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Welcome

I started this blog in 2013 to share my reflections on reading, writing and psychology, along with my journey to become a published novelist.​  I soon graduated to about twenty book reviews a month and a weekly 99-word story. Ten years later, I've transferred my writing / publication updates to my new website but will continue here with occasional reviews and flash fiction pieces, and maybe the odd personal post.

ANNE GOODWIN'S WRITING NEWS

11 reasons I might give up on a novel #amreading

28/3/2016

25 Comments

 
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As I’ve mentioned before, I was surprised when a literary agent who turned down my debut novel did so because the sample I’d sent her was written in the first person present tense. But if you read for a living, being familiar with your preferences and prejudices can save a lot of time. After all, we can’t all appreciate the same thing. Reading for reviews is helping me clarify my own likes and dislikes although, despite the title of this post, a sense of accountability to publishers who’ve provided me a free copy and a belief in the value of diversity will see me rarely abandoning a book. (I think I ditched three out of well over 100 books I read last year.) But since “11 reasons I don’t want to read your book” has a nasty ring to it, for the purposes of this post I’m extending the definition of “abandon” to encompass books I’m not even tempted to start. Practical or blinkered, considered or arbitrary, undoubtedly contradictory, in reverse order of annoyingness, these are my 11 reasons I won’t give a novel my time.

11. It’s not unusual for fiction to be embedded in the author’s personal experience, but I want that experience to be well processed. Fictionalised biography, especially if it stems from some tragedy or trauma, or based on a true story does not generally entice me to find out more – even if I might resort to this myself.

10. Not sufficient on its own for me to veto a novel, but it does need to sparkle in other ways if I’m to tolerate an elaborate and unnecessary framework for the narrator to tell their story. I know it’s fiction, I know there’s an author behind it, so don’t waste my time pretending it was written on scraps of toilet paper and smuggled out of prison. Epistolary novels I can just about handle, but please let’s get on with the story!

9. I appreciate learning about other cultures, patterns of work or periods of history, but I don’t want a lecture. I don’t want a novel that’s overly heavy on research.

8. As I’m more interested in character, I don’t need my reading to be heavy on plot. In fact, I get lost if the plot is too complex, so I’m not into thrillers and crime.

7. On the other hand, while I tend to prefer literary fiction, I do like some forward movement. Too much description, however eloquent, slows the story down, leading to …

6. Valuing my time, I’m more likely to take a risk with a shorter novel than a long one. If the Rough Writers and friends can tell a story in exactly 99-words, then 1000 times that number should be enough for anyone. Although it varies according to the size of print, that translates to around 300 pages. (Sugar and Snails is 330 pages and was edited down to only 85,000 words.) So a novel that’s overly long is a turnoff for me.

5. While I’m fascinated by religion in an anthropological sense, I’m somewhat averse to the spiritual and supernatural as an overriding theme. So no to Marilynne Robinson, despite her plethora of awards, although I did enjoy The Time Traveler’s Wife because I interpreted the zany time-travelling as a metaphor for how our minds, like computers, can revert to earlier settings.

4. While I believe there’s room for a touch of humour in almost any topic, I don’t like comedic takes on tragic situations unless, like The First Bad Man, it’s really dark and over the top. Apparent denial of desperation and devastation can really freak me out.

3. Yet, much as I’m drawn to the dark side, I don’t want my reading to be totally bleak. There are ways of writing about trauma that allow for a sliver of light.

2. I look for emotional breadth and depth in my reading, but I hate emotional manipulation when the author tries to dictate what I should feel. I’ll make up my own mind, thank you.

1. Although I still don’t fully understand what post-modernism means, I’ve now learnt to be wary of anything described as post-modern, which seems to be an extreme version of the self-consciousness of form addressed in my point 10. I want a novel to be just that: a novel, not a collection of essays, emails, newspaper cuttings and the like.

So I’ve had my gripe, what would make you abandon a novel?

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
25 Comments
Sacha Black
28/3/2016 09:54:36 pm

Loved this. Made me giggle. I hate autobiographies, I don't like flowery description, I struggle with accented dialogue and I hate stuff that tries to be clever. Either your (the story is) clever, or your not.

Reply
Annecdotist
29/3/2016 09:54:51 am

Thanks for sharing, Sacha. I have to agree on not liking writing that seems to be showing off, though I think it is sad when "clever" becomes a criticism.

Reply
Sacha black
29/3/2016 11:36:28 am

Ah it's not the essence of being clever that's an issue its forcing it and it being obvious that they have tried to be clever. It's better when it's naturally clever rather than cliched or trite

Annecdotist
29/3/2016 11:52:50 am

You’re right, it’s when it’s forced and doesn’t come naturally then it doesn’t seem clever at all – just a pain. I feel the same way about emotional depth. While it’s something I look for in my reading, I’d much rather have something light and authentic than the kind of book where the author feels they have to dig deeper than they might be ready to do in order for their work to be taken seriously.

