Books You Shouldn't Read

[Paradox 99]

I see you couldn't resist replying. I came soooooo close but denied myself. In the end I convinced myself that there is no future in the arguement - it's a blind alley, just like discussions about religion.

So very true. You're a better man than I for resisting the urge.
Though it's not a derailment of the thread, it could so very easily dominate the discussion and, as you say, there's little point in that here.

If anyone does want to get in with a final word on it, I won't jump in with a rebuttal.

 

[Paradox 99]

Whilst on the subject of books that had a negative affect on me, I'd have to say Stephen Baxter's "Origin" is one that I simply couldn't finish because I found the subject matter quite disturbing.

I can't exactly say why that was, as I've read worse, but there was something in the way those hominids were dealing with each other that painted ugly pictures in my mind and in the end I thought, why on earth am I subjecting myself to this?
Shame really. I loved "Space" and "Time".

 

[Alia]

I hate the sci fi genre generally speaking though there are a few titles and series which are okay. Anything by Terry Pratchett, Terry Brooks and I guess any author with the christian name of Terry must be cast our with the refuse. I could write all day about rubbish books.

I was waiting for that!

 

[jackokent]

I hate the sci fi genre generally speaking though there are a few titles and series which are okay. Anything by Terry Pratchett, Terry Brooks and I guess any author with the christian name of Terry must be cast our with the refuse. I could write all day about rubbish books.

That's a bit harsh on the Terry's of this world. They can't all be bad in fact I know of a jolly usefull book on tomotoes by Terry Marshall.

To get back to the bible discussion however, but also trying to stick with the meaning of this thread, I was given a bible when I was a child by an organisation called the Guidions. They gave me it on the proviso that I read a bit every single day and I, just wanting something for free, gave them my solemn promise. And I kept it for many years. For about 7 years I read a bit every day and I have probably read the bible about 20 times. And my point is... depending on the age of someone when they read it, I do think it has the power to brain wash one.

There are many books that are shot through with rubbish, take Dan Brown, but that people believe just because they are popular fiction. I am not saying the bible is rubbish or that it's not, but I am saying that people need to be aware that any book that purports to be fact can excert a very strong influence over people. This is especially true if it is popular and the bible is of course extremely popular.

 

[red_temple]

Even with no details about the story given, I believe you're talking about "Guts". I'm basing this off the fact that after reading the story my stomach was doing somersaults for hours.

While it is fairly disturbing, I have to say that I'm glad that I did read it, as it was probably the most visceral reading experience I've ever had.

I think you might be right. I give Chuck props, though - he's an excellent writer to be able to muss up my brains like that.

 

[mikeo]

I fully agree with you on this one. This book is the literary equivalent of a snuff film.

You're free to not like it, but it's a well regarded book, and for very good reason. Accompanying the disturbing imagery is a power undercurrent of social commentary and dark humour. It's been some time since I read the book, but I saw the film again not that long ago, and I was switching between shocked and laughing pretty regularly. Yes, the laughing was sometimes shocked laughter, but it was still an excellent film, and a warped take on the 80s, which were (as the book and movie indicate) rather warped in their own way... Perhaps it's just one of those books you either hate or love?

At any rate, I heartily endorse:

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

 

[steve12553]

To get back to the bible discussion however, but also trying to stick with the meaning of this thread, I was given a bible when I was a child by an organisation called the Guidions. They gave me it on the proviso that I read a bit every single day and I, just wanting something for free, gave them my solemn promise. And I kept it for many years. For about 7 years I read a bit every day and I have probably read the bible about 20 times. And my point is... depending on the age of someone when they read it, I do think it has the power to brain wash one.

I still believe that books by themselves don't cause harm or good. I've heard for many years about the multitudes that were killed in the name of God (ord god, or gods or any equivalent) But everything I ever got out of the Bible was that people should treat each other as they would have themselves treated. A lot of people have been treated well and helped by religious folk world wide. The sad thing is that most or all religions leave room for interprtation in their teachings and people with an agenda can make those books say whatever they want them to by picking and choosing what to quote. The harm or the good is not in the reading but in the bending of the words to make it fit the existing agenda of the bender. As they said in the 60s "Kill a Commie for Christ". (I'm sure that's in Psalms).

 

[jackokent]

I still believe that books by themselves don't cause harm or good. I've heard for many years about the multitudes that were killed in the name of God (ord god, or gods or any equivalent) But everything I ever got out of the Bible was that people should treat each other as they would have themselves treated. A lot of people have been treated well and helped by religious folk world wide. The sad thing is that most or all religions leave room for interprtation in their teachings and people with an agenda can make those books say whatever they want them to by picking and choosing what to quote. The harm or the good is not in the reading but in the bending of the words to make it fit the existing agenda of the bender. As they said in the 60s "Kill a Commie for Christ". (I'm sure that's in Psalms).

I'd probably agree with you. I think it would be difficult for one idividual stimulus ie one book, to cause significant harm. However, books are extremely powerful and if, as I did, you read the same thing repetatively out of a sense of duty it can have undue influence. I am not going to give an opinion on whether the bible is good or bad, or what I personally got out of it, I would just reiterate that a book can be far more powerful than people realise and that whilst in the main this is probably a good thing, any form of power can also be negative. I am also more concerned with something that purports to be fact rather than fiction.

