Please give a writer harder to put down than Dan Brown - Page 16

benham · 09-12-2009, 05:54 PM

Hi, kacir. I've never heard of Dick Francis, but your description facinates me. I checked Amazon and found he had written quite a lot. Which one will recommend to a first time reader? As close to Dan Brown as possible, of course. You know my taste.

__________________________________________________ _____

Pick one, they are all good!

Dave I don't know that there are any others like Dicck Francis. However, Jeffery Deaver puts a lot of detail into his work.

mikelvdb · 09-13-2009, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benham

Hi, kacir. I've never heard of Dick Francis, but your description facinates me. I checked Amazon and found he had written quite a lot. Which one will recommend to a first time reader? As close to Dan Brown as possible, of course. You know my taste.

__________________________________________________ _____

Pick one, they are all good!

Dave I don't know that there are any others like Dicck Francis. However, Jeffery Deaver puts a lot of detail into his work.

I suggest To the Hilt from Dick Francis

mikelvdb · 09-13-2009, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frui

Or, can I put it this way: By "big" I mean the seriousness of the matter: the fate of humanity, or a country, or a group of people.

The scope does matter for me. My ideal thriller can start from a personal perspective, or a small angle. But in the end it should have a much broader vision and greater significance.

In his "On Sublime" Edmond Burke distinguishes two kinds of aesthetics: the sublime and the beautiful. I think I am leaning towards the sublime.

I wish I were not confusing or misleading.............

Take a look at James Rollins:

Quote:
A master at combining historical and religious intrigue with edge-of-your-seat adventure, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins brings back SIGMA Force to battle a group of rogue scientists who've unleashed a bioengineering project that could bring about the extinction of humankind.

see http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/r/...ast-oracle.htm.

Sweetpea · 09-14-2009, 03:30 AM

There was a piece in the newspaper this weekend about the newest book of Dan Brown. It did agree with the general statement that the books of Dan Brown aren't rocket science (to put it mildly), but that his books are a success because of the way he keeps the tension strong: cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger. You want to put the book away because the characters aren't to your liking, for example, but you do want to know how that part you're reading is going to end.

frui · 09-14-2009, 04:52 AM

Ah, how can I miss this one! "The Bone Collector" certainly stands out in its peers. Jeffrey Deaver must be an extremely clever guy, and very knowlegeable. I like it when a writer writes about something I don't know. I like it when a writer gives an analysis beyond my deductive ability. Jeffrey Deaver let me have this satisfaction.

And the characterization. Lincoln Rhyme is certainly a rarely unforgetable character in the stereotypical world of thrillers. The chilling description of the details of his everyday life reminds one of naturalism.

And his fictions are fast and intense as hell while maintaining a little bit of "literariness" mentioned above.

My minor complaint is that Jeffrey Deaver's subject matters do not fully meet my expectation of the "big" as Dan brown does. But that is a very very personal judgement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Hi frui,
Have you read any of Jeffrey Deaver's books? He's an author I find equally compelling, especially his "Lincoln Rhyme" series, the first one of which is "The Bone Collector".

wayspooled · 09-14-2009, 07:33 AM

Have you tried Dorothy Dunnett? I read King Hereafter, her novel about Macbeth, some years ago and found parts of it stupendously good (every scene in which Macbeth's wife Gruach appears - not sure I'm spelling that the same way Dunnett did), and other parts almost too complex to follow. This complexity seems to be a hallmark of Dunnett's style.

When I read Niccolo Rising, the first in Dunnett's House of Niccolo series, I understood both why her fans are so hooked on her series novels, and why some people just can't get into them. The characters were bafflingly numerous, the plot incredibly complex, and Dunnett makes little or no attempt to simplify the history of the period by omitting references to events elsewhere that have a bearing, however small, on her setting, the fifteenth century cloth manufacturing town of Bruges, , the commercial rivals Venice and Genoa. Everything just gets woven into the many-stranded plot. For the first half of the novel, I struggled. If it hadn't had so many recommendations from friends I might not have persisted. Then, around chapter 19 or 20, I got hooked - and I mean really hooked. From there on, I missed sleep because I had such a hard time putting the book down. And I just kept going through all 8 of the books in the series. Immediately went on to her Lymond series which I found equally intelligent, complex and good. Here's a review of that in better words than I am capable.
http://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com...rothy-dunnett/

ahi · 09-14-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

There was a piece in the newspaper this weekend about the newest book of Dan Brown. It did agree with the general statement that the books of Dan Brown aren't rocket science (to put it mildly), but that his books are a success because of the way he keeps the tension strong: cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger. You want to put the book away because the characters aren't to your liking, for example, but you do want to know how that part you're reading is going to end.

