tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post8176480027979243281..comments2024-02-12T17:59:33.534-06:00Comments on RAZORED ZEN: Like It Or NotCharles Gramlichhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-71119174740817872902013-03-15T22:56:27.860-05:002013-03-15T22:56:27.860-05:00That does happen to me. In fact, this kind of dif...That does happen to me. In fact, this kind of difference of opinion is what taught me to tell people that I like or dislike a book (or movie or TV show or some other subjective experience) rather than telling them whether I thought it was good or not.<br /><br />You remind me that I need to pay more attention to Goodreads. I've let it slide for a long time, but I did get some great recommendations from it in the past.Travis Codyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06192526507760146748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-23900666825569390202013-03-15T08:39:30.843-05:002013-03-15T08:39:30.843-05:00G.B., I was hesitant about the Harry Potter books ...G.B., I was hesitant about the Harry Potter books for exactly that reason, but once I saw one of the movies I got interested in the characters and went for the books. The fastest I've ever read a mutli-volume series.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-59172399181166050682013-03-14T16:54:38.680-05:002013-03-14T16:54:38.680-05:00Never had that problem, as I very rarely rave abou...Never had that problem, as I very rarely rave about books to others that I have personally enjoyed. I'll recommend some (like yours for example) to others, but I don't press the issue by saying, "Ya gotta read this!"<br /><br />By the other side of the coin, I'm not into what R.K. calls "junk food books", and what most people call "Oprah books".<br /><br />Just because something is insanely popular (like Harry Potter) doesn't mean I'll automatically read it.<br /><br />I'm about the pickiest reader out there and I definitely do not conform when it comes to reading.G. B. Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09783331838434598963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-21755130507084674692013-03-14T14:28:30.276-05:002013-03-14T14:28:30.276-05:00RkR, I've been known to keep quite a few short...RkR, I've been known to keep quite a few short story collections around to read from in between deciding what novel I might like next. I'm the same way about the Supposed to like" something. It makes it harder for me. And I read mostly older SF fantasy too because I just tend to enjoy it more. I think my writing most clearly reflects those kinds of styles too.<br /><br />Szelsofa, that's a good thought on the issue. You may be right. I didn't really think of that.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-3383630586731569102013-03-14T13:10:39.144-05:002013-03-14T13:10:39.144-05:00it does happen to me as well.
i sometimes think th...it does happen to me as well.<br />i sometimes think that we appreciate styles/stories/characters that either are similar to ours (even those that have the same mistake as ours...) or those that we have set as goals in front of us ('this is how i wish to be able to write...')SzélsőFahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11600289147447182465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-15458964018699053102013-03-14T13:09:21.964-05:002013-03-14T13:09:21.964-05:00Yep, me too. Sometimes I feel as if I'm SUPPOS...Yep, me too. Sometimes I feel as if I'm SUPPOSED to like a particular book, and then I actually feel guilty if I put it aside and admit to not liking it much at all. This seems to happen more and more often with SF-F written in the last decade or so. It's probably one of the reasons I like to stick to the older stuff, the authors I trust from experience.<br /><br />I think mood can have a big influence too. On a really dreary day, or when feeling lousy, or if something is worrying me, I tend to have a difficult time liking a book. I find the solution is usually to read a short story instead of a novel.Rick Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07978136287154214297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-25280700063189369892013-03-14T09:39:54.353-05:002013-03-14T09:39:54.353-05:00Patti, interesting. And right in time for this top...Patti, interesting. And right in time for this topic.How strange though, eh?<br /><br />Laughinwolf, I'd like to sell more quantity, but it always has to meet my standards first.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-55774000227752001932013-03-13T23:35:50.976-05:002013-03-13T23:35:50.976-05:00seems to get a 'name', means selling at le...seems to get a 'name', means selling at least a million copies... quantity, not quality :(laughingwolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08873675614347328116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-64125472656103719422013-03-13T18:19:11.067-05:002013-03-13T18:19:11.067-05:00My book group met last night to discuss a book. Fo...My book group met last night to discuss a book. Four of us thought it was the best book we had read in years. Another two just couldn't take the structure-it ruined it for them but they finished it and liked some things about it. The other two didn't finish it at all. We have never been this divided before. pattinase (abbott)https://www.blogger.com/profile/02916037185235335846noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-75596729176089772872013-03-13T07:49:12.986-05:002013-03-13T07:49:12.986-05:00Laughingwolf, it seems to be the story of my exper...Laughingwolf, it seems to be the story of my experience. I write something. I often get a few raves reviews, a few copies sell, and nothing else happens.<br /><br />Aimless, yeah, expectation is certainly an issue. Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-36869779705229693372013-03-13T06:58:26.376-05:002013-03-13T06:58:26.376-05:00Could be a little bit of everything. Mood, unconsc...Could be a little bit of everything. Mood, unconsciously comparing to better books you've read, and I think as a writer you can see flaws other, non writers, miss. <br />Then there's anticipation. The blurb looked so good more was expected. Aimlesswriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03012050763172251381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-13362379841038552762013-03-13T00:31:27.891-05:002013-03-13T00:31:27.891-05:00happens a lot with me, too