Annecdotist
29/3/2016 11:54:30 am

But I didn’t actually take your comment as being against cleverness per se, it’s just sometimes it irks me when the word is automatically used as a criticism.

Sarah link
29/3/2016 12:00:43 am

I'm laughing out loud. This is so funny, Anne. It's true, but your presentation is priceless.

I don't pick up really long books, either. Don't read horror anymore (and won't read anything with graphic violence - especially sans story). And purple prose... *gag* Also, as I read a lot of MG and YA, I'm picky about language that is...um...good. I mean, just because it's a children's book doesn't mean it has to be written badly. (Sorry.) 😝 There are so many authors out there who write for kids and their writing is amazing. I won't waste time on anything less. So many books, so little time.

Reply
Annecdotist
29/3/2016 09:56:22 am

Glad you enjoyed it, Sarah. Indeed, whoever the audience / readership is, a book needs to be well written – and as so many are, there's little point spending time on those that aren't. Well said!

Reply
Norah Colvin link
29/3/2016 07:28:12 am

Love your list, Anne. If I were to write a list there would be some overlap with yours, and some points on which they diverge. I have read a couple of epistolary novels that I thoroughly enjoyed: Jostein Gaarder's "The Castle in the Pyrenees" and Shaffer and Barrows' "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society".
I do enjoy biography and autobiography, but not necessarily fictionalised biography - it's either true or it's not. I like to know when it is and it isn't, even if there is as much truth, as opposed to factual information, in fiction.
I definitely agree with you about character. That is what interests me most: the characters, their thoughts, relationships and responses. The plot is only there to show the development of the character.
I consider research in a similar manner. It is there to support the characters and the events, not to drown them.
I am surprised that you don't favour bleak. I'm with you on that one too. I like there to be something a little uplifting or positive, hope for the future. I definitely don't like dystopian novels, though I'm quite intrigued by "Divided Kingdom". Also intrigued that you consider it a favourite. I don't touch horror but I will read about characters involved in horrific situations, especially when their strength of character is shown. I'm probably thinking of biographies and autobiographies here such as that of Malala and Nelson Mandela, for example.
I agree with you about post-modernism. What sort of a meaningless term is that! :)

Reply
Annecdotist
29/3/2016 09:53:11 am

Thanks for sharing your preferences, Norah. “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” is a fabulous title, one to really get you wondering what it’s about – I mean, as well as the obvious!
That’s a good way of looking at biography/autobiography versus fiction – it’s important to know whether it’s one of the other, which reminds me of another pet hate of mine, the novel that turns out to be all a dream or whatever in the end – I already know it’s made up!
Ah, but didn’t I say I don’t favour very bleak – I think we have a different threshold for what’s acceptable. Looks like I might have tricked you into reading Divided Kingdom!
As for postmodern – I’ve got a novel lined up to read for next month that ticks that box. I hope I like it enough not to mind, but I didn’t realise it was in that category till I opened it up and saw some text going vertically down the page (though, to be fair, that part’s in Chinese).

Reply
Norah Colvin link
2/4/2016 06:06:33 am

Tricked into Divided Kingdom! That's an interesting thought.I am enjoying it, I think; and am looking forward to the conclusion (to find out how it is resolved). I still have a way to go though. Perhaps I should do a bit more driving! :)
I don't like "but it was all a dream" either - don't see much point in that.

Annecdotist
3/4/2016 12:45:50 pm

I'm really struggling to remember how it ends on how well the threads are wound together, though I doubt I'd have recommended it if it turned out it was all a dream! Your reading it through listening has me wanting to reread, but the TBR shelf has now reached 20 (small beer to some book bloggers) so that's unlikely to happen soon.

Helen link
30/3/2016 09:07:28 pm

Yes, I'm with you on the one about being overly heavy on the research. I'm bogged down at the moment in Hilary Mantel's 'A Place of Greater Safety' even though I love her work so much. There are just so many names and places and people, and I believe it's researched, and so carefully written, but I just can't get through it (and yet can't give up, because I feel such loyalty to the author).

Reply
Annecdotist
31/3/2016 08:36:52 am

I’ve read quite a lot of her earlier novels, Helen, but not this one as it happens. Wasn’t it based on her academic research? Life’s too short to persist with a novel that isn’t giving anything back.

Reply
Claire Fuller link
31/3/2016 09:38:52 am

I give up on a lot of books, and I'm afraid I only give them a few pages. It's usually the writing (rather than story or characters) that puts me off. Too clunky, badly constructed, just not considered; I like writing that has a rhythm, that flows well.

Reply
Annecdotist
1/4/2016 11:38:14 am

Ah, Claire, you're so efficient! I do expect decent writing as a given, but I'll usually try to give myself time to settle into the style.

