Quote:
Originally Posted by Ansileran
I'm not sure what "writing style" encompasses here so I'll just list anything that makes me drop a book and is not related to the story.
- Repetitions: use the same word / sentence over and over again. Or uses the same construction all the time.
- Only uses short, basic sentences. I tried reading the Chronicles of Narnia when I was 12. I dropped the book after the first chapter because it was SVO over and over again. I thought this was intended for 6 y.o. kids.
- Books I need a dictionary to understand the first page. I recently picked one on sagas from Island and had to look up several words per page of introduction, in my native language. Said words were noted as archaic in the dictionary. Very annoying.
- Books written in the second person. I prefer third person, but occasionnally read first person novels too, especially if it's an epistolary novel or a diary. I'm not overly fond of "omniscient" narration but it's not a deal breaker if the story is good
- Vulgar / colloquial language in narations. It's fine in dialogues if justified but not in the narration!
- Books with little / no description: if I want a screenplay, I'll get one
- Characters with no personality. If the main character had to leave his home / lost his mother / fell into a dark hole, I want to know what he feels about it
- Books / Series where all the important stuff is cramed in the last part: revelations of identity, thoughts, pasts, discovery of a magical item...
- Books that aren't part of a serie and have loose ends, like the author forgot about it.
- Books with too much description: again, I'm looking for a novel, not an encyclopedia
I probably forgot a couple others ^^
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I tend to agree with you fairly strongly
although I hate loose ends more in a series book. Especially obvious cliff hanger endings. If I wanted a soap opera I'd get cable.
I read a book by a fairly popular author and enjoyed it, so I read the first book of a series which ended in a chapter 4 that was really a preview for the next book. I sometimes read previews but I felt I had been tricked into it. Having already borrowed the next book, I read it and same thing. So even though I enjoyed the books I read, the annoyance factor has stopped me from reading more in that series where otherwise I would have eventually read them all.
Helen