Comments on: How Do You Judge a Book?

By: Tricia

Tricia — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:17:02 +0000

I can definitely overlook flaws if a book is overall great. I mean every book has some flaws, nothing’s perfect. What I love in a book is it’s ability to get me attached to the characters. Like Matt in Twenty Boy Summer for instance. He was in the book for about a chapter and I already fell in love with him. It was so sad when he had to die. I also love it when a book causes me to stay up reading it till I finish (although that’s not always the smart thing to do). If a book makes me think about something a certain way, or makes me learn something new about myself, then it’s a good book to me. It shouldn’t matter if there are tiny mistakes somewhere, hidden. It should all be about how you feel after the book is over. Books are very powerful, that’s why I love them. :]

By: BERK

BERK — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:56:52 +0000

You mean that having a vegetarian eat a hamburger with me should be avoided because of plot/character continuity, right? Not that eating a hamburger with me should be avoided. Because really I’m a charming lunch guest. And I’m not really a meat-pusher. OK, yes, I am.

Anyway, great post!

By: PIzzaGirl

PIzzaGirl — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:26:39 +0000

I agree. From my days of taking AP English in highschool and the fact that I’ve always loved reading, I find myself analyzing books as I go. I often find that when picking out favorite quotes I don’t just pick out things that are profound, but also things that are beautifully written, regardless of the actual subject of the quote.

By: Jackie (Farm Lane Books)

Jackie (Farm Lane Books) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:19:22 +0000

Like you I am willing to forgive a few minor flaws as long as the plot is holding my attention.

I am finding that as I read more books I am becoming less tolerant of average books. I used to finish every book that I started, but now I realise that life is too short to continue reading books that fail to engage me.

I am also finidng that I am more likely to have a problem with books that cover topics I’ve already read about several times. I like books to be original, or at least look at things from a fresh perspective.

Unlike Cassandra Jane I quite like ambiguity at the end though!

By: Sarah Ockler

Sarah Ockler — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:11:07 +0000

I agree with you about staying with great characters, even through poor writing. But in the end, if the writing is that poor overall, I find the characters aren’t all that great, either. And if they really can withstand poor writing, I still might not have *enjoyed* the book, even if I stayed with it to find out the characters’ fates at the end.

By: Sarah Ockler

Sarah Ockler — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:09:09 +0000

That shift is so interesting. I wonder if book bloggers who aren’t necessarily writers experience similar things, just by nature of the fact that they read *so many* books.

By: Cassandra Jade

Cassandra Jade — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:03:44 +0000

I’ll stay with a book as long as the characters are interesting. Once I am attached to a character I’ll wade through page after page of terrible writing if only to find out what happens in the end to that character. To make a book great, the characters then have to do something interesting and the problem has to be resolved in a satisfactory manner. I need closure. Thanks for a great post.

By: Nikki Mantyla

Nikki Mantyla — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 01:53:23 +0000

Great, great, great post. I feel the same way. Since I started writing, the things I care about HAVE shifted, and they are all the things you bulleted here. Thanks for pinning down these thoughts!