Quote:
Originally Posted by Rbneader
The quote that is setting people off is pretty accurate in its assessment of market dynamics, if perhaps a bit inflammatory in phrasing. People typically buy the most accessible version of a product that has the features they want. Marketing has a huge impact on that, as does price. Quality? Not so much. THAT'S OK. People are picking what they like and sometimes people like things that are low-quality by standards they don't care about.
It's not a value judgement on their favorite brand/author/etc. It's just how human purchasing decisions work.
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I actually agree with you. My point is that presentation (time and place) is what turns it into a value judgment. Many people don't care about objective quality. For them, "quality" of their reading experience is directly related to their subjective enjoyment of a book.
Heck, I know that a lot of the books I read would never be considered "great" but I don't really care - I like them. And I'm completely honest about the fact that, while I can recognize quality prose, it's rarely going to be my go-to on a Saturday night. I read for the experience of the story. (Which is why I abhor typos and such - anything that yanks me out of the story irritates me.)
This discussion went from people discussing books they like to re-read. Then it went to whether or not extraordinarily prolific writers can maintain standards of quality. Then it went to "readers like mediocre books because they don't know any better". Going from subjective expression to cold market analysis like that isn't likely to go over well, regardless of how accurate it may be.
ON TOPIC
The only books I re-read tend to be Stephen King doorstoppers, because there's just too much detail for me to remember. I've mentioned in the past that re-reading before I've sufficiently forgotten can be uncomfortable for me, like deja vu, because my brain tries to put the remembered bits and pieces back together.
I've been considering starting a Dresden Files re-read but I'm worried that, if it's too soon, it will go badly.