2017 Reading Challenge: The Worst of the 60

1. Swing Time by Zadie Smith: It pains me to put this book on the list. I’ve really enjoyed everything else I’ve read by Zadie Smith, but this was so dull. I read somewhere that the narrator is supposed to be nameless, and come off flat, because she’s having trouble dealing with her identity, so we (the readers) aren’t really supposed to understand/know who she is either. It’s an interesting concept, but I found it made for some slow reading.
2. Fresh Complaint by Jeffrey Eugenides: I read a recent interview with Jeffrey Eugenides where he mentioned that writing short stories is “maddening”. Well, it was maddening to get through this collection. I’m a huge fan of novels by Eugenides, but he just doesn’t cut it when it comes to short stories.
3. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick: Philip K. Dick had an interesting premise going on with this sci-fi novel, but the writing was just flat. Do you know how many times he used the phrase “poop sheet”? TOO MANY. Also, I was not impressed with his coining of the word “disemelevatored”.
4. Jupiter and Gilgamesh: A Novel of Sumeria and Texas by Scott Archer Jones: Another interesting premise here, but the execution fell flat. Too many descriptive words that didn’t fit, and metaphors that made me roll my eyes. Some better editing might’ve helped here.
5. The Vegetarian by Han Kang: Have you guys seen that Jim Jarmucsh movie with Adam Driver called Paterson? In it, a character says that translating poetry is like taking a shower with a raincoat on. I feel the same can be said for translated novels. I really wanted to like this (the author reminded me a little of Murakami in some aspects, but definitely had her own voice), but the translation made the sentences incredibly clunky at certain points and almost made it a chore to get through the novel.

This list is in no particular order.

Interested in my list of the worst books I read in 2016? CLICK HERE!