A "What's so special about" thread

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Gronk

I would say "What's so special about paranormal, science fiction and for Heaven's sake, vampires?" Those certainly seem to be popular around here. Am I missing something?

Have you looked at the news lately?
This world sucks rivets.


Others are a lot more fun to contemplate; even if just to "meet" people worse off than we are.

Escapism a good enough an explanation?
(It's shorter than the ones about how some of us like to explore ideas through dramatization and speculation.)

[Catlady]

I really wanted to like Harry Potter--I read the first book because all my friends were recommending it, but it just didn't grab me at all. When the second book came out, I felt zero desire to continue the series. Haven't seen any of the movies, either.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I can neither confirm nor deny that.

Not necessary.

But that demographic is ground zero for the Young Adult Urban Fantasy sub-genre that every publisher and movie studio wants to appeal to.
This week.


The current stampede reminds me of the glut of faux-Tolkien Fantasy Trilogies (*always* Trilogies, mind you) back in the 70's that kept on going even after STAR WARS started a gold rush all its own.

At some point in the very near future some author is going to hit a jackpot with something else and then we'll be off to the races with a whole new list of genres/titles to wonder "what's so special about...".

The good news is some of them *will* be special...
... just not for everybody.

[HoopyFrood]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Books I just never understood the buzz about. Why is THAT a 'good' book?

"A Confederacy of Dunces" comes to mind.

The first Harry Potter Book, (never could work up the enthusiasm for any more!)

At last I've found someone else who feels the same as I do about "A Confederacy of Dunces". I read it because it was recommended by a friend who enjoys many of the same books I do, but I failed to see the attraction.

Ditto on Harry Potter. IMO a mediocre book about a mediocre boy wizard.

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Ditto on Harry Potter. IMO a mediocre book about a mediocre boy wizard.

But really, aren't most boy wizards kind of mediocre? Is that your bike in your avatar? I'm a cruiser guy myself. VStar 650 Silverado. (They may call it a VStar, but in my book, it's still a Yamaha.)

[=X=]

I have to agree with all the books posted here. I wasn't too crazy about HP movies where meh. My children couldn't even get into HP nor the movies.

I'll through in Game of Thrones and Wheel of time.

Game of Thrones first book was excellent and had much promise, then fizzled out and dragged on.

WOT pretty much was the same, I quit reading it after the fourth book.

=X=

[DiapDealer]

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

It was OK... but waaaaaaaaay too slow getting started. Never did figure why the hype was so huge on that one. I just assumed something was lost in the translation.

( Plus the fact that everyone was either making coffee, drinking coffee, or talking about making or drinking coffee. I got the jitters just reading it )

[AndrewH]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.

It was OK... but waaaaaaaaay too slow getting started. Never did figure why the hype was so huge on that one. I just assumed something was lost in the translation.

( Plus the fact that everyone was either making coffee, drinking coffee, or talking about making or drinking coffee. I got the jitters just reading it )

LOL! I agree. It was interesting, but I while reading it and the sequels I was left wondering why it became such a hit.

I loved Harry Potter, and I'm nowhere near teenage years so I don't think age has anything to do with it. However, I will agree that Harry himself was pretty mediocre. He never would have been so successful in his endeavors if it weren't for his friends, circumstance, and luck.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell...one of my all-time favorites. It's very meandering, and there's little action, so I certainly don't blame anyone who found it boring.

[Asawi]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

It was OK... but waaaaaaaaay too slow getting started. Never did figure why the hype was so huge on that one. I just assumed something was lost in the translation.

( Plus the fact that everyone was either making coffee, drinking coffee, or talking about making or drinking coffee. I got the jitters just reading it )

I am Swedish, but last weekend I read part of the English translation of The Girl... and I was shocked how "flat" it was. And it actually made me wonder how the English version book could have made it so big. (And it also made me wonder how much I lost out of in foreign language books translated to Swedish. A real eye opener!)

I absolutely loved the first book (in Swedish), but the other two books in the trilogy didn't excite me anywhere near as much.

(And in Sweden coffee is a really important part of our life. I'm not kidding! The book is accurate that way!)

[Iphinome]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

an entire genre:urban fantasy.

yes i find sexy women with swords fighting demons as tittilating as the next guy but good enough to single-handedly destroy the horror,science fiction and fantasy genres (which it has done)? god no.

Try the Deed of Paksenarrion, not titillating but a good solid girl with a sword story that doesn't suck.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

Long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in 2004 and winner of the Hugo in 2005. I just couldn't finish it - so boring.

^+1 to that! I tried listening to it on audiobook, and gave up after a couple of hours. Wifey is reading it, though, and seems to be getting on with it.

My choice would be Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks, which has just been made into a TV drama in the UK. Such outpourings of praise for this WWI tale, for me it was just "meh".

[Apache]

Originally Posted by Catlady

I really wanted to like Harry Potter--I read the first book because all my friends were recommending it, but it just didn't grab me at all. When the second book came out, I felt zero desire to continue the series. Haven't seen any of the movies, either.

This was me too.
Apache

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Asawi

I am Swedish, but last weekend I read part of the English translation of The Girl... and I was shocked how "flat" it was. And it actually made me wonder how the English version book could have made it so big. (And it also made me wonder how much I lost out of in foreign language books translated to Swedish. A real eye opener!)

I absolutely loved the first book (in Swedish), but the other two books in the trilogy didn't excite me anywhere near as much.

(And in Sweden coffee is a really important part of our life. I'm not kidding! The book is accurate that way!)

Thank you so much for this info! I've often wondered if I could find someone who was proficient enough in both languages to assess the situation fairly.

Now I know I have valid reasons to be leery of translated works. I usually just can't get past the knowledge that I'm not reading what the author intended for me to read.

Now I just need someone who reads Russian and English to tell me if I'm reading a fair approximation of what Svetlana Martynchik wrote in the English translation of the first book in her Labyrinths of Echo series starring Max Frei. Anybody?

P.S. And I knew that about the coffee... I just like to tease.

[HoopyFrood]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

But really, aren't most boy wizards kind of mediocre? Is that your bike in your avatar? I'm a cruiser guy myself. VStar 650 Silverado. (They may call it a VStar, but in my book, it's still a Yamaha.)

Yes, that's our bike: 1999 Honda Interceptor, the picture was taken at Deal's Gap, aka The Tail of the Dragon. My step-son had a V-Star also, but it was the 1100 model.

This whole thread has been pretty interesting. I did like "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" but thought the other two were not nearly as good. Nice to know that part of the problem could have been the translation.

I'm also in the process of slogging through "Game of Thrones" and it is pretty slow going. I don't know whether I'll have the intestinal fortitude to finish the series.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

I don't know whether I'll have the intestinal fortitude to finish the series.

Neither does the author! *rimshot noise*