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I have been a serious slacker on this challenge. Whoops. But I will finish! Almost there!
Today's prompt is: Tell us your deal breakers.
1. Eroticism, excessive language, or anything that I find too immoral to read. I don't mean to be snobby, and I hardly ever put down a book for this reason--I can handle some language and some sexual content, but if it's just meant to be shocking, then I have better things to waste my time on.
2. Bad writing. Sometimes I can push through it, but if the writing is so bad that it gets in the way of my ability to focus on the story itself, then I'm more likely to put the book down.
3. Boring characters. I need characters that are more complicated and not cliche. I'm more than happy with cliches in movies, but when I'm reading, I want the characters to have some substance to them.
4. Post-Twilight vampires. Just no.
What are your deal breakers?
A great list! My deal-breakers are very similar: bad grammar and sentence structure; the gratuitous use of foul language; story-lines that go nowhere (thinking, The Catcher in the Rye), poor character development and really, books that are written to make money or to conform to the latest fad or trend, instead of being a work of creative art that comes from the author's heart.
ReplyDeleteYou named a few I didn't think of! I especially agree with books that are just written to conform to the latest trends. Ugh! (That's the general direction I was going with post-Twilight vampires...) And I didn't like Catcher in the Rye very much, either.
DeleteI have not read any Vampire books yet even though they are all the rage (however, I do have Dracula on my list). And, speaking of fads, I didn't like The Hunger Games either (I know, I am probably the only person in the world). Sigh! I'm not very trendy, am I? ;-)
Delete1. Objectionable content. I've never read a "bodice-ripper," and I never intend to. Like you, I can deal with some mature content if it's furthering the story.
ReplyDelete2. Anti-Christian content. I had to quit reading Anne Rice's vampire novels because they were just too aggressively anti-Christian. I'm not talking about books with non-Christian characters or books where religion simply isn't an issue, I'm talking about books that specifically try to attack the reader's faith. I have better things to read.
3. Bad writing. If I'm spending more time editing a book in my head than I am paying attention to the story, out it goes. I remember a book that I slogged about halfway through, years ago, and finally gave up on when the hero "took the heroine lovingly by the chin." What on earth does that mean?!?!?!
4. Characters I don't like. I'll probably finish the book, but I won't return to it. (I didn't like Catcher in the Rye either, because I disliked Holden Caulfield.)
"finally gave up on when the hero "took the heroine lovingly by the chin." What on earth does that mean?!?"
DeleteEw! That gives a very weird visual!
Hamlette, I agree with you 100% on points 1 and 3 (and you worded things better than I did--and #3 just made me laugh...). I would probably agree with 2 as well, except I can't think of anything specifically anti-Christian that I've ever read.
DeleteYes, isn't that just the oddest image ever? I told my hubby about it, and he occasionally will joke, "Shall I take you lovingly by the chin?" I'm assuming it just meant like he held her face with his thumb on her chin and his hand curled under it -- but still, couldn't there have been a better wording? Or he could have cupped her cheek in his hand or something less... weird.
Delete