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James Patterson is not a writer. James Patterson is a manufacturer of product. He is the literary equivalent of a Swanson TV dinner.
LOL. I like you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jay5835
I gave up on James Patterson about five books into the Alex Cross series. He was always getting DC locations so wrong, I finally could only hate-read him.
This! Forget which book, but Alex Cross & Co were near Pittsburgh and headed out after the bad guy. They headed in a direction that took them in the opposite direction they needed to go. Really slipshod research.
Then there are the sections in ZOO which were found to be lifted word for word from a National Geographic...
I've noticed people who don't like authors like Patterson and King are often the types who love the purple prose naval-gazers, authors who go on and on ad nauseum about the color of the flowers on the tabletop, and leave their characters in perpetual, angsty introspection. They spend all their time thinking up beautiful ways of describing things at the cost of actually having their characters DO something. If I'm looking for weepy poetry, I read a poem.
But that's just me.
There's really no need to insult people who don't like the same books that you do. I've found on here that I can agree wholeheartedly with a person about the merits of one book and totally disagree about another. Also, it's possible to appreciate both a compelling plot and beautiful writing and imagery.
I read one Alex Cross novel and didn't like it because I don't like to be entertained by people torturing and murdering other people. I stopped reading Stephen King at one point (Pet Sematery) because I thought he'd gone off the deep end with grisly, depressing horror, but now I think he's come back and is writing some great stories. I also loved Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry which you might classify as a "purple prose naval-gazer" but which I thought was a beautifully written story about the life of a not-terribly-exciting man living in a small town. It's quite possible to enjoy both.
His early work was brilliant. Over the past ten plus years he's been in desperate need of an editor. Books are too long, too wordy and often not that interesting. However, when he's on it's magic. Salem's Lot, The Shining, It, Pet Sematary, The Stand and his short stories were amazing. I still read his books but it's not like I'm on pins and needles waiting for his new release.
His early work was brilliant. Over the past ten plus years he's been in desperate need of an editor. Books are too long, too wordy and often not that interesting. However, when he's on it's magic. Salem's Lot, The Shining, It, Pet Sematary, The Stand and his short stories were amazing. I still read his books but it's not like I'm on pins and needles waiting for his new release.
The same happened to Clive Barker. His early fiction career consists of brilliant concepts and deftly composed short stories, novellas and novels. Weave-World topped out between 600-700 pages — it warranted that length. His subsequent books suffered from a surplus of text, especially Imajica, which is where I stopped (I never finished it).
I understand King's enjoying a return to form. But his early works will be celebrated as roadmarks on the highway to contemporary horror. He really is better at novellas than novels, in my humble opinion. Two prime examples: "1922" from Full Dark, No Stars and the original novella of "The Mist," which is a fantastic tale.
A high page count is like a Cadillac or F350: it may look more impressive but that smaller sportier sedan may run circles around it.
The same happened to Clive Barker. His early fiction career consists of brilliant concepts and deftly composed short stories, novellas and novels. Weave-World topped out between 600-700 pages — it warranted that length. His subsequent books suffered from a surplus of text, especially Imajica, which is where I stopped (I never finished it).
I understand King's enjoying a return to form. But his early works will be celebrated as roadmarks on the highway to contemporary horror. He really is better at novellas than novels, in my humble opinion. Two prime examples: "1922" from Full Dark, No Stars and the original novella of "The Mist," which is a fantastic tale.
A high page count is like a Cadillac or F350: it may look more impressive but that smaller sportier sedan may run circles around it.
Loved the Mist I thought it was one of his best works and I also loved his early short stories. I'll have to dig out a copy and read it again.
"The Mist" was expertly adapted by Frank Darabont, who also gave us The Shawkshank Redemption. While I like the ending of the novella, the new ending by Darabont was a shocker to the point King said he wished he'd thought of it. The Mist is one of the best King adaptations along with Carrie, Salem's Lot, Cujo, Christine and the novellas "Rita Hayworth and Shawkshank Redemption" and "Secret Garden, Secret Window." I didn't even mind that the movie version of the latter scrubbed the story's supernatural element.
"The Mist" was expertly adapted by Frank Darabont, who also gave us The Shawkshank Redemption. While I like the ending of the novella, the new ending by Darabont was a shocker to the point King said he wished he'd thought of it. The Mist is one of the best King adaptations along with Carrie, Salem's Lot, Cujo, Christine and the novellas "Rita Hayworth and Shawkshank Redemption" and "Secret Garden, Secret Window." I didn't even mind that the movie version of the latter scrubbed the story's supernatural element.
I liked both the novella and story The Mist, but it also showcases one of King's glaring weaknesses as a writer (as does Carrie), and that is his penchant for religious maniacs as villains. Nothing at all wrong with that. But King's religious maniacs tend to be more caricature than character.
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