I'm currently reading a novel in which I really like the story. It's not amazingly original, but it hits several sweet spots for me. However, the quality of the writing itself has consistently hampered my enjoyment to the point where I think the book is not of a publishable quality.
I'm not specifically talking about simple spelling at grammatical errors, I'm talking about poor word choice and klutzy descriptions that have me constantly cringing. If I divorce the story from the writing I would say the story was very enjoyable, but how could I possibly divorce the story from the writing? The idea is absurd. If I could do that surely all I'd really need is a bullet point list or a simple timeline of events rather than a novel.
On the flip side, I can sometimes enjoy a novel that does not focus heavily on story - as long as it's written well. It can be a bit hit and miss for me as I like a good story, but I can appreciate novels that are more about setting moods, or exploring ideas outside of a simple timeline of events. There's usually a story element, but it feels like it's more a backdrop rather than the focus.
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