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Those that should have been but were not


Vimes

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I have been on a long search for a book to read since I finnished the series that I had been reading. Thankfully I have finally found a new series to read, but while I was looking a came across books that should/could have been good but weren't. It wasn't like the ideas for the plots were bad or even the writing, and it got me to thinking. What makes a book good or bad? There must be an "it" quality that some books just don't have.

 

But then what defines a book as "good" differs from person to person.

So what do you think makes a good or bad book? And what do you think is missing from those books that should have been good but weren't?

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For me a good book has balance (or harmony)...You can say this for a lot of things, for example in cerebral - sentimental etc. And even exciting books, shouldn't be constantly exciting because it'll lose it's effect. You can think of many more things. The Harry Potter books uses verbs like '.. hissed', 'stretched his legs' a little too much. This is almost objective but..

 

I think it's important that the book can evoke something a film or picture cannot; the medium is the message! It should trigger the imagination/mind, but everyone has a different mind so it's indeed very subjective.

 

 


 

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I also find it often hard to pin-point. It's certainly not the plot, even books with a very cliché plot and storytelling can be written very excitingly.

 

I think it's about how well the language flows and how believable the author makes it for me. If the writing is engaging and imaginative, if the dialog and characters are realistic and believable, that can make up a lot of failures in other levels of the book.

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For me there are different things that make a book good. If I'm on the edge of my seat in excitement, I usually consider that a good book. But even if there isn't constant action I can enjoy a book and call it "good" if it has good themes. If I finish reading a book and it really makes me think, then it's a "good" book. 

 

Personally I hate reading books that have almost no dialogue. So that would be a characteristic of a "bad" book for me. Badly developed characters or too many cliches or stereotypes is another bad characteristic in a book. 

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"ruben-For me a good book has balance (or harmony) "

 

I agree with you on this a truly good book ought to (in a way) be Zen. The words must have a flow and a rhythm to them while you are reading that slows you to not be aware of the words them selves, but what is happening in the story.

 

"Sakura-I think it's about how well the language flows and how believable the author makes it for me. If the writing is engaging and imaginative, if the dialog and characters are realistic and believable,that can make up a lot of failures in other levels of the

book. "

 

And if they don't make me want to give them (the characters) a swift kick :P:) ! But yes one can forgive a great deal if you characters are well rounded and you can get behind them and want to know/care about what happens to them.

 

"BSchultz19- If I'm on the edge of my seat in excitement, I usually consider that a good book. But even if there isn't constant action I can enjoy a book and call it "good" if it has good themes. If I finish reading a book and it really makes me think, then it's a "good" book. "

 

Yes, a book that can stop and make you think is a wonderful thing to find and I think that there are to few books write. These day that are like that. :)

 

P.S sorry for the odd quotes, haveing problems with quoteing more than one person. Sigh

Edited by Vimes
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Hard to say. All I know is that I get easily bored, so there has to be SOMETHING that is speaking to me. Either a mystery or a compelling situation where I hope things end good for the character I like. Good writing is important, but even an excellently written book can be a total snore. So I would say it's a combination of many things, and the topic or characters must speak to me to get me invested. Just like tv-series. Good writing is important, but if I can't relate to any of the main characters or if I don't find the plot interesting, then I won't watch. 

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I have to say that what makes a book good is:

 

1. Good writing

 

2. A plot were the end is actually a surprise and I don't know whats going to happen until the last page

 

3. Characters that I like, (you know your main character needs a personality transplant when the person reading you book is willing the bad guys to kill him/her :P )

 

And finally

 

4. A good ending!

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I can read something that on the face of it has a ridiculous plot (Some Stephen King, when you actually sit down and think about it, is fairly silly).

The writing doesn't have to be great, or even that original (I read lots of generic thrillers - and enjoy most of them!)

 

But I would say that all the books I enjoy have characters I both believe in and care about, has good dialogue and an enjoyable plot. If I get that, I'm mostly happy.

Some books just have charisma I guess.

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This is an interesting question. I'm not sure if I could pin-point it. Clearly it does depend on the genre too, non-fiction will have different things that are important than fiction (though they'll have the same reasons, too). I'm going to have to think about this one..

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I have admit that I hadn't thought about the fiction/non-fiction difference and you are right their is one.

 

I don't read a lot of non-fiction but when I do the number one deal breaker is that they must be interesting! And not in the subject matter that they are writing about but also in how the write it.

 

Think away :) I am interested in hearing what you think.

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