James Joyce’s Finnegan’s Wake or Ulysses.
The former would be totally incomprehensible (and still is to most people, Joycean or not).
The latter makes more sense, but needs *Portrait of the Artist * as an introduction.
There are some that get more ‘bad’ votes than others, though. I’d say The Colour Of Magic is in the lead, both because it’s so differently written from his later books, and for the reason that MsWhatsit and I mentioned.
I didn’t think Moving Pictures was that bad, just not one of his best. But I really dislike Monstrous Regiment.
At least *Colour of Magic *had, you know, stories. Does anyone remember anything from Eric?
Each Man’s Son by Hugh MacLennan. Not that it’s a bad book by any stretch of the imagination. It’s actually one of my favourites. But it’s not the kind of book I usually get into. I think I needed The Watch That Ends The Night to ease me in to his stuff by presenting the melancholy along with some hope.
Either Passage or Lincoln’s Dreams, by Connie Willis. I started on her with Doomsday Book, and have adored pretty much everything else I’ve ever read by her, either previous or subsequent to it.
When I bought Passage, and started to read it, at about page 200 I thought, “You know, if this book was by anyone but Connie Willis, I’d give up on it about here.” I finished it.
When I (very) recently checked out Lincoln’s Dreams from the library, I’d learned my lesson. I gave up at page 100.
I don’t get it. I’ve got favorite authors who have written books I don’t care for, but that I don’t find unreadable. Those two books by Willis are, for me, unreadable.
Heinlein had a serious illness before (during?) the writing of The Number of the Beast. That book and subsequent books demonstrate just how serious the illness was. Friday is, in my opinion, the only one of that string that’s worth writing home about.
I think Eric wasn’t intended so much as a story in itself, but as an explanation for how Rincewind managed to get back out of the Dungeon Dimensions, so he could be used in later stories.
I’ve heard it said that all of Heinlein’s books can be classified into “juveniles”, “adult”, “senile”, and “post-senile”. IIRC, though, the brain damage hit during I Will Fear no Evil (which, based on the great many recommendations against, I’ve never read), not Number of the Beast.
Eh. It was a stupid answer to a question no-one would ask.
I started with Stranger, and hated it so much I never tried Heinlein again. Even now, I’m not sure I’m willing, but if I were, what would you recommend?
Stephen King books to not start with:
Cycle of the Werewolf
The Talisman
It
The Eyes of the Dragon
Entire Dark Tower series
The Tommyknockers
The Dark Half*
Nightmares & Dreamscapes
Insomnia
Rose Madder
The Regulators*
Desperation*
Bag of Bones
Hearts in Atlantis
Dreamcatcher**
Black House
From a Buick 8*
Four Past Midnight
Cell*
Lisey’s Story*
Under the Dome
I’m not saying these all suck. But if I’d started there and thought they were representative of Mr. King’s work, I’d probably have ended there.
*Okay, these do suck.
**This sucks a great amount.
Jack Vance is a masterful writer of fantasy and science fiction but he has also published maybe a dozen mysteries, etc. under a variety of names. I’ve read them all a couple of times at least, and enjoyed them, but if I had read any one of them first, I probably would never have continued as I’m not really a mystery fan… Bad Ronald, in particular would have been the only book of his I read, if I had come across it first (and for some unknown reason decided to read it)
Clancy- The Bear and the Dragon. How do you make a war between Russia and China boring? By slogging through 800 pages of shit, much of which has little to do with Russia and China, before the war actually starts.
I disagree with the inclusion of IT on Dung Beetle’s list. (I more or less agree with all the other entries, though.) IT is arguably King’s magnum opus. It’s the first book of his that I ever read, and it instantly hooked me.
Im a big fan of Roddy Doyle. ***Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha ***is one of my favorite books, and I loved his Barrytown Triolgy.
But ***The Woman Who Walked into Doors ***was so dreary, I’d never have given The Snapper a shot if I’d read it first.
Dan Brown is not my all-time favorite author but he’s up there. If I had read his latest novel, The Lost Symbol, before I had read Angels and Demons or The Da Vinci Code, I may have stopped right there.
To be fair, for a first introduction to King, It wouldn’t be close to my first book to recommend to someone. Even though it’s a great book, it can be tough going for anybody who isn’t used to King’s um…wordiness.
Lewis Carroll
If I had started with An Elemtary Treatise on Determinants, I am virtually certain that I would not have gone on to Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass, but then again, you never know.
You think so? Hm. I mean, I admit that it’s a lengthy book, but IMO it’s a very quick and easy read, due to what I’ve heard called his “cinematic” writing style. Full disclosure, I read the thing when I was about 10 years old.
Er… sorry for the King hijack!
Speaking of fans not agreeing on which books are bad- Eric is one of my favorites. (Also the second Discworld book I read). I think I may be alone in that.
Quoth Dung Beetle:
Probably the best way to get the taste of Stranger out of your mouth is to read a few of his juveniles. My personal favorite is Space Cadet, though most folks seem to prefer Have Spacesuit, Will Travel. Other good ones include Tunnel in the Sky, The Rolling Stones, and Podkayne of Mars. Don’t be put off by the “juvenile” label; the only difference between Heinlein’s juvies and his adult books is a lack of sex and politics.
For adult books, the best is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and I’d also recommend Starship Troopers and Double Star.