JK Rowling Publishing under a Pseudonym

[ApK]

Originally Posted by AHMavrick

I do take offense to the bio she faked, claiming a military background she did not earn. We have enough fakes and phonies claiming to be some super hero veteran and defrauding folks while doing so. Her doing the same thing just adds credibility to the fraudulent practice. That is my sole objection to the issue.

I disagree. She claimed nothing about it to herself.
And if I had to bet money, I'd bet the references in the bio were genuine to the people who helped her research the book, as a type of acknowledgement.

I'm a veteran and I have no problem with it. (I would have a problem if JKR falsely made those claims about herself.)
The military types who helped her research apparently have no problem, and the veteran's charity she's helping (you know, the one she's donating all that money to...) has only said good things about her, so why the beef?

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by AHMavrick

I am not a fan of mystery or murder novels, just not my "thing". I also am not a devotee of her name and main money making books the Potter series but I did like the movies. I absolutely don't have a problem with her using a pseudonym to publis something outside of her established genre. I do take offense to the bio she faked, claiming a military background she did not earn. We have enough fakes and phonies claiming to be some super hero veteran and defrauding folks while doing so. Her doing the same thing just adds credibility to the fraudulent practice. That is my sole objection to the issue.

I think the bio was taken from the main character's background in the book. Probably as APK said by staff. Maybe someone wa told to just write something reasonable?

Still it is a fiction book and not a textbook for security people or armed forces people.

I suppose their could be millions who buy books based on the author's bio and nothing else who have been misled, but seems a bit far fetched.

Myself I only read the bios if I really like the book, but perhaps I am a minority of one.

And it did state that Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym, which implies that the author is not Robert Galbraith really.

Helen

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

In other words, it's not to your tastes. Mystery novels tend to be slow and heavy on description. When they're not, frankly, they get tossed down into the Thriller category.

It seems like it would be a decent book if it would move along. I haven't read a book where in 130 pages it has barely progressed from the beginning of the book. I gave up after that.

I don't like any book that takes that long to get a story going.

But that's me.

[K. Molen]

Originally Posted by laughingdragons

It seems like it would be a decent book if it would move along. I haven't read a book where in 130 pages it has barely progressed from the beginning of the book. I gave up after that.

I don't like any book that takes that long to get a story going.

But that's me.

Hrm. That's how I feel about The Casual Vacancy. And just when she's made me interested in what's going on, she switches characters and subplot, making me disinterested all over again. I had to put it aside for something else, because I was frankly bored while readindg it. I've never yet quit on a book though (it's a weakness, I know) so I'll get back there eventually.

From all the positive reviews of The Cuckoo's Calling I hoped this one wouldn't suffer from such a plodding pace, but I guess it's not to be. I've already bought it though, so I'll get to it too... eventually.

[soulfuldog]

Originally Posted by JD Gumby

In other words, it's not to your tastes. Mystery novels tend to be slow and heavy on description. When they're not, frankly, they get tossed down into the Thriller category.

Is that an intentional dig at thrillers that are maybe not to your taste?

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by K. Molen

Hrm. That's how I feel about The Casual Vacancy. And just when she's made me interested in what's going on, she switches characters and subplot, making me disinterested all over again. I had to put it aside for something else, because I was frankly bored while readindg it. I've never yet quit on a book though (it's a weakness, I know) so I'll get back there eventually.

From all the positive reviews of The Cuckoo's Calling I hoped this one wouldn't suffer from such a plodding pace, but I guess it's not to be. I've already bought it though, so I'll get to it too... eventually.

Hopefully you will have better luck than me.

I do like mysteries and thrillers so it's not the genre it was just too slow for me.

Good Luck with it!

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by l_macd

Is that an intentional dig at thrillers that are maybe not to your taste?

[Victoria]

Professional bodies have a legal responsibility to protect the public from malpractice and also, to protect the integrity of the profession. A client 's right to confidentiality is absolutely fundamental - so the breach is very serious. I'm not familiar with this particular statute, but most self-regulating bodies can initiate action without a formal complaint from a client. So I can't imagine a barristers' society not taking independent action, irrespective of the settlement, or even Ms. Rowling's wishes in the matter.

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by laughingdragons

I don't like any book that takes that long to get a story going. But that's me.

It isn't only you, though. I usually give a book about 50 print pages to "grab" me, with a few exceptions (Tad Williams' novels, for example, which are always a drag in the beginning, but then take off and soar), and if then nothing has happened that has captured my curiosity, I pick up something else. It is why I love the samples at iBooks, even though I stopped buying books there.

I don't think it is a matter of the genre, just of an author's style, and that's fine. I didn't really get warm with the Harry Potter books either, though in case of those it mainly just wasn't the kind of fantasy I prefer. Matter of taste.

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by Mivo

It isn't only you, though. I usually give a book about 50 print pages to "grab" me, with a few exceptions (Tad Williams' novels, for example, which are always a drag in the beginning, but then take off and soar), and if then nothing has happened that has captured my curiosity, I pick up something else. It is why I love the samples at iBooks, even though I stopped buying books there.

I don't think it is a matter of the genre, just of an author's style, and that's fine. I didn't really get warm with the Harry Potter books either, though in case of those it mainly just wasn't the kind of fantasy I prefer. Matter of taste.

50 pages is my normal on giving a book a chance to grab my interest. So giving this book 130 pages I was really trying to get into it.

There have probably only been a handful of books I couldn't finish

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by laughingdragons

There have probably only been a handful of books I couldn't finish

Over the past fifty years, there might have been a couple thousand I started without finishing.

Just shows it takes all sorts of people to make up a world.

[copyrite]

I read this out of curiosity more than anything else. The pace, and my interest, picked up in the last quarter of the book. The problem was getting to that point!

My first inclination as to whodunnit was correct.

[laughingdragons]

Originally Posted by copyrite

I read this out of curiosity more than anything else. The pace, and my interest, picked up in the last quarter of the book. The problem was getting to that point!

My first inclination as to whodunnit was correct.

That's what I've read in a lot of reviews.

One day I might try it again if I have nothing else to read

[tompe]

I thought the book started with a nice introduction of the characters. I read the first Longmire book by Charles Johnston recently and that also started slow. But just because you do not have any action does not mean that nothing happens. People talking with each other is also things happening.

[Apache]

Originally Posted by tompe

I thought the book started with a nice introduction of the characters. I read the first Longmire book by Charles Johnston recently and that also started slow. But just because you do not have any action does not mean that nothing happens. People talking with each other is also things happening.

So true. I do not mind a book starting slow. Sometimes it makes the book better and the characters more than one dimensional with the extra background and back story.
Apache