expects to be just average, do they? How do you pick who gets the worst?
Find out, after the break.
Its all a bit too post-modern for me. So here you go, a list of the five worst books I’ve ever read.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
I realize that this is a classic. I also realize that it is utter bullshit and it put me to sleep. On three different occasions, I’ve done my best to try to struggle through it, but I invariably end up throwing it across the room. Completely irrelevant, deliberately foggy and generally irritating. Since I’ve never finished it, I can’t tell you what happens, but I can tell you it sucks. No wonder she only ever wrote one book.

Anything by Shakespeare
I might just be classically illiterate, but there it is. I am incapable of reading Shakespeare. Although at one point in time, I could recite Juliet’s balcony speech fairly fluently, it was more because of TV than any real interest in being well-read. And of course, like everyone else, I can probably tell you what happens in almost every Shakespeare play. So I can fake it well (thank you, abridged versions).

The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer
This one is obviously a no-brainer. I admit, with deep shame and self-loathing, that I have actually read all four books of the series. And wow, what a craptastic waste of time. A self-hating masochistic vampire and a self-hating masochistic mortal girl fall in love with each other and have a half-vampire baby. The girl’s best friend, who is also in love with her and is incidentally a werewolf, falls in love with the baby. What is this? Paedophilia? Do NOT read Twitlight.

Season of the Rainbirds by Nadeem Aslam
I wasted 550 rupees on this book, only to give it away to someone as a birthday present. Worst part : said person spent not even half of that amount on my birthday. Life is unfair, but I’m used to it. Back to the book : I actually did read all of this, and I spent every minute cringing. It may have won literary awards and things and hooha, but honestly, I detested it. The misleading blurb made it sound interesting and noteworthy, but noo. First of all, the plot seemed to consist of random moments in everyone’s life. I kept waiting to find out when they’d finally bring up the ‘lost’ letters and what they had to do with anything in anyone’s life. A complete absence of any discernible storyline and mediocre writing skills characterize this one.

Barry Trotter by Michael Gerber
Being a die-hard Harry Potter fan, this just struck me as silly. It seemed to focus on just being as weird as possible and call me stupid, but I couldn’t draw ANY real parallels between the real thing and the parody. It might not actually be a bad book, and a lot of people I know like it a lot, but it didn’t appeal to me at all.
So there it is, then. Five books which you should stay away from. If it were up to me, I’d either burn every copy, or exhibit them in museums as masterpieces of suckiness. So unless masochism is your thing – steer clear. Over and out.
Ra







#1 by Ra on July 18, 2009 - 8:01 pm
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Jane Eyre was pretty read-able. Anyone who can read Wuthering Heights has, in my opinion, a superhuman attention span. Sorry about ruining Twilight for you
though I’m not sure it makes much difference, hah.
#2 by aqeeliz on July 18, 2009 - 3:05 pm
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Interesting list, I have a copy of Wuthering Heights on my shelf that I have been planning to read for a while. I only bought it cause I liked Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.
I agree with you on Twilight series, it's just hype, but as I have read the first three books, I think I will go ahead and read the fourth too, though now I know what happens in it
#3 by JUBA_Sniper on July 18, 2009 - 6:12 pm
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Twilight is nuthin but a piece ov shit!!! Especially the movies!!! Watched it an it turned up suckin each other up!!! Each part suck the previous part like the couple suck each other, u no!!!! <Two middle fingers up>
An 4 Harry totter!! Its totally flopped!!
Right u r Awais!!
#4 by Komal on July 20, 2009 - 12:50 am
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Interesting list – seconding you on the Twi-hate (rampant misogyny, horrible writing and characterization) though lumping Wuthering Heights, Shakespeare and Twilight seems too much, considering Wuthering Heights and Shakespeare's plays were well-written and withstood the test of time (I sincerely hope Twatlight fades into obscurity soon). Both Bronte and Shakespeare have their flaws but they're infinitely better. Still, people react to literature differently which is what makes it so much fun =)
Note of advice, stay far far away from Thomas Hardy. His angst makes Wuthering Heights look like a happy novel
#5 by Ra on July 20, 2009 - 2:03 pm
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Oh snap, Thomas Hardy = kill me now! Its really not a list of all time Worst Books, just the ones which I found deathly boring. And yes, I hope Twatlight disappears into the annals of suckiness for all eternity very, very soon.
#6 by nimra zafar on September 5, 2009 - 6:30 pm
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UTTERLY PREPOSTEROUS
the utter bull shit (wuthering heights) is my favourite bookk…!! ra im looking forward to ur list of books that r worth reading!
i hope ur list dsnt start with sense n sensibility or some other crap!
#7 by Waisybabu on September 5, 2009 - 9:14 pm
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I’ll forward the message to Ra. She’s been a bit inactive on artsy lately.
#8 by lolaaaa! on September 10, 2009 - 7:46 pm
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well the rest might be okk but i seriously think wuthering height is a read-able book!with an amzing plot!
#9 by seher mohsin on September 14, 2009 - 10:10 pm
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i think your opinion is stupid and many people realy enjoy the books twilight, wuthering heights and stuff by shakespear. i think your very close minded and hav not taken the time to read the books properly. twilight is i have to admit a teen phase book and will quite easily be forgotten but wuthering heights and shakespear are classics and i think you are one of those people who dont like reading in the first place and are trying to stop other people from reading books.
#10 by Maria Kazmi on September 15, 2009 - 2:06 pm
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Seher, I think you are crazy. Ra is a HUGE HUGE bookworm, but she actually reads books which are good.
#11 by Ra on September 15, 2009 - 6:48 pm
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Well. Talk about being close-minded. (a) You formed an opinion about my reading habits and literariness based totally and completely on a five point list and (b) in case you didn’t notice, the books are ones which I MYSELF did not find interesting. Read the Shakespeare review closely sweety. There is nothing even remotely disparaging. Wuthering heights I’ll admit is intensely boring to me and Twilight is ridiculous, a complete fantasied series. My opinion isn’t something I’m forcing upon you. But thanks for your input, either way
#12 by samia on October 11, 2009 - 2:48 am
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i think RA is right!hv to agree wid her!
#13 by Yusra on October 19, 2009 - 12:55 pm
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First, I did not know about this website Rabia, you could have told me. *does the cough thing again which would be highly inappropriate on a public website*
Second, Wuthering Heights does NOT suck. I think I’ve had this discussion with you before. Its “hauntingly beautiful”. Yea, its so good, it makes me wanna say cheesy stuf about it.
Third, Twilight appeals to people who like vampires, thats the oly reason I liked it. But you know, it does suck so can’t say much about that…
#14 by sumbalz on January 2, 2010 - 12:04 am
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this whole discussion is quite funny…….@Ra,if you entitle the best books of so many as ur worst books,than ur best books list is something i am waiting for………….
nice work……it is something out of the ordinary……
#15 by Rabia on June 5, 2010 - 3:51 pm
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Hello everyone! I’ve been absent lately, forgive me. Expect a best books post somewhere in the nearish future.
#16 by Waisybabu on June 5, 2010 - 6:44 pm
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@Rabia – Well, fi-nallll-ly!
#17 by flintstoner80@yahoo.com on June 7, 2010 - 7:53 pm
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I love the woodcut Fritz Eichenberg Illustrations in the 1943 publication of Wuthering Heights
#18 by Cleta on August 7, 2010 - 12:01 am
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your a idiot sounds to me like u are just jealous cause you can’t find anyone like edward jeesh they are just books and movies
#19 by Nazia on December 11, 2010 - 10:32 pm
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the Twilight Series should be burned into ashes! waste of paper, ink and book stall space.
#20 by Miaskazmi on June 1, 2011 - 2:50 pm
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Yes, that’s right, Cleta. Ra is depressed and suicidal because she cannot find a sparkly gay faggot to call her own. -.-