The key to Dan Brown’s success - Page 5

tompe · 08-19-2009, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'm not in a position to judge whether a surgeon wields a scalpel with an impressive flourish or not - I judge them on the outcome of their work, not how they achieved it.

Well, that is usually because you are asleep. If you have surgery awake you can most definitely judge them on certain aspects of their technique.

The outcome of the book includes the whole experience. And it is not like there are to few books to choose from so you have to read Dan Brown to get a gripping story. So why choose bad language and a gripping story over good language and a gripping story?

Sparrow · 08-20-2009, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tompe

So why choose bad language and a gripping story over good language and a gripping story?

'Good' and 'gripping' are subjective appraisals - what works for one person might not work for someone else.
What I'd consider poor language prevents a story from being gripping (to me).

bookfiend · 08-20-2009, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I'm not sure I entirely agree.

I'm not in a position to judge whether a surgeon wields a scalpel with an impressive flourish or not - I judge them on the outcome of their work, not how they achieved it.
If a writer creates a (for me) gripping story, with fascinating characters inhabiting a fully realised world; I don't care how many 'rules' they broke to do it.

(I'm not claiming that Dan Brown achieved that as far as I'm concerned.)

There's 'less than elegant' and then there's 'incorrect', as when Brown writes that "a voice spoke" or a single person "collapsed... in a heap."

I can deal with prose that I think is rough, if it's correct (you're absolutely right that this is a subjective thing

, no argument there). But not when the author doesn't know what words actually mean; this isn't a case of the doctor not wielding the scalpel with an elegant flourish, but of said doctor not knowing what a scalpel is for in the first place.

ahi · 08-20-2009, 07:08 PM

My main problem with Dan Brown's books is that it seems to be the sort of book that actually leaves its readers dumber than they were before they started reading... unless of course they already knew about most everything touched upon by the book.

- Ahi

Sonist · 08-20-2009, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahi

My main problem with Dan Brown's books is that it seems to be the sort of book that actually leaves its readers dumber than they were before they started reading... unless of course they already knew about most everything touched upon by the book. ...i

I never considered this before, but now that you pointed it out, I agree.

Wario · 08-21-2009, 05:39 AM

I can't tell a good writer from a poor writer, hey that just me.

I have read both his books, and found them to be entertaining and joy to read. That all I want from reading.

Sparrow · 08-21-2009, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bookfiend

There's 'less than elegant' and then there's 'incorrect', as when Brown writes that "a voice spoke" or a single person "collapsed... in a heap."

Project Gutenberg has several examples of those usages.

(Google queries:
site:www.gutenberg.org "voice spoke"
site:www.gutenberg.org "collapsed in a heap")

I don't think there's anything wrong with them, - it's clear what they mean imho.

ahi · 08-21-2009, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wario

I can't tell a good writer from a poor writer, hey that just me.

I have read both his books, and found them to be entertaining and joy to read. That all I want from reading.

One sign of a bad writer is when most of the things you think you learned from the book turn out to be wrong for trivial reasons that a reasonably educated person with an internet connection really ought to have found themselves confronted with way prior to international publication.

Daithi · 08-21-2009, 10:00 AM

I too don't get the critics in this instance. Dan Brown's books definately aren't great works of literature but they are still engaging stories. I like the fast paced continuous cliff-hanger (Steve Berry is good at this too). I wouldn't want every book I read to be in this format, but I don't want every book I read to have the style of Angela's Ashes either. To each his own, I guess. I can't stand Dean Koontz but lots of people love him.

FlorenceArt · 08-21-2009, 10:05 AM

I haven't read enough of the book to judge the plot, but anyway I don't read books for their plots. Regarding facts, all I can say is that in the 10 or 15 pages I read, I found at least 3 assertions about the French society and laws that are completely wrong. Either this guy never spent more than a week in France, or if he did he was blindfolded and wearing earplugs the whole time. Which is not necessarily a problem, but the least he could have done is pay an assistant to Google some of his "facts".

However, that's not the reason I hated the book. Not only is it badly written in terms of pure language, the worst for me is that he insists on spelling out every detail of every situation, and everything the reader is supposed to think and feel. There is absolutely no room for my imagination to fill the blanks and I cannot be a participant in the book. This is something I cannot stand. This is usually what makes me throw a book across the room. In this case though, I didn't, because I needed to keep it intact in order to return it to Amazon

Edit: talking about the Davinci Code by the way.

FlorenceArt · 08-21-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daithi

I can't stand Dean Koontz but lots of people love him.

Can't stand him either, for the same reasons I hated the Davinci Code. Even when two people love or hate the same book, it's not always for the same reasons. That's why I am always skeptical about the "if you liked this, you will love ..." kind of comments.

Anyway, isn't it a wonderful world? We all love books for different reasons, and we all find books that we love

ahi · 08-21-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daithi

I too don't get the critics in this instance. Dan Brown's books definately aren't great works of literature but they are still engaging stories. I like the fast paced continuous cliff-hanger (Steve Berry is good at this too). I wouldn't want every book I read to be in this format, but I don't want every book I read to have the style of Angela's Ashes either. To each his own, I guess. I can't stand Dean Koontz but lots of people love him.

Try "The Day After Tomorrow" by Allan Folsom. Nothing to do with the other book/movie of the same name.

- Ahi

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08-20-2009, 07:08 PM	#64
ahi Wizard Posts: 1,790 Karma: 507333 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	My main problem with Dan Brown's books is that it seems to be the sort of book that actually leaves its readers dumber than they were before they started reading... unless of course they already knew about most everything touched upon by the book. - Ahi

08-21-2009, 05:39 AM	#66
Wario Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 11 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: UK Device: Sony PRS-505	I can't tell a good writer from a poor writer, hey that just me. I have read both his books, and found them to be entertaining and joy to read. That all I want from reading.

08-21-2009, 10:00 AM	#69
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	I too don't get the critics in this instance. Dan Brown's books definately aren't great works of literature but they are still engaging stories. I like the fast paced continuous cliff-hanger (Steve Berry is good at this too). I wouldn't want every book I read to be in this format, but I don't want every book I read to have the style of Angela's Ashes either. To each his own, I guess. I can't stand Dean Koontz but lots of people love him.

08-21-2009, 10:05 AM	#70
FlorenceArt High Priestess Posts: 5,761 Karma: 5042529 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Montreuil sous bois, France Device: iPad Pro 9.7, iPhone 6 Plus	I haven't read enough of the book to judge the plot, but anyway I don't read books for their plots. Regarding facts, all I can say is that in the 10 or 15 pages I read, I found at least 3 assertions about the French society and laws that are completely wrong. Either this guy never spent more than a week in France, or if he did he was blindfolded and wearing earplugs the whole time. Which is not necessarily a problem, but the least he could have done is pay an assistant to Google some of his "facts". However, that's not the reason I hated the book. Not only is it badly written in terms of pure language, the worst for me is that he insists on spelling out every detail of every situation, and everything the reader is supposed to think and feel. There is absolutely no room for my imagination to fill the blanks and I cannot be a participant in the book. This is something I cannot stand. This is usually what makes me throw a book across the room. In this case though, I didn't, because I needed to keep it intact in order to return it to Amazon Edit: talking about the Davinci Code by the way.

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