why do books hit? pt 1
Aug. 19th, 2022 05:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaOne of my goals this year was to get better at elucidating why I like or don't like books. So here's a post with some rambling thoughts about that!
Another example is The Unbroken by C. L. Clark. This is a very good book! But while I found its handling of the horrors and complexities of imperialism really satisfying and nuanced, the romance was intolerable to me. I don't understand why Touraine cares about Luca at all. But I do see why other people are into it, and I didn't find it badly crafted, just not right for me. So this book still gets a high rating and recs from me.
The Love Hypothesis is also a great example of this phenomenon: is it about women in STEM? Sure, but Olive spends the entire book so oblivious that it strains credulously, and the conflict is resolved offscreen by her big strong boyfriend. Olive's friend gives a lot of lip service to her progressive hobbies, but her actual role in the book is just to be a plot device for a bunch of deeply cringey fake dating set pieces.
I guess what I'm saying is: just because your character says the right things or thinks the right thoughts isn't enough to make your book good. And if they talk the talk but don't walk the walk, or if it's clear your understanding of whatever progressive viewpoint you're trying to espouse is superficial, it makes your book worse.
- books that hit intellectually but not emotionally
Another example is The Unbroken by C. L. Clark. This is a very good book! But while I found its handling of the horrors and complexities of imperialism really satisfying and nuanced, the romance was intolerable to me. I don't understand why Touraine cares about Luca at all. But I do see why other people are into it, and I didn't find it badly crafted, just not right for me. So this book still gets a high rating and recs from me.
The Love Hypothesis is also a great example of this phenomenon: is it about women in STEM? Sure, but Olive spends the entire book so oblivious that it strains credulously, and the conflict is resolved offscreen by her big strong boyfriend. Olive's friend gives a lot of lip service to her progressive hobbies, but her actual role in the book is just to be a plot device for a bunch of deeply cringey fake dating set pieces.
I guess what I'm saying is: just because your character says the right things or thinks the right thoughts isn't enough to make your book good. And if they talk the talk but don't walk the walk, or if it's clear your understanding of whatever progressive viewpoint you're trying to espouse is superficial, it makes your book worse.