usually a 'name...happens a lot with me, too<br /><br />usually a 'name' author sells quickly, even if all they now write is mostly derivative, knowing whatever their name is attached to will be gobbled up...<br /><br />i've read excellent tales in the recent past, raved about them, only to be ignored cuz the name's unknownlaughingwolfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08873675614347328116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-24183134420093258682013-03-12T21:24:37.020-05:002013-03-12T21:24:37.020-05:00randy Johnson, I may try this one again. I keep co...randy Johnson, I may try this one again. I keep coming back to how good the prose was.<br /> <br /> ivan, I thought the name had an eastern kind of sound to it. Soundsed vaguely Transylvanian to me! I never got a chance to read the EC horror line when I was a kid.<br /> <br /> Keith, I think, too, that the more I write, the harder it gets to really lose myself in a book I’m reading. I suppose I’m not as able to turn the critic off as I used to be able to do.<br /> <br /> Alex J. Cavanaugh, I’m kind of with you on Simmons. Great prose and atmosphere but the story dragged for me.<br /><br /> Sean Patrick Reardon, human mental states are so varied that I’m sure it’s inevitable that people will end up on different sides of the divide on these kinds of issues.<br /> <br /> Riot Kitty, I remember one of the books by “Patterson” and a co writer, which almost certainly was primarily written by the cowriter. It was so godawful but many people raved about it. I felt the same as you there, for sure.<br /> <br /> David J. West, I think when I was younger I had more tolerance for good writing where there really wasn’t a strong story, but that has faded away over time. I want that story too.<br />Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-45424281432481725822013-03-12T20:09:52.064-05:002013-03-12T20:09:52.064-05:00I have found myself preferring indie writers over ...I have found myself preferring indie writers over the big names the last few years.<br /><br />I do read to different moods and genre stylings but a tight well paced story can trump an over complicated too many character tale darn near every time.nephite blood spartan hearthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17092519999184585295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-69604683728157669372013-03-12T20:08:33.353-05:002013-03-12T20:08:33.353-05:00Well I hate to be a snob, but I think many of toda...Well I hate to be a snob, but I think many of today's readers just want junk food books. Like my brother says, some books are dessert for your brain and some are vegetables. So IMHO some people have lowers standards. Riot Kittyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02725825736285347870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-78873329299962319912013-03-12T17:39:58.053-05:002013-03-12T17:39:58.053-05:00Your explanation of why you gave it 3 stars was ve...Your explanation of why you gave it 3 stars was very good. 202 pages seems kind of light for that genre. In these times, it is getting even harder to trust reviews, so I rarely read them before I read a novel(and I don't want any spoilers). I do enjoy reading them after I finish, and in most cases, there are bogus reviews that clearly show the reviewer did not read the book, or did not read it all. It is very subjective to the reader's tastes. Sean Patrick Reardonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14051252366031997054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-1431434252754376592013-03-12T13:21:38.162-05:002013-03-12T13:21:38.162-05:00Everyone's tastes vary. Sometimes it depends o...Everyone's tastes vary. Sometimes it depends on the mood, but not everything strikes a chord with all people. (Be a boring world if it did.)<br />Everyone thinks Dan Simmons is great. I read The Terror and found it overlong and boring.Alex J. Cavanaughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09770065693345181702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-62548862683187933942013-03-12T10:24:59.509-05:002013-03-12T10:24:59.509-05:00So many people have commented by this point, and d...So many people have commented by this point, and do so eloquently enough that I doubt I have much to add. But that's never stopped me before.<br /><br />There are so many things that go into a book that most of the time, as least when we approach a book as readers rather than critics, we aren't consciously looking at more one or two aspects of the book, which tend to be why we read it in the first place. That doesn't mean our subconscious mind isn't picking up on those things. For example, I might read a novel for the action scenes and be totally turned off by the pacing or the symbolism or whatever. I may not be aware that's what's turning me off, either. But I will come away from the book dissatisfied because on some level I picked up on aspects of the work that, well, didn't work for me.Adventuresfantastichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16907562789681407416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-76368714410648798462013-03-12T09:48:09.936-05:002013-03-12T09:48:09.936-05:00Out of my league, I'm afraid.
