Please give a writer harder to put down than Dan Brown - Page 6

BearMountainBooks · 09-03-2009, 02:32 PM

DixieGal--try Konrath's website. I think he has different formats available there (I am not sure if it is epub or PDF) I don't know if he still has it either--I got my copy from his website though, so I know it used to be there!

Maria

jbjb · 09-03-2009, 02:45 PM

Try Sam Bourne.

His novels are sort of similar in style, scope and to a certain extent theme to Dan Brown's, but *much* better written and with infinitely better research behind them.

They first appeared (as far as I'm aware) when Dan Brown first was at the peak of his initial (sales) popularity. The covers of the paperback editions I have look similar to the Dan Brown books I have, and I suspect the visual similarities between the names of the authors may not be 100% coincidental. This might lead to an assumption that they at least started out as an attempt to cash in on Dan Brown's popularity; that might well be the case, but these books are much, much better.

Sam Bourne is a pseudonym for Jonathan Freedland, a well-known British "serious" journalist.

/JB

ahi · 09-03-2009, 03:26 PM

How about Umberto Eco...

Elfwreck · 09-03-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frui

Lacking in the aesthetic aspect, yes.
Lacking in the intellectual aspect, no.

You think 80000000 readers are all idiots?

I will note that the 7th Harry Potter book had the highest initial print run of any book ever.

Popularity equate to quality.

wayspooled · 09-03-2009, 03:48 PM

Alistair Maclean (up to 1986, the ones after are ghost written), Robert Ludlum and Arthur Hailey

ahi · 09-03-2009, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I will note that the 7th Harry Potter book had the highest initial print run of any book ever.

Popularity equate to quality.

Making the Bible the best book ever!

- Ahi

hywel · 09-03-2009, 04:05 PM

Groucho Marx (or someone like that, anyway) said something that applies well to Dan Brown's work:

'From the moment I picked up your book to the moment I put it down, I could not stop laughing. Some day I may even read it.'

bill_mchale · 09-03-2009, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wario

May be that why his books are fictions

It's like going to the movies expecting every thing accurate. That no fun or entertaning.

Even fiction does not necessarily give one the freedom to cast aside reality. If a novel is apparently set in the real world (or as close to the real world as any work of literature can get), then it needs to play by certain rules. No one would take an author very seriously if he said that Paris was on the Rhine and that Rome was in Spain.

When an author is writing conspiracy thrillers like Mr. Brown does, it is reasonable for his audience to expect that he will work within the uncertainties of history, not contradict what is known to be true or false.

In addition, as other posters have pointed out, Mr. Brown has shamelessly played coy about exactly how much he fabricated. Students of history know how loose he has played with the facts, but he hasn't admitted it.

--
Bill

Sparrow · 09-03-2009, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

I will note that the 7th Harry Potter book had the highest initial print run of any book ever.

More than Mao's 'Little Red Book' ??

frui · 09-03-2009, 09:15 PM

Hi, everyone. I wake up to be thrilled by so many responses. Thank you for the recommendations. I will give some of them a try.
Now I found my title a bit misleading. I should have made it more precise. Say I am looking for something more Dan Brownish, or with Dan Brown characteristics, or just having the feel of Dan Brown. I don't know how to make myself more clear. I am not talking about religious themes, totems, symbols, or cryptology. I understand most people would see Dan Brown's fictions as being fully made up of such kind of devices. But for me they are not the deciding factors that make him stand out.
Ahi mentioned Eco. I read his works. They have similar religious themes as Da Vinci Code, but they are completely non-Dan Brown. Very different. Very very different. Eco is a great scholar, but his fictons are not thrillers, not even close.

Sonist · 09-03-2009, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frui

... Eco is a great scholar, but his fictons are not thrillers, not even close.

Yes they are, and some, like Foucault's Pendulum, are both very good, and hard to put down.

Many find Dan Brown very, very easy to put down, you know.... Both literally and figuratively.

frui · 09-03-2009, 09:34 PM

I will give an example. In Digital Fortress the protagonist Becker was persuading Megan to give him the ring which was the core of the matter. But Megan would not trust a stranger that's so unbelievable. The misunderstanding went to a climax and Megan hit Becker with some pepperish thing. She was getting away. Becker could not stop her. All hopes was vanishing along with his senses.
Wait. When he woke up, Becker was suprised to see Megan sitting there watching him closely. What brought her back? It's a very simple plot device. Becker shouted "Megan" just before he got into coma. Maybe many people would laught at the simpleness of this technique, but I like it. It's natural. It's logical. And it works.

frui · 09-03-2009, 09:54 PM

Another example of "Dan Brownish" that I like. At the beginning of Da Vinci Code, Langdon was trapped by Fache. We are beginning to feel panick for him. There came Sophie, who claimed she cracked the numbers, which is a good excuse for coming uninvited. Then she gave Langdon a note with a telephone number, saying that the US Embassy was in urgent need to contact him. Langon made the call. It's Sophie's answering machine: you are in great danger blah blah blah................

This is also a simple plot device. It has holes, but it gives you nice surprises. That's something I am looking for in thrillers. I work very hard in my business, under great pressure you know. I want relaxation, easy reading, absorbing excitement. But I hate complete rip off as Jame Patterson. His works are real shames, deserving all your criticism meant for Dan Brown above. I think most of the thriller writers are more like James Patterson, in one way or another. But Dan Brown is unlike most of them. He took 6 six years to write a novel. Not even serious writers write so slowly and elaborately. I respect him for that. He has a sense of honor, which James Patterson and the like do not have.

