sirinrob Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 One of my pet peeves is when reading a book that I know is a translation(and I dont have the ability to read the original language)and the sense gets mangled. Almost gaveup on reading 'Madame Bovray' because the translation I was reading had lots of examples of it. Found a different translation and no problem. (checked the areas where the sense was mangled previously and they made sense in the second translation) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generalkala Posted August 25, 2009 Share Posted August 25, 2009 Oh, good thread idea. My pet peeve is when a character is described using a reflection. Eg - 'Hