For me it was a “classic”, Hemingway’s “A Sun Also Rises”. Essentially the plot is … we get very drunk, act pretentiously even though we claim to be poor and treat one another deplorably. There is a bull fight in there somewhere that provides the most interesting reading.
haha. Doesn’t that apply to much of Hemingway’s work? 
Still like his work, though, as macho and misogynist as it can be.
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo books were unreadable for me, although I got through the first one because I was on vacation and had nothing else to read and was desperate.
But I like the movies! Both the original, and the US version of book 1.
(@doschicos I also like Hemingway.)
In general I avoid fiction from the bestseller lists because all too often they’re of the Jody Picault variety. For every Wolf Hall (or Ferrante, whom I love) you have 5 Jody Picaults on the bestseller lists, hence my aversion. Life’s too short for bad fiction!
4 3 2 1 - I couldn’t stand the protagonist or the writing style and quit halfway through.
Gone Girl
A State of Wonder - I hated the ending
Bel Canto - ditto. I’ve concluded that Ann Patchett writes beautifully but just has dreadful (for me) endings.
A Little Life - could the author possibly have been more depressing?
Huge Ann Patchett fan. Love her writing, character development, and unique, non-cliched plots. Bel Canto and Commonwealth are some personal favorite reads of mine.
It is interesting how divergent our reading styles are!
@cellomom2 I’m totally with you on this: “I don’t like poorly written books and won’t read them anymore- The Da Vinci Code, James Patterson, John Grisham. Don’t understand the appeal.” I call them the “thick and shiny” genre, packing the racks at the airport. I think these writers have figured out how to do page turners and spin out a story for 300 pages, but I always feel pummelled at the end.
I am loving this thread! Haven’t read as much as I’d like to lately but now at least I know what to avoid.
@skieurope, if you have not read Tartt’s The Secret History, I suggest you try that instead. Loved that book.
@cellomom2 I agree with you about CJ Box. Too much reliance on the “magic friend”–a common flaw in the genre–and his characters started to annoy me. That plus some ludicrously snarky comments re “baby boomers.”
I still enjoy John Grisham, because his sensibility is very ethically-driven, and he tends to take on crusades while remaining entertaining.
I thought Bel Canto was wonderful, but the ending? No, just no!
A.S. Byatt is an author whose works I often find simultaneously engrossing and intensely frustrating, particularly the quartet beginning with The Virgin in the Garden. In the second book, she killed off my favorite character. In the third book, Babel Tower, she strayed into a depiction of revolting sadism and cruelty. (I didn’t finish that one.)
@intparent You’re killing me. Loved, loved, loved The Interestings (and Goldfinch). Saw both authors speak about those books/do readings, which were fascinating, and saw the Goldfinch painting at The Frick.
@doschicos - I also like Commonwealth very much.
Couldn’t stand Curious Incident, though the writing had merit.
@calla1 - yes A Little Life was terribly depressing, but somehow I loved it, had a good cathartic cry, and took away from it a great love story, vs all the brutality.
So much yes! Did not like the end of Bel Canto (though I predicted the deaths, did not see the final scene coming, and it was ridiculous) and at the end of State of Wonder, one head-shaking thing and one horrible thing happen, which are presented as OKAY, which collectively ruined the book for me. And yes, she’s a gorgeous writer except for those dreadful endings.
I was captivated by The Secret History, but it is definitely not for those who do not like angsty unlikable main characters.
BTW, I named one of my kids after the main character in one of the mystery series that several people are bashing, lol. If I would have had a son, “Ranger” would have been on my name list :x , but it’s not the same series as my daughter’s name .
@wisteria100, I did love A Little Life.
A Little Life really wrung me out and hung me up to dry. But I’m glad I read it. I think.
@LeastComplicated , the only character named Ranger that I can thing of is in the Stephanie Plum series. Not someone I could see naming my SON after…maybe my fantasy lover! 
@Consolation Yeah, it was that Ranger, lol! I actually met a real person named Ranger and it was not his nickname, but he didn’t hold a candle to the “real” Ranger. 
And in case you’re wondering, the character that I named my daughter after wasn’t noteworthy in that respect or in any other way - she was pretty much an ordinary gal - I just liked the name . I did float the name Scout by my husband for both girls, but he wouldn’t bite, darn it.
I don’t know why there are so many My Sister’s Keeper haters. I really loved the ending because life is just like that - most unexpected things do happen. Readers didn’t want that ending happen and the author totally betrayed it. That’s what I like about it.
The book I wanted to throw across the room? Eat, Pray, Love.
Whenever I see Barba from Law and Order: SVU, I think about the main character of A Little Life. I don’t know why. Do you think Raúl Esparza will be a good actor to play him? (Not that I want that book made into a film. It’s soooo long and depressing.)
I rarely find any book that I hate with a vengeance. I don’t regret reading about 90% of the books that many have posted that they hated or couldn’t finish - I guess I’m not too picky.
But sometimes just one particular phrase can set me off like “the years had weakened his stallion’s stream” in Love in the Time of Cholera. I just was just disgusted visualizing that and shut the book. In Eat, Pray, Love, when the the author was holding off her boyfriend, and finally he got tired of it and said something along the lines of “Ok, you’ve waited long enough, come to bed with me now”. That ticked me off - I don’t know if it was because what he supposedly said sounded like something a guy in a Harlequin romance would say, or that she actually supposedly fell for it and did what he demanded - like a woman in a Harlequin romance would do. She married the guy, divorced him, and now is in a relationship with a woman - which could explain why she was dragging her feet, but still.
Thanks for the recommendation @Consolation . It looks interesting; I’ll definitely read it.
Just finished Sue Miller’s The Senator’s Wife (older book). Ugh! I wish I didn’t finish it. Horrible, depressing ending.
Speaking of Wolf Hall, when will the 3rd book come out?
I naturally gravitate to biographies. I love learning things about people. I’m reading a bio of Julius Caesar, have a library hold on a cleopatra bio. I’ve also ordered a new book about Ben Franklin and his British-loyal son. Happiness is a pile of books to read!
The Secret History is one of D1’s favorite books. I’ve read it twice and liked it a lot, too. (Which might seem obvious given that I read it twice, but I forgot a lot in between readings.)
If we are talking about crappy endings, can we talk about Stephen King? I don’t read most of his books, but I feel so cheated after reading both Under the Dome and 1963. I swear he writes such complex narratives, but I think he gets bored and just decides end the book.