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I read "Catch 22" by Kurt Vonnegut and thought it was a really great book. I was very disappointed that I did not like any of the other books by him that I read.
Vonnegut didn't write Catch 22 (or was that an April Fool's joke?) That was Joseph Heller.
My big disappointment with an author was with Morgan Llywelyn. She wrote wonderful books of historical fiction (mostly Irish, but also about other early European and Mediterranean civilizations), pre-historical fiction, and well-researched fiction about early druids and celts.
But then she wrote this book called The Etruscans with a co-author, in 2000. I was excited--expecting well-researched historical fiction about people in Etruscan society. Nope, it was fantasy drivel. Yes, reading about the religious and mythical beliefs of early civilizations is what I like and expected, but not a fantasy story about those mythical magical beings battling each other. Ugh. It was painful. To someone who does not like the fantasy genre, it's like a root canal.
I gave up on her for a few years, but she did redeem herself later with the Greener Shore, Brendan, and other books. It's like she had a stroke in 2000 and had temporary brain damage. Or maybe the co-author wrote it, and paid her handsomely or blackmailed her, to put her name on the book.
Last edited by Tracysherm; 04-01-2015 at 09:46 AM..
I love Stephen King's early stuff (Carrie through Firestarter).
I love most of his later works (Bag of Bones through Mr. Mercedes).
There are some exceptions, but for the most part it's his middle stuff I can't stand. Supposedly that's when he was a full-on addict and drunk, so that probably explains it.
I loved Herman Wouk's follow-up to Winds of Was, which I think was called War and Remembrance (parts I and II). I haven't read his other books, but I was contemplating getting the one he wrote about Zionists and the (re) formation of the Israeli state. I was thinking I would read it so I could understand what's going on in the region now.
It's an interesting read but it's horribly and completely Jewish biased.
I loved Herman Wouk's "Winds of war" and then felt letdown by the rest of his books.
I really enjoyed some of James Michener's books and really did not like some of them.
I read "Catch 22" by Kurt Vonnegut and thought it was a really great book. I was very disappointed that I did not like any of the other books by him that I read.
I very much enjoyed "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain and then did not like anything else he wrote except "Life on the Mississippi" which doesn't really count as it's not a novel.
Some of John Steinbeck's books are great and I loved them, some suck and I hated them.
"The Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy is a great book, I enjoyed it very much. I did not like any other book he wrote even though, I read them all.
"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" was a great read and then I did not like anything else Fannie Flagg wrote.
"War and Peace" by Tolstoy is a great book. I could not even finnish any of his other books.
Agree on much of this but had to say something about War and Peace. Hated it. I did finish it but I only kept reading b/c I thought it might get better but it never did and b/c I knew I'd never pick it up again if I put it down. And then, for the first time in my life, I regretted finishing a book. LOL. I think it's b/c I really don't like battle scenes and partly b/c I had recently read another book that I thought might be like it called With Fire and Sword by Henryk Sienkiewicz, Poland's national author. That one did have battle scenes but it had a lot more besides. And then it could be the translator--I'm positive that must make a difference.
Huckleberry Finn is wonderful of course but I liked Tom Sawyer pretty well too--it's a lighter read though. Another one that he wrote that I'll bet most don't know about is Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc--it was wonderful, though due to the subject matter it wasn't nearly as amusing as most of his books. But, for that reason you may like it. (Ooh, just checked Amazon to make sure I had that title right and if you have a kindle you can get it for free there.)
Barbara Kingsolver, whose books (The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams) I've loved....up until she wrote The Lacuna. I could not get past about page 50. I couldn't believe it was the same author.
For OP: One of my favorite authors is Nelson DeMille, and I was seriously peeved with The Panther. His series with John Corey, who can be a sarcastic, cynical, wise ass, but he went completely overboard with this book. It was a fling-against-the-wall book.
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Originally Posted by Gandalara
Lois McMaster Bujold.
Love her science fiction with passion.
Hate her fantasy with vehemence.
Them's fightin' words...
Which fantasy series btw? I love the Chalion books, I wish she's get going on the last 2. The Sharing Knife series, hm.. I confess, not as much. I finally re-read them this winter and I liked them a lot more the second time thru.
But to keep you reading Bujold, she sold another book to Baen 2 weeks ago (already hating on the future cover) titled Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen. It's a Cordelia book, tentatively being published next Feb.
Elizabeth George - I loved the first dozen or so of the Inspector Lindley stories but something happened to her writing and the next few were a real struggle and disappointment.
Preston & Childs - I'd read many of the Agent Pendergast stores as well as some of their other stuff but was completely bewildered by White Fire, the main character seemed to be a moron, doing stuff that was so stupid as to be unbelievable.
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Them's fightin' words... 
