bubblegumpopper’s comment > Likes and Comments
Like
I felt the same way.
This genre of book must not be for you then because I couldn't get enough of any of the books. They were all wonderful. Now reading MOBY & I can't put it down but don't want it to end!!
I've never judged a book by the number of pages. I have read the entire series three times and enjoyed it from Page 1. I feel badly you didn't enjoy it - but it's not for everyone.
Not everyone can appreciate intelligent writing. That's okay. This is not a romance novel or romance series, and if you came away from it with the sense that it was then you need to try something a little less erudite.
It's rude of you to assume that because I don't enjoy a book that I am not intelligent enough to appreciate it. It is a romance series. It's not STRICTLY a romance novel, but one of the genres it is filed under is romance(along with fantasy, fiction, and surprisingly horror in my provincial library system.) It has won romance novel awards, so arguing that it is not a romance novel is inaccurate.
"Intelligent writing" is not an objective assessment. It is completely dependent on a person's experience. I would not define "intelligent" the writing that is so drawn-out and repetitive that I, as a reader, was counting the pages to the end. Claire's hair is frizzy. We get it; it's not a hard concept. And yet she mentions it at least 6 times. Maybe she just assumes all her readers aren't "erudite" enough to understand static? An "intelligent writer" could have achieved this more succinctly. Ms. Gabaldon could have been greatly served by a more strict editor.
It also bothered me that she seems to be a one-trick pony. Many of the plot points had the same formula: Claire is told not to do something for her own good, she ignores that advice and does it anyway, chaos ensues. Had she stuck to this iteration 1 or 2 times, I probably would have enjoyed the book (in no small part because it would have been half the length.)
Finally, I will admit that my strong feminist tendencies probably interfere with my appreciation of this book. Claire isn't exactly a bastion of feminist ideals. The part where she gets spanked for being a naughty girl was hard enough to swallow, but her folding like a deck of cards about it because she basically gets horny made me ill.
Lol. I agree that Outlander is too wordy and some things could be cut out. But when I sit down and try to think about what exactly should, my mind is blank. However, I'm sure if I sat down with a pen and paper while reading it, I could edit a fair bit.
One of the things though with these books is that a seemingly unimportant moment or character could end up being very important somewhere in the next few thousand pages. So editing could be a bit tough.
Diana's writing is often compared with Dickens and I have to agree to this. I love both but because of the wordiness and overly descriptive screens I get bored.
We all have different options obviously. Like when it comes to Claire's hair. I've read books where a character is said to have some sort of a flaw or insecurity about themselves but then it never comes up again. Weird that. If it was so important to the character wouldn't they continue to harp about it?
And of course the infamous spanking or beating scene. There is always lots to say about that but I also have to agree that Claire got over that WAY too quickly. I understood everything up to that point. I still see how she would have gotten past it eventually but that was just too quick for me. But I do have to disagree that she did so because she was horny. That thought never crossed my mind while reading the book.
Sigh. Stupid auto correct.
"Descriptive SCEENS"
"Different OPINIONS"
So whats wrong with romance?? these books are hot and really likable.. (LOL)
No book is for everyone, but if you like historical fiction, try Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati. Elizabeth, the main character, is an incredibly strong woman in a time when women had little control over their own lives.
I agree. Hated the book and the narrator on audio. It IS a romance novel hiding behind the labels of other genres in my
opinion. I wasted so much time on the first book and have no plans to read any more.
This is not high-minded literature. This is pulp. Really wordy pulp. At its heart, this book is a Harlequin on steroids.
back to top
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Amy
(new)
Jun 25, 2014 04:43AM
I felt the same way.
reply
|
flag
This genre of book must not be for you then because I couldn't get enough of any of the books. They were all wonderful. Now reading MOBY & I can't put it down but don't want it to end!!
I've never judged a book by the number of pages. I have read the entire series three times and enjoyed it from Page 1. I feel badly you didn't enjoy it - but it's not for everyone.
Not everyone can appreciate intelligent writing. That's okay. This is not a romance novel or romance series, and if you came away from it with the sense that it was then you need to try something a little less erudite.
It's rude of you to assume that because I don't enjoy a book that I am not intelligent enough to appreciate it. It is a romance series. It's not STRICTLY a romance novel, but one of the genres it is filed under is romance(along with fantasy, fiction, and surprisingly horror in my provincial library system.) It has won romance novel awards, so arguing that it is not a romance novel is inaccurate."Intelligent writing" is not an objective assessment. It is completely dependent on a person's experience. I would not define "intelligent" the writing that is so drawn-out and repetitive that I, as a reader, was counting the pages to the end. Claire's hair is frizzy. We get it; it's not a hard concept. And yet she mentions it at least 6 times. Maybe she just assumes all her readers aren't "erudite" enough to understand static? An "intelligent writer" could have achieved this more succinctly. Ms. Gabaldon could have been greatly served by a more strict editor.
It also bothered me that she seems to be a one-trick pony. Many of the plot points had the same formula: Claire is told not to do something for her own good, she ignores that advice and does it anyway, chaos ensues. Had she stuck to this iteration 1 or 2 times, I probably would have enjoyed the book (in no small part because it would have been half the length.)
Finally, I will admit that my strong feminist tendencies probably interfere with my appreciation of this book. Claire isn't exactly a bastion of feminist ideals. The part where she gets spanked for being a naughty girl was hard enough to swallow, but her folding like a deck of cards about it because she basically gets horny made me ill.
Lol. I agree that Outlander is too wordy and some things could be cut out. But when I sit down and try to think about what exactly should, my mind is blank. However, I'm sure if I sat down with a pen and paper while reading it, I could edit a fair bit. One of the things though with these books is that a seemingly unimportant moment or character could end up being very important somewhere in the next few thousand pages. So editing could be a bit tough.
Diana's writing is often compared with Dickens and I have to agree to this. I love both but because of the wordiness and overly descriptive screens I get bored.
We all have different options obviously. Like when it comes to Claire's hair. I've read books where a character is said to have some sort of a flaw or insecurity about themselves but then it never comes up again. Weird that. If it was so important to the character wouldn't they continue to harp about it?
And of course the infamous spanking or beating scene. There is always lots to say about that but I also have to agree that Claire got over that WAY too quickly. I understood everything up to that point. I still see how she would have gotten past it eventually but that was just too quick for me. But I do have to disagree that she did so because she was horny. That thought never crossed my mind while reading the book.
Sigh. Stupid auto correct. "Descriptive SCEENS"
"Different OPINIONS"
So whats wrong with romance?? these books are hot and really likable.. (LOL)
No book is for everyone, but if you like historical fiction, try Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati. Elizabeth, the main character, is an incredibly strong woman in a time when women had little control over their own lives.
I agree. Hated the book and the narrator on audio. It IS a romance novel hiding behind the labels of other genres in my opinion. I wasted so much time on the first book and have no plans to read any more.
This is not high-minded literature. This is pulp. Really wordy pulp. At its heart, this book is a Harlequin on steroids.
