Horror Aficionados discussion
trouble picturing scene description?
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Some authors are deliberately vague, giving only bare descriptions so that readers can form their own mental images.
Some of these authors are just lazy. They rush the background stuff to get to the parts of the story they have set in their minds.
A good author can describe something that appears in your mind, without filling pages with endless little details.
Thank you for replying. I have just gotten back into reading since finishing college, and I seem to have hit a streak of books with this issue. I was beginning to wonder if the issue was me. My OCD did not help this issue either (I do actually have OCD, not just saying it :) )
Mod
Some authors, particularly bestselling ones, tend to get lazy.
Keep trying. You'll find books that work. They're out there. ;)
Jon Recluse wrote: "No worries.Some authors, particularly bestselling ones, tend to get lazy.
Keep trying. You'll find books that work. They're out there. ;)"
I never considered that actually. It can be tough to describe what one sees in one's mind at times. I may be struggling with this particular description as well, because I think Preston is trying to describe a coastal town in Maine...which I've never really seen before.
Mod
But Preston is an author.
That's his job, right? ;)
Very good point! I'm just glad it's not just me.
It happens to me a lot, not so much with the description of an area (like in The Ruins), but with the action of a scene. The scene will unfold and it'll be all chaotic and vague and I'm like, What the hell happened?Finished The Cipher a few weeks ago and there are several scenes I have only the vaguest idea of what happened in them. Most times I can re-read them and it's clear what happened, but not all the time. I think it happens more often when I'm really not into the book.
I think I have seen that as well. Hell House, The Ruins, and now Riptide have all seemed to provide these vague location description details. I really hope it's not just me.
I'm probably worrying way to much about this. I used to have a difficult time reading because of my OCD, so that may be the reason this is plaguing me so much. I appreciate all of the responses. I really do. I guess I am looking for some reassurance.
I'm not sure your imagination didn't get Smith's ruins right. What you described sounds like it could be what he intends the reader to imagine. I pictured a low mountain with thick vines growing up the sides, but once on top there is a large, flat area where all the action takes place.
I pictured being a grassy hill for some reason. I was expecting more of a stereotypical Mayan ruin on the hill.
Yeah, I don't remember there being any ruins of the kind we would think of—some crumbling, ancient structure. Just a whole lot of vines. Did you like the story? It's one of my favorite books. Loved it.
Yeah from what I read. I had to return it to the library before I finished it (e-book). I plan to go back to it. I had never read a story where I grew to like a character and felt really bad about it because I knew something awful was going to happen to them. This overwhelmed me with Pablo's character. The emotion really hit me when they were in the back of the truck on their way to the ruins, and he was gesticulating and exclaiming at the evil dog. That scene just cemented my like of his character and I immediately felt bad for what may lay ahead for him (it is a horror novel after all :) )
I occasionally have an issue with this at times. For me, it is on those instances when the scene is large. I just read a chick lit type of book and I have trouble reconciling the money aspect of the ladies purchase of a large farm. To me, it seemed like they had this never-ending supply of cash; although, it was rather vague in the text about this money supply. Then when the author does describe the farm in detail in later scenes, I really think wth? Where is all this money coming from? Maybe it is just me about the money aspect, but my mind always goes there.
Mod
The author describes the town down to the mailboxes early in the book.
Halfway through, suddenly the sheriff's office is next door to the antique store, and the store that was there is gone.
That reminds me of Matheson with Hell House. His descriptions of the mansion were so vague at times. "A beautiful paneled ceiling", or "a paneled wall with granite above it." Wood panelling? The book was written in the seventies! Lol. Oh, and everybody was constantly "starting." I am not sure really what Matheson even intended that phrase to mean at times.
Mod
They meant "startled".
Not all of the time. "Barrett commented on the painting. Florence started." It was often presented in that manner. "Florence's head titled back. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she began to summon the spirits. Barrett started."
Mod
"Started" used to mean jumped.
Like if you got a shock, y'know?
"There was a loud knocking on the table, and then a sudden silence. Barrett started.""Florence walked away into the next corridor. Barrett started, but then stopped in hesitation."
It was seriously that vague. Lol. At times I could gather what was meant from context, but most of the time it down right made no sense.
I did however read a review that mentioned Hell House may have been written as a satire to Shirley Jackson's "Haunting of Hill House." If that was the case, the atrocious writing in Hell House would be understandable.
On no Jon. I understood what you meant bro. Sorry. What you said totally made sense. I was just trying to clarify why I did not think that was the care in most instances. Sorry to upset you man.
I keep falling behind on your replies. :)
Mod
You didn't upset me.
We good. :)
Bp4christ wrote: ""There was a loud knocking on the table, and then a sudden silence. Barrett started.""Florence walked away into the next corridor. Barrett started, but then stopped in hesitation."
It was seriou..."
Started would mean to jump involuntarily, as Jon said. Just to add my two pennies worth, I absolutely loved Hell House... Guess it wouldn't do for us all to like the same things. :-)
I'm glad you liked it. I wish I had. It was my first Matheson novel and I had high hopes for it. Thanks for replying to the topic.
Bp4christ wrote: "I'm glad you liked it. I wish I had. It was my first Matheson novel and I had high hopes for it. Thanks for replying to the topic."No problem with the replying :)
Incidentally, 'I Am Legend' is another very good Matheson story. It may not be your type of read, but the sense of bleak desperation he creates is superb. If you are ever inclined to give him another go, then I'd recommend this book.
It's definitely one I want to read. Hell House discouraged me, but from what I have read, I Am Legend is pretty unanimously liked. I love post-apocalyptic stuff, so I definitely think it will be up my alley.
I don't like Hell House (ducks & hides) but I do like I am Legend. A good story. Try his short stories too.
When the characters first arrived at the ruins, in my mind I saw just this small hill with a hole in it, fields on the bottoms of both ends, and jungle parallel to both sides of the hill and fields. That is all I could gather by Smith's description. Does anyone else have this struggle with some novels? The description seems vague I guess...I hope I am doing a good job of describing this.