I find life sca...Out of my league, I'm afraid.<br /><br />I find life scary enough without reading horror fantasy--an Eastern European attitude, probably...I have been shot-at and bombed once too often as a kid, I think. <br />Perhaps newspaper headlines bear me out.<br /><br /> Morigu.<br />The word seems to jog some associations in me:<br /><br />"Post-Earthquake Land Readjustment Project Area in Morigu, Nishinomiya..."<br />Oh, did they have a blast.<br /><br />Ah, it was probably the old E.C. horror comics that dunnit to me. :)ivanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05662075375182633162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-46534461082581431912013-03-12T09:45:07.295-05:002013-03-12T09:45:07.295-05:00It certainly happens to me all the time. Books fri...It certainly happens to me all the time. Books friends like I have trouble getting through and vice versa. There's one friend, she and I have many of the same writers in common as favorites. But a couple I tried to turn her on to she thought were horrible. Even you and I, with so many likes the same, differ on one writer. You don't think much of him and I do.<br /><br />And mood may be part of it. <br /><br />That's why I usually give a book three chances to engage me. If they don't in three tries, it goes in the give-up pile. To many others I'm sure I will like.Randy Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16627907086811387527noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-61528792920582020372013-03-12T09:27:18.272-05:002013-03-12T09:27:18.272-05:00Ty, most of my favorite discoveries in the last fi...Ty, most of my favorite discoveries in the last five years have been independent writers or small press writers who are putting out material without benefit of the big publishers. There's just more passion, joy and sheer story telling ability than in the Patterson type paint by the numbers books.<br /><br />Sage, I guess I'm learning that I'm not even sure what my mood is when picking books to read.<br /><br />Chris, You know, I believe that too. Absolutely. It's as if the pressure of the buzz 'creates' the liking in some folks. I don't see how that could be. It probably works the opposite way too.<br /><br />Angie, since so many people seemed to like this book I suspect it was more likely 'mood' with me. As writers, I think we sometimes want different things from books than just straight readers might want.<br /><br />Barrie, I wondered about the interruption thing because I had so much grading to do that I only got to read the book in fits and spurts and maybe that had something to do with it too.<br /><br />The Wasp, ultimately it comes down to that. it works or doesn't work for one person at one particular time. Thanks for visiting!<br /><br />Cloudia, I don't know how to study it but it sure is an interesting issue.<br /><br />Prashant, I do have that happen on occasion. That too is an odd reaction to me and I don't know why it happens for me when it does.<br /><br />Deka, yeah, plenty of good stuff for all of us. We don't have to like everything everyone else does. Tis true.<br /><br />Mark, probably so, and partially because people then had less variability in what was available and so were more "trained" alike, if that makes sense.<br /><br />Tom, this happened to me with movies in Looper. I didn't hate it but thought it had so many holes in it, while most people I know really liked it and didn't notice the plot holes.<br /><br />Vesper, I've got some of that contrary stuff too. I think when people tell me I HAVE to love some book, that actually makes it less likely that I will.<br /><br />Bernard, I like humor in books but I I'm not often a big fan of heavy humor. That depends very much on mood for me, though.<br /><br />Jodi, I feel that way too about having to justify my thoughts on a work, although less so today than I used to.Charles Gramlichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02052592247572253641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-57154822020219235772013-03-12T08:45:46.769-05:002013-03-12T08:45:46.769-05:00Charles-to me, reading and my opinions of books is...Charles-to me, reading and my opinions of books is such a personal thing that I sometimes hate to comment on them. I always feel like I have to justify my personal library. Just a quirk I have.jodihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798858210138821711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-65025391520347768852013-03-12T08:40:34.999-05:002013-03-12T08:40:34.999-05:00Most of the ones I disagree with other reviewers o...Most of the ones I disagree with other reviewers on is when they expected the novel to be serious throughout and were put off by humor threaded in. If a novel makes me laugh at some point, it gets at least 4 stars. :)BernardLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09722619048888613647noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-57534969856973638942013-03-12T07:58:12.354-05:002013-03-12T07:58:12.354-05:00That is a great mystery. I see it more often in m...That is a great mystery. I see it more often in movies than books (mainly because I don't get to read nearly as much as I like), but there have been several books that friends have raved about that left me scratching my head after the first few chapters. I can't stand books that are slow burns. I need to be engaged within the first chapter, or it ain't happenin'.Tom Doolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03451129317759266295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28221839.post-22476135295137543502013-03-12T06:50:58.991-05:002013-03-12T06:50:58.991-05:00I think 120 or so years ago I would have found mor...I think 120 or so years ago I would have found more people agreeing with my tastes in recreational reading.<br /><br />Why do some like this or that I think depends on what they had for dinner the night before they started reading. the walking manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10058913927297370740noreply@blogger.com