This week's question:
Have you ever fallen out of love with a favorite author? Was the last book you read by the author so bad, you broke up with them and haven’t read their work since? Could they ever lure you back?
I've been thinking hard about this one, and the only books that spring to mind are the sort of series like Lee Child's and his ilk. Oh - and Carl Hiaasen. They can be funny, and fast and entertaining reads, until you crack the formula, and then ... yawn.
I can almost forgive Hiaasen, as he's at least on a mission to draw attention to the over-development and unscrupulous exploitation of his beloved Florida. But after four or five, I simply cannot be bothered any more.
I have broken up with other writers only temporarily. I'll give them a little breathing space, and I'll see other people, but I'll return to them eventually.
Such as Minette Walters. I did get a little bit tired of her books after a while, though not so tired that I wouldn't read her again. She does great characters.
Same with Ian Rankin - only because his books are so gritty and occasionally bleak that you have to be of a robust disposition to read a lot of them one after the other. But I so admire his writing, and always know that whatever I pick up of his, I'll finish.
7 comments:
Yes, I gave up on Patricia Cornwell a while back. I tried reconciliation recently. Nope. So sorry we had to break up, we had a good thing going there for a while...
I'm so with you ALice
Patricia Cornwall was my instant choice too. GET OVER YOURSELF SCARPETTA and LUCY - and Cornwal;l too for that matter.
I started to go off them in a big way after a violent event in the family that involved a lot of forensic work, and somehow reading gratuitously written forensic pseudothrillers doesn't seem nearly so interseting when your family home has been ransacked and coated in fingerprint dust... Funny that!
You've explained one of the reasons why I rarely sit down and read a whole series back to back. I like to break up the series and space my reading of them out so that I don't get burned out or spoiled by the stories. Sometimes the familiar formula is just what I want and other times, I prefer to mix things up. It depends on where I am in any given moment.
Patricia Cornwell is perhaps my biggest heartbreak when it comes to books. I really enjoyed reading her earlier books but her writing and my growing lack of interest in the characters and what would happen next were the final straws. It would take a great book and much praise from trusted sources before I would try her again.
I seldom read any series. I find that those tend to disappoint us.I have given up on Robin Cook, Grisham etc etc.
Do check my BTT post!
Lesley, thanks so much for dropping by, a lovely surprise :)
To the others who also dropped PC - it's nice to be in company. I think PC and I started drifting around the time of "Isle of Dogs".
Someone recently reccomended PC's "Book of the Dead" I have it on reserve at the library, and since I am number 16 in line perhaps it's worth the read??? Hmm.. dunno.. I can let you know :)
Lesley, Do you mind if I link to you, this post of yours really has me thinking :)
I agree about Hiaasen; they are fun at first. I'd like to try him again, just in case I'd read them too close together.
But you're the first person I've ever heard say anything negative about Lee Child! I'll have to see for myself if I agree.
I also fell out of love with Patricia Cornwell but thought that it was due to the fact that I am a visual thinker and found it confronting as I was living alone as well. I came by you through both Laura and Alice. Love what I am reading. Thanks for the opportunity
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