It's like a whole book made up exclusively of the last 3-5 minutes of Dallas episodes!!!

- Ahi

frui · 09-15-2009, 04:36 AM

Hi wayspooled, thanks for the recommendation. I've never heard of Dorothy Dunnett, and she does look like an excellent writer from your description. But I strongly feel she is definitely not Dan Brownish (Dan Brownesq?). Her advantage looks everything like the opposite of Dan Brown. The complexity, the difficulty to get into, the multitude of characters, those are factors Dan Brown desperately try to shun from. Brown's plots are all seemingly complex, but actually very simple and explicit, and very easy to follow. His characters are very few. His chapters and sentences are very short. Sure those Dan Brown characteristics are prone to criticism as we have already seen. Yet I firmly believe that complexity/simplexity should not be the criteria to judge the value of literature, to say less of thrillers. Complexity is good. Simplicity is good, too, if only you can make it beautiful.

To digress a little, my country (China) does have a tradition of glorifying simplity. In both Confucism and Taoism simplicity is revered as the ultimate taste, but that might be of another category of aesthetic or philosophical ideas. Still I can't help wonder if that has something do to with my liking for Dan Brown.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by wayspooled

Have you tried Dorothy Dunnett? I read King Hereafter, her novel about Macbeth, some years ago and found parts of it stupendously good (every scene in which Macbeth's wife Gruach appears - not sure I'm spelling that the same way Dunnett did), and other parts almost too complex to follow. This complexity seems to be a hallmark of Dunnett's style.

wayspooled · 09-15-2009, 05:58 AM

Aye Frui, I was focusing more on your "harder to put down" part than the "like Dan Brown" part

I don't hold the complexity up as a virtue, just commenting that it is characteristic of Dunnett's writing as compared to others.

Simple or complex, I find them both just characteristic of the plot or writing, not so much a measure of quality or "good" writing, one of those things that makes for our individual preferences. I just didn't want you to miss it if you were interested. She's not well known in the US except among her historical fiction fans. Oddly to me, she has a very strong following among romance fiction fans - me, I don't see it exactly. The story is only about 10% romance to me, granted I think it's exceptional - but apparently the 10% romance transcends.

Anyway, they are very hard to put down once the hook has set. Thanks for the thoughtful response!

frui · 09-15-2009, 12:06 PM

Oh my God! I am reading "The Lost Symbol" now......
Dizzy dizzy dizzy!

JSWolf · 09-15-2009, 05:37 PM

Since the OP is looking for a writer like Dan Brown, may I suggest Dan Brown now that The Lost Symbol is out and not too expensive as an eBook?

Over · 09-15-2009, 07:08 PM

I have it too. I'll start reading it in a couple of days, after I finish Abercrombie's.

Sweetpea · 09-16-2009, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Over

I have it too. I'll start reading it in a couple of days, after I finish Abercrombie's.

I'll start reading it after I finish Tales of the Knights Templar...

benham · 09-16-2009, 07:44 PM

Dan Brown is going to finally get my wife to try an ereader.

frui · 09-17-2009, 07:27 AM

Haven't finished it yet.
Supprisingly this has the slowest start among all Brown's works.
And a lot of boring lectures of american history and architecture and "symbology" etc......
And a very newageish pseudoscience which I really wish would not be the core premise of the whole story.
Good thing is that at 24% there emerges a brilliant scene which is very very to my taste, and the pace quickens.
Going back to my reading.