Reply
geoff link
31/3/2016 10:45:14 pm

Yes with you on some. Hate autobios. Love a good plot (so yes to crime and thrillers) but badly edited and long scenes that add nothing really bug me. Stories that are treacle like where the plot is apparently irrelevant - so a bit of literary fiction sends me chewing my shoes; I like humour but only when it is an aide to the plot and not of or in itself the reason for the book; I will suspend my disbelief but only so far so I find fantasy and some science fiction a stretch; and yes those books in emails or whatever are a turn off. You have a picture of the Luminaries but don't say why (or did I miss this?) - now there's one mother of a plot with more characters than at a free chocolate convention, all of whom spend paragraphs having their smoking habits described in dull detail - is this a turn off or on? I'm glad I saw it through albeit a fair bit passed me by - all the astrological guff for starters

Reply
Annecdotist
1/4/2016 11:46:10 am

Thanks for sharing your preferences, Geoff, and I was waiting for someone to pick me up on The Luminaries. I’d been wondering how to illustrate this post but thought that was a fair shot as it’s one that soared so high there’s nothing to be lost through my rejection of it. No, I didn’t persist with this one, although I probably read about 100 pages, so with a short book when that would have got me halfway I’d have probably continued. But I was so bored by the initial scene in the bar or whatever and, like you, the astrological connections did not entice me. However it distorted my statistics for last year on Goodreads as I can’t find a way on the system of deleting a book once it’s marked as “currently reading” – not so much in affecting the total number of books read, but certainly the overall number of pages. (Apologies for this long-winded drivel which I doubt will be of interest to you if you don’t use Goodreads!)

Reply
Geoff link
1/4/2016 12:35:46 pm

I have to confess to giving up too but then I had a credit on Audible the audio books I listen to when out with Dog do gave it another shot. Maybe that's cheating. It improved in the middle third but then had so many strands to wrap up it felt like I was fighting string. I haven't really done good reads. Not sure what I'll get out if it in truth.

Annecdotist
1/4/2016 05:16:43 pm

Of course audio isn’t cheating but for me I wouldn’t want someone else’s words interfering with my walks – it would have to be reserved for in the car. I started Goodreads to monitor and record my own reading but there’s a lot more you could do if there were time. But you might want to look into it as an author as well – it’s just another resource.

Lisa Reiter link
31/3/2016 10:48:49 pm

Ooo! I love this! I abandon books usually when the style is too wordy, too clever (thesaurus swallowers) or failing to give characters depth. I want to empathise with someone in the book even if I don't like them. It does help to like them a bit but I once read a good serial-killer story written from the killer's perspective!
And then there are those that just don't grab me and life is too short for these. However, if recommended by someone who's taste I usually appreciate, I will persist - same with a book group read (although I will still abandon if I'm a third of the way through and dying of boredom) - Sometimes the second half proves to be better than the first but I rarely think "phew.. I nearly missed a good one there"

Reply
Annecdotist
1/4/2016 11:48:22 am

Thanks, Lisa, life is indeed too short and good books too many to suffer through those we don't connect with.

Reply
Caroline link
3/4/2016 08:01:33 am

I found myself agreeing with a great deal on this list. I wanted, and also didn't want, more examples. I did because it would have given substance to the items on the list. But I was glad you didn't because it could easily have become a post dissing other writers. I think bloggers should avoid rubbishing other people.
Now just checking your list against my novel!
Caroline

Reply
Annecdotist
3/4/2016 12:28:58 pm

Interesting point, Caroline. I did wonder about giving examples but (apart from as I’ve said in response to Geoff’s question about the book cover illustration, where I am sure my opinion counts for very little) I didn’t like the idea of singling authors out for negative feedback. As I review most of what I read, criticism is inevitable on this blog, I’m trying to keep it to what is absolutely necessary that the point of view as helping my blog readers to make up their mind whether or not a book might be attractive to them. I imagine my supportive readers will point out if I take that too far.

Reply
Terry Tyler
12/4/2016 09:51:10 am

Things that make me abandon a novel:
1. Just basic lack of writing talent. That, more than anything.
2. Exposition. Ghastly, hate it, so amateur!
3. Bad/lack of research.
4. Bad punctuation.
5. The use of the word 'I' when it should be 'me'. A common problem, made by the best authors at times. If I come across one of these, a book has to be pretty special to make me want to carry on reading it! Silly, I know, but it really puts me off.

Reply
Annecdotist
15/4/2016 11:59:44 am

Thanks for chipping in, Terry. Yes, decent writing is so fundamental I neglected to even mention it in my list! And I think we’ve discussed before, and no doubt will again until everyone learns to do it properly ;), that misplaced ‘I’ instead of ‘me’.

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