Madam Broshkina · 09-03-2009, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

To paraphrase someone I forget: Dan Brown is not an author whose books should be casually laid aside; they should be thrown with great force.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Dan Brown doesn't write "great literature", but he's not setting out to do so. I've read all his novels, and thoroughly enjoyed them. They are good "escapist" thrillers, not meant to be taken seriously.

So apparently you threw the books with great force after you thoroughly enjoyed them.

frui · 09-03-2009, 09:58 PM

Should I mention there are very little violence in Dan Brown's fictions. No sex.
If you are not counting on violence and sex, you will definitely count more on your brain. A great plus for Mr Dan Brown.

09-03-2009, 09:15 PM	#85
frui Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 1340 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: kindle dx	Hi, everyone. I wake up to be thrilled by so many responses. Thank you for the recommendations. I will give some of them a try. Now I found my title a bit misleading. I should have made it more precise. Say I am looking for something more Dan Brownish, or with Dan Brown characteristics, or just having the feel of Dan Brown. I don't know how to make myself more clear. I am not talking about religious themes, totems, symbols, or cryptology. I understand most people would see Dan Brown's fictions as being fully made up of such kind of devices. But for me they are not the deciding factors that make him stand out. Ahi mentioned Eco. I read his works. They have similar religious themes as Da Vinci Code, but they are completely non-Dan Brown. Very different. Very very different. Eco is a great scholar, but his fictons are not thrillers, not even close. Last edited by frui; 09-03-2009 at 10:03 PM.

09-03-2009, 09:54 PM	#88
frui Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 1340 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: kindle dx	Another example of "Dan Brownish" that I like. At the beginning of Da Vinci Code, Langdon was trapped by Fache. We are beginning to feel panick for him. There came Sophie, who claimed she cracked the numbers, which is a good excuse for coming uninvited. Then she gave Langdon a note with a telephone number, saying that the US Embassy was in urgent need to contact him. Langon made the call. It's Sophie's answering machine: you are in great danger blah blah blah................ This is also a simple plot device. It has holes, but it gives you nice surprises. That's something I am looking for in thrillers. I work very hard in my business, under great pressure you know. I want relaxation, easy reading, absorbing excitement. But I hate complete rip off as Jame Patterson. His works are real shames, deserving all your criticism meant for Dan Brown above. I think most of the thriller writers are more like James Patterson, in one way or another. But Dan Brown is unlike most of them. He took 6 six years to write a novel. Not even serious writers write so slowly and elaborately. I respect him for that. He has a sense of honor, which James Patterson and the like do not have. Last edited by frui; 09-03-2009 at 10:51 PM.

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09-03-2009, 02:32 PM	#76
BearMountainBooks Maria Schneider Posts: 3,746 Karma: 26439330 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Near Austin, Texas Device: 3g Kindle Keyboard	DixieGal--try Konrath's website. I think he has different formats available there (I am not sure if it is epub or PDF) I don't know if he still has it either--I got my copy from his website though, so I know it used to be there! Maria

09-03-2009, 02:45 PM	#77
jbjb Somewhat clueless Posts: 739 Karma: 7747724 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis, iPhone 6 Plus	Try Sam Bourne. His novels are sort of similar in style, scope and to a certain extent theme to Dan Brown's, but much better written and with infinitely better research behind them. They first appeared (as far as I'm aware) when Dan Brown first was at the peak of his initial (sales) popularity. The covers of the paperback editions I have look similar to the Dan Brown books I have, and I suspect the visual similarities between the names of the authors may not be 100% coincidental. This might lead to an assumption that they at least started out as an attempt to cash in on Dan Brown's popularity; that might well be the case, but these books are much, much better. Sam Bourne is a pseudonym for Jonathan Freedland, a well-known British "serious" journalist. /JB

09-03-2009, 03:26 PM	#78
ahi Wizard Posts: 1,790 Karma: 507333 Join Date: May 2009 Device: none	How about Umberto Eco...

09-03-2009, 03:48 PM	#80
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	Alistair Maclean (up to 1986, the ones after are ghost written), Robert Ludlum and Arthur Hailey

09-03-2009, 04:05 PM	#82
hywel Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Sony PRS-505	Groucho Marx (or someone like that, anyway) said something that applies well to Dan Brown's work: 'From the moment I picked up your book to the moment I put it down, I could not stop laughing. Some day I may even read it.'

09-03-2009, 09:34 PM	#87
frui Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 1340 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: kindle dx	I will give an example. In Digital Fortress the protagonist Becker was persuading Megan to give him the ring which was the core of the matter. But Megan would not trust a stranger that's so unbelievable. The misunderstanding went to a climax and Megan hit Becker with some pepperish thing. She was getting away. Becker could not stop her. All hopes was vanishing along with his senses. Wait. When he woke up, Becker was suprised to see Megan sitting there watching him closely. What brought her back? It's a very simple plot device. Becker shouted "Megan" just before he got into coma. Maybe many people would laught at the simpleness of this technique, but I like it. It's natural. It's logical. And it works.

09-03-2009, 09:58 PM	#90
frui Connoisseur Posts: 59 Karma: 1340 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: kindle dx	Should I mention there are very little violence in Dan Brown's fictions. No sex. If you are not counting on violence and sex, you will definitely count more on your brain. A great plus for Mr Dan Brown.

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