Authors and Their Books: What is the most disappointing, yet commercially successful book you've ever read?

[[deleted user]]

Anne wrote: "I had to laugh at Dan Brown' efforts to undermine the story of Jesus Christ. It is a well known fact he hates the Roman Catholic Church and the main purpose of TDC was to demean the Church. And no,..."

I think you're right, Anne. I'm beginning to wonder if famous writers are taking a que from the music industry by putting out rubbish based on their popularity. The art form seems to be lost. It's a tried-and-true formula: write something controversial and ride it to success based on your name.

[Howard]

Kaamil wrote: "Howard wrote: "Yes Andrew, the old sayings are still around for a reason.

They're usually all too true, and are in my case.

My books have been called the weirdest things ever written & that follo..."

Kamil, strange you say 'different lens' as the portal employed in my books, the window into another Timeframe, is officially known as the Time Fistula, a component of the machine used in each Epic Fable I've written.

Others involved, of course, are unaware.

But definitely a different lens.

[Howard]

Pia:

The strangest production decision of the second film was Tom Hank's hairdo & it got most of the press attention as I recall.

That tells you something.

[James]

It may be true that Dan Brown has a hatred of the Catholic Church, I can't say. But his work, which I frankly don't like but in this instance must distastefully defend, doesn't originate with him. It's lifted fom a revanchist history of Christianity which has existed almost as long as the religion itself. Long a subject of academic study. See the 19th century works of H.P. Blavatski and a plethora of modern texts. I'll put together a small bibliography if your REALLY interested.

[Shelley]

What is most likely to make me throw a book down is when the dialogue is (1)not literature and (2) does not sound like anything any human being ever said to any other human being on the face of the earth.

Shelley, Rain: A Dust Bowl Story
http://dustbowlpoetry.wordpress.com

[[deleted user]]

Shelley wrote: "What is most likely to make me throw a book down is when the dialogue is (1)not literature and (2) does not sound like anything any human being ever said to any other human being on the face of the..."

I'm with you on that one, Shelley. Bad dialogue is one are that will make me drop a book faster than anything because it's a sure sign of a clueless writer!

[Howard]

Shelley I agree.

My Epic Fables, being dialogue driven have little discription & I leave that for the reader's imagination to supply.

However, this formula only works if the words themselves are believable.

[Ian]

Pia/F. P. wrote: "I've not read the Dan Brown books, just samples from them, but I intend to try the books again because I wound up loving the two movies. Generally, I don't have much luck with very-detailed longer ..."

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo being a fine example of a book that was better as a movie.

[Ian]

Virginia wrote: "I guess I'm in trouble then, at least with you guys. People who live on the West Side of Chicago or South Philly don't "speak" literature. They speak "Chicago" or "South Philly", or maybe "Brook..."

You're only in trouble if a reader doesn't understand it as comfortable local dialect. I have character based in Philly, and everyone speaks colloquially, and no one has complained.

[Howard]

Virginia, I think you misunderstand my thrust.

Speaking 'in dialogue' is not the same as bad writing & I didn't mean to give that impression.

My Epic Fables are about time & the language of different eras will be different, that's all & local phrasings or dialects, while perhaps not 'followling the standard rules' are more than permittable & can enhance the piece.

But as Shelley stated, the words, no matter what they are, must push the plot, not shoot yourself in the mouth, so to speak.

[[deleted user]]

Virginia wrote: "I guess I'm in trouble then, at least with you guys. People who live on the West Side of Chicago or South Philly don't "speak" literature. They speak "Chicago" or "South Philly", or maybe "Brook..."

I'm not really sure what they mean by "speaking literature." To me, what's important is that the dialogue sounds authentic. I should be able to imagine your character saying whatever you've written. If it sounds contrived, you'll lose me.

[Kathy]

It doesn't seem to matter to me which direction whether it's the book or the movie. I love the Harry Potter books and movies altho I'm still irked that Peeves isn't in the movies. I thought Inkheart was better as a movie and I naturally had to read tbd books after which I thought were horrible. I like both versions of the Jason Bourne stories. As fo Stieg Larsson, I saw the movie and then read the book and very few discrepancies. I thought they were both brilliant.

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: "It doesn't seem to matter to me which direction whether it's the book or the movie. I love the Harry Potter books and movies altho I
still irked that Peeves isn't in the movies. I thought Inkheart..."

I've heard quite a few good things about Rowling and her Potter books. Although, it's not my preferred genre, I'll have to check out Potter!

[Kathy]

I think Rowling did a superb job of writing a series that can be read by all ages. She doesn't talk down to younger audiences and she keeps older ones enthralled with an underlying theme of good versus evil. Her characters are well-crafted and the evil ones aren't AS over-the-top as some I've read.

[Howard]

Kathy:

Rowling, even if she's not your cup of tea in terms of genre or storyline, produces & she's done so again & again.

Not too shabby even if one thinks her works are lacking.

Glad you like her though.