09-14-2009, 07:33 AM	#231
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Have you tried Dorothy Dunnett? I read King Hereafter, her novel about Macbeth, some years ago and found parts of it stupendously good (every scene in which Macbeth's wife Gruach appears - not sure I'm spelling that the same way Dunnett did), and other parts almost too complex to follow. This complexity seems to be a hallmark of Dunnett's style. When I read Niccolo Rising, the first in Dunnett's House of Niccolo series, I understood both why her fans are so hooked on her series novels, and why some people just can't get into them. The characters were bafflingly numerous, the plot incredibly complex, and Dunnett makes little or no attempt to simplify the history of the period by omitting references to events elsewhere that have a bearing, however small, on her setting, the fifteenth century cloth manufacturing town of Bruges, , the commercial rivals Venice and Genoa. Everything just gets woven into the many-stranded plot. For the first half of the novel, I struggled. If it hadn't had so many recommendations from friends I might not have persisted. Then, around chapter 19 or 20, I got hooked - and I mean really hooked. From there on, I missed sleep because I had such a hard time putting the book down. And I just kept going through all 8 of the books in the series. Immediately went on to her Lymond series which I found equally intelligent, complex and good. Here's a review of that in better words than I am capable. http://rhapsodyinbooks.wordpress.com...rothy-dunnett/ Last edited by wayspooled; 09-14-2009 at 10:15 AM.

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09-12-2009, 05:54 PM	#226
benham Guru Posts: 882 Karma: 5565888 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Townsend, WI Device: Palm TX, PRS-505 (BLUE)	Hi, kacir. I've never heard of Dick Francis, but your description facinates me. I checked Amazon and found he had written quite a lot. Which one will recommend to a first time reader? As close to Dan Brown as possible, of course. You know my taste. __________________________________________________ _____ Pick one, they are all good! Dave I don't know that there are any others like Dicck Francis. However, Jeffery Deaver puts a lot of detail into his work.

09-14-2009, 03:30 AM	#229
Sweetpea Grand Sorcerer Posts: 9,707 Karma: 32763414 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Krewerd Device: Pocketbook Inkpad 4 Color; Samsung Galaxy Tab S6	There was a piece in the newspaper this weekend about the newest book of Dan Brown. It did agree with the general statement that the books of Dan Brown aren't rocket science (to put it mildly), but that his books are a success because of the way he keeps the tension strong: cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger. You want to put the book away because the characters aren't to your liking, for example, but you do want to know how that part you're reading is going to end.

09-15-2009, 05:58 AM	#234
wayspooled Crab In The Dark Posts: 486 Karma: 2328180 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Virginia Device: Tablet PC until a 10" comes out that I like	Aye Frui, I was focusing more on your "harder to put down" part than the "like Dan Brown" part I don't hold the complexity up as a virtue, just commenting that it is characteristic of Dunnett's writing as compared to others. Simple or complex, I find them both just characteristic of the plot or writing, not so much a measure of quality or "good" writing, one of those things that makes for our individual preferences. I just didn't want you to miss it if you were interested. She's not well known in the US except among her historical fiction fans. Oddly to me, she has a very strong following among romance fiction fans - me, I don't see it exactly. The story is only about 10% romance to me, granted I think it's exceptional - but apparently the 10% romance transcends. Anyway, they are very hard to put down once the hook has set. Thanks for the thoughtful response!

09-15-2009, 12:06 PM	#235
frui Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 1340 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: kindle dx	Oh my God! I am reading "The Lost Symbol" now...... Dizzy dizzy dizzy!

09-15-2009, 05:37 PM	#236
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,796 Karma: 146391129 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Since the OP is looking for a writer like Dan Brown, may I suggest Dan Brown now that The Lost Symbol is out and not too expensive as an eBook?

09-15-2009, 07:08 PM	#237
Over Wizard Posts: 1,462 Karma: 6061516 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Cascais, Portugal Device: Kindle PW, Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2", OnePlus 6	I have it too. I'll start reading it in a couple of days, after I finish Abercrombie's.

09-16-2009, 07:44 PM	#239
benham Guru Posts: 882 Karma: 5565888 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Townsend, WI Device: Palm TX, PRS-505 (BLUE)	Dan Brown is going to finally get my wife to try an ereader.

09-17-2009, 07:27 AM	#240
frui Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 1340 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: kindle dx	Haven't finished it yet. Supprisingly this has the slowest start among all Brown's works. And a lot of boring lectures of american history and architecture and "symbology" etc...... And a very newageish pseudoscience which I really wish would not be the core premise of the whole story. Good thing is that at 24% there emerges a brilliant scene which is very very to my taste, and the pace quickens. Going back to my reading.

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