Writing a hit book is tough! It takes hours (and sometimes years) of hard work, and even then, a book might not turn out as planned. After all, art is very subjective. That’s why many artists and authors face failures during their careers; some of the most successful writers aren’t immune.
These less successful books can be blamed on arrogance, poor editing, illness, old age, or drug use. Some might have been destined to fail from the start. It’s worth remembering that all these authors achieved huge success and wrote some of the most famous books of the last few centuries. But we’re not focusing on that here! Instead, let’s explore the biggest missteps of ten famous writers and see how their attempts at epic tales turned into epic fails.
Stephen King: The Tommyknockers
Stephen King, one of the most famous novelists of our time, is known for classics like Carrie, Pet Semetary, It, The Shining, Misery, The Green Mile, The Mist, and many more. He’s often called the King of Horror, even though many of his stories include some science fiction.
The Tommyknockers, a mix of science fiction and horror, is widely considered his worst work. Released in 1987, it was his 22nd novel (the 17th under his own name, not his pen name Richard Bachman). Critics see this book as absurd. It’s about a spaceship buried under a small town. The town slowly gets corrupted by the ship’s energy, and eventually, the citizens’ kitchen appliances turn against them.
King himself reportedly called it “an awful book” and admitted to using cocaine while writing it. In just over a year, King published four novels. Luckily for horror fans, he seemed to learn from his mistakes, as he has written many classic (and well-received) books since.
Tom Wolfe: I Am Charlotte Simmons
Next up is a book by Tom Wolfe (not to be confused with Thomas Wolfe). Tom Wolfe is best known for his two novels, The Right Stuff and A Man in Full. Both were loved by readers and critics.
I Am Charlotte Simmons actually won an award! But not a good one. It won the Literary Review Bad Sex Award. Wolfe published this book in 2004 when he was 74. What made it unusual was that the title character, Charlotte Simmons, was an 18-year-old woman. The novel is about Charlotte starting college, and it focuses mainly on her sexuality and experiences with it.
I Am Charlotte Simmons felt out of touch and wasn’t well-received then, nor has it aged well. It’s clear that this novel was Wolfe’s biggest failure as a writer.
Kurt Vonnegut: Slapstick
You know a book might not be great when the author says so themselves. Kurt Vonnegut is a respected novelist. Slapstick was his eighth novel, published in 1976. Critics and readers didn’t enjoy the book, and even Vonnegut wasn’t a fan. He graded his books in 1981’s Palm Sunday and gave Slapstick a “D.” He said it “may be a very bad book. Everybody else writes lousy books, so why shouldn’t I?” Critics weren’t kind either; The New York Times compared it to “a bowl of air.”
The book tells the story of twins with disabilities. Wilbur and Eliza gain extraordinary intelligence when they touch their heads together. Overall, the novel is about community and strangers, but the message doesn’t come across well. Instead, the novel is seen as clumsy, confusing, and possibly even offensive.
Vonnegut wrote many successful books before and after Slapstick, including Slaughterhouse-Five, Breakfast of Champions, Cat’s Cradle, and A Man Without a Country. I guess they can’t all be classics!
David Foster Wallace: The Broom of the System
David Foster Wallace is an iconic writer, especially for his famous novel, Infinite Jest. However, his first novel, The Broom of the System, didn’t quite hit the mark. The book is about language, identity, and meaning. It was released in 1987 when David Foster Wallace was only 24 years old and is said to be confusing. Perhaps it was too ambitious for his first work.
The Broom of the System takes place in 1990 and includes storylines like the disappearance of the protagonist’s grandmother (along with 25 others) from a nursing home, a jealous boyfriend named Rick Vigorous, and a parrot named Vlad the Impaler, who starts saying unusual things.
The novel wasn’t a commercial success. David Foster Wallace had a successful writing career, including Infinite Jest, Consider the Lobster, and The Pale King, before his death in 2008 at 46.
Agatha Christie: Elephants Can Remember
Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time, outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. She wrote over 60 detective novels and more than 80 books. With that much output, they can’t all be perfect.