There are many lifestyle books which people pick and choose from ie Men are from Mars etc, and whilst I've not read this particular example, people can often be absorbed and even change their life as a consiquence of this advice. How more powerful then, the bible... the book of all books. I don't think you can dismiss its influence or look down on anyone who is influenced by it. Most people are not impartial readers.

There are also some bits that are particularly emotive depending on whether you are reading new or old testiment. Certainly there are some bits in the later that give specific lifestyle instruction which might not be PC now. Thus the current row over homosexuality and women priests etc.

But as you say, it's not the play it's the audience and we should all take responsiblitiy for our own actions. I would just caution care over books that are emotive and also purport to be fact.

 

[mosaix]

Steve, Jacko

I agree that we should take responsibilty for our own actions but those actions are modified by our opinions and where do they come from?

What I am about to say is obviously not true for all people and is a generality but non-the-less worth discussing.

A child gets its opinions and ideas from several sources:

1) Its parents
2) Its teachers
3) Its peer group
4) Books, films, television.

Any ONE of these can have a very strong effect.

Why is the majority of the West Christian and not the East - because of what we are taught by parents and teachers.

In Nazi Germany (and no I'm not going to mention Hitler) children were encouraged by their teachers to report anti-nazi comments made by their parents - and they did!

Politicians (JFK) and religious leaders (Billy Graham) can sway entire crowds with one speech.

Life-style books sweep continents in a few months. Not to mention conspiracy theory books.

Let's not underestimate the effect of what we hear and what we read.

Religion has an even greater effect because people are taught by parents, teachers (school and Church), T.V and Radio.

To repeat, we are responsible for our own actions but we don't live and learn in a vacuum.

 

[Lacedaemonian]

The gestapo were over rated.

 

[mosaix]

The gestapo were over rated.

Given the chance 6,000,000 might just disagree.

 

[Shoegaze99]

Given the chance 6,000,000 might just disagree.

The figure is a wee bit higher than that.

 

[j d worthington]

Hmmm. I'm not sure whether I should mention that we've drifted a bit or not ... as I'm not too sure there was much else to be said with the original post.... And as for some of the other comments ... well, it's a touchy issue now and again. Mention of the Gestapo and the camps is going to get this into an ugly mire if we're not careful; and while an attempt at humor (which I assume this was, even if particularly dark) is by no means unwarranted, on this it's treading rather thin ice.... I've personally worked with people who were on both sides of that, as children, and I find humor on the issue rather strained, myself.

So, in all, perhaps we'd best give both the bible and such other things as the camps a gingerly handling, and move back to the original intent, on books that themselves should not be read because of their detrimental effect; being very careful to avoid nerves that tend to be just a tad raw....

 

[GOLLUM]

Well pondering purely upon the title of this thread, I don't think there's any book anyone shouldn't be allowed to read. I've tried books/authors I don't like and wouldn't persist with like Goodkind or Hobb but then that's the case with everyone I imagine.

Off to read some more of a book I definitely like, Stephenson's Quicksilver. In a word, brilliant....

 

[mosaix]

Well pondering purely upon the title of this thread, I don't think there's any book anyone shouldn't be allowed to read. I've tried books/authors I don't like and wouldn't persist with like Goodkind or Hobb but then that's the case with everyone I imagine.

Off to read some more of a book I definitely like, Stephenson's Quicksilver. In a word, brilliant....

Where did the word 'allowed' come into the thread?

This was intended as a reverse of a 'Books I Recommend' thread, I doubt if the thread had been entitled 'Books You Should Read' it would have been interpreted as some kind of 'compulsion'.

Still, there's been some interesting, if unexpected, responses to the thread.

Perhaps I'll try again in a few months with another title.

 

[Shoegaze99]

Still, there's been some interesting, if unexpected, responses to the thread.

You started a thread about books people "shouldn't" read because of the ideas and content inside, and you didn't expect the sort of reaction you got?

Seems to me this thread panned out exactly as one should expect.

 

[mosaix]

You started a thread about books people "shouldn't" read because of the ideas and content inside, and you didn't expect the sort of reaction you got?

Seems to me this thread panned out exactly as one should expect.

No, what I expected was posts containing the titles of books, perhaps well written perhaps not, that had had a negative effect on the reader. You know - along the lines of 'books that changed my life' - but for the worse. Some posts were along those lines but they were in a minority.

I did expect some posts, from some people who perhaps mis-understood the original post (probably my fault) and from others who suspected that I had a hidden agenda but I didn't expect those posts to be in a majority.

 

[iansales]

How about... all those Bermuda Triangle, ancient visits from extraterrestials sort of books by the likes of Charles Berlitz and Erich von Daniken? Some of this "alternative history" is real fruitcake material, and gullible readers might actually think it's real

 

[GOLLUM]

Well for books that had a negative effect on me, I'ld have to say Goodkind's Sword Of Truth scarred my literary sensibiliteis quite a bit and I really didn't find much to recommend Hobb's Farship Traders trilogy. Another series that gave me negative vibes was K. J. Parker's Fencer Trilogy, eeeekkk....

Fortunatley the vast majority of books have brought me great reading pleasure.

 

[GOLLUM]

How about... all those Bermuda Triangle, ancient visits from extraterrestials sort of books by the likes of Charles Berlitz and Erich von Daniken? Some of this "alternative history" is real fruitcake material, and gullible readers might actually think it's real

Not only might but sadly do.....