The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[Dr. Drib]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Attachment 216391

I would try to escape, as well. Just replace the cat with a dog.

Signed,
Ownedbydogs

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by nana77

Or (sorry if I post about for the second time: didn't posted the full explanation before)

No apology needed. This is a RANT thread!

[ownedbycats]

This showed up in my Kobo "recommended for you." mildly confused.

[DNSB]

I'll trade you even up for this one:

[Renate]

Rant: The problem with all mystery type things is that sometimes the foreshadowing is done with a sledge hammer.

Made-up example:

"Jeffers noticed a two-handed Highland sword that was used to prop up one corner of the kitchen table.."

Well, you know that in a hundred pages they'll be pulling that sword out of somebody.

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by Renate

Rant: The problem with all mystery type things is that sometimes the foreshadowing is done with a sledge hammer.

I read one recently where it was a serial killer who broke into homes to grab the victim and then would dispose of the body somewhere public. There were always a short description of "life before the break-in" where you were supposed to become emotionally attached to the soon-to-be victim, who was always sure there was something bad outside. Since the book was very much a police procedural, those scenes should never have existed.

The interesting part was reading another book not long after that with similar scenes (with the character sensing something bad outside), and I was just waiting for the discovery of the body. Instead, almost all of those scenes just turned into the first time you met some significant character who wasn't a victim. Very refreshing.

[ownedbycats]

If someone says they're soon to retire, you know they won't survive the story.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Renate

Rant: The problem with all mystery type things is that sometimes the foreshadowing is done with a sledge hammer.

Made-up example:

"Jeffers noticed a two-handed Highland sword that was used to prop up one corner of the kitchen table.."

Well, you know that in a hundred pages they'll be pulling that sword out of somebody.

OTOH, Checkov says you shouldn't mention such a thing unless it's going to be used.

I think it depends.

[Solitaire1]

Originally Posted by Quoth

OTOH, Checkov says you shouldn't mention such a thing unless it's going to be used.

I think it depends.

I think if a murder weapon is going to be used it should not be obvious that it is the murder weapon. An example of this is in the DC Comic Miniseries Identity Crisis where the murder weapon appears but it wasn't obvious that it actually was the murder weapon until the big reveal. However, to long-time comic book readers the murder weapon becomes a bit obvious in retrospect, but even then the final reveal wasn't as straight forward as it seems.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Renate

Rant: The problem with all mystery type things is that sometimes the foreshadowing is done with a sledge hammer.

Made-up example:

"Jeffers noticed a two-handed Highland sword that was used to prop up one corner of the kitchen table.."

Well, you know that in a hundred pages they'll be pulling that sword out of somebody.

That sounds like a self-published book on Amazon. I don't read mystery books so poorly written.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

If someone says they're soon to retire, you know they won't survive the story.

Or the person who invites the guests to an event at his home. He'll be the one to be killed.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Or the person who invites the guests to an event at his home. He'll be the one to be killed.

I've read plenty of mysteries where one of the guests was killed, not the host.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

I've read plenty of mysteries where one of the guests was killed, not the host.

Yes, quite common.

And in one case it was a scheme to kill all the guests!

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That sounds like a self-published book on Amazon. I don't read mystery books so poorly written.

Renate wrote it was a made up example.

How do you know a mystery story is badly written till you've read it? Also even some good and famous authors have the odd dud story.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

That sounds like a self-published book on Amazon. I don't read mystery books so poorly written.

You've discouraged me.
I was already working on writing the third volume.
Now I'm giving it all up.