Elephants Can Remember is often called Christie’s biggest failure. Like most of her work, it’s a detective novel featuring Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver, recurring characters. Tellingly, this is the last novel to feature either character. Critics generally didn’t like it, citing inconsistencies.
A 2009 study analyzed word repetition and vocabulary in Christie’s novels written between ages 28 and 82. A study from the University of Toronto suggested that Christie might have had Alzheimer’s disease when she wrote the novel. The title might have been a clue to her fading memory. Thankfully, she wrote many other classics.
Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey
Next is a book by Jane Austen. Unlike Elephants Can Remember, Northanger Abbey was written by Austen when she was around 23 years old. Northanger Abbey is different from Austen’s most famous works, Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park, and Sense and Sensibility.
Northanger Abbey was meant to parody gothic novels. Those novels aren’t well-known today, so the book misses the mark. Because it was written when the author was so young, Northanger Abbey can be seen as self-indulgent, and the characters aren’t relatable.
Fortunately for us, Jane Austen grew as a writer and penned some extremely influential books.
Bram Stoker: The Lair of the White Worm
Bram Stoker may not be a familiar name, but his famous book is also one of the most famous: Dracula. He wrote many other books, but none received even a fraction of the attention Dracula did.
Many books on our list are the author’s first work. This one, The Lair of the White Worm, was Stoker’s last. Published in 1911, Stoker died from strokes a year later. It’s theorized that Stoker was ill in his last years. It’s believed that Stoker had syphilis, which led to mental illness. This might explain some of the book’s issues.
The Lair of the White Worm uses many plot points from Dracula. A young, brave protagonist discovers a monster pretending to be human. Unlike Dracula, the monster’s identity is revealed early.
With a confusing and derivative plot, it’s easy to see why people think Stoker was suffering from syphilis. Reportedly, Stoker’s editor had ghostwriters rewrite sections and made large edits.
Philip Pullman: The Haunted Storm
Phillip Pullman is best known for the His Dark Materials trilogy: The Golden Compass, The Amber Spyglass, and The Subtle Knife. The trilogy was a huge success, with a movie based on The Golden Compass and an HBO show covering the trilogy. But he wasn’t an instant success.
His first novel, The Haunted Storm, was published in 1972 when Pullman was only 25. The plot follows violence in a small village. It has spiritual themes and wasn’t well-liked, even by Pullman himself. He has asked that it never be published again. Pullman has published more than 30 novels, all more successful than his first.
Thomas Harris: Cari Mora
You might not remember Thomas Harris’s name, but his famous character is well-known. Thomas Harris created Hannibal Lecter. He wrote four books about Lecter: Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, and Hannibal Rising. While not all were praised, they’ve been commercial successes.
Harris departed from Lecter to write Cari Mora in 2019, ten years after his last Lecter book. The villain in Cari Mora (Hans-Peter Schneider) has traits like liquifying his enemies. But the character didn’t attract readers or critics like Lecter did. It might be best for Harris to continue telling tales of Lecter.
J.K. Rowling: The Casual Vacancy
J.K. Rowling is perhaps the best-known author. She’s known for her Harry Potter series of seven books and follow-up novels: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through The Ages, The Tales of Beedle The Bard, and Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. There have been more than ten movies based on her writing.
In 2012, Rowling published a book with no dragons, broomsticks, or magic. Called The Casual Vacancy, it’s seen as Rowling’s biggest flop. A departure from the Harry Potter series, The Casual Vacancy is a murder mystery with sexual encounters and violence. Critics weren’t fans.
Many say it’s too long and boring. With the success of the Harry Potter series, it’s easy to see why fans were disappointed, but also why Rowling wanted to branch out and write for adults. Too bad it didn’t work out.
Even the most successful authors aren’t immune to writing a book that doesn’t resonate with readers or critics. These examples show that failure is a part of the creative process. It’s a risk that all writers face when they put their work out into the world.
Have you read any of these books? What are your thoughts? Leave your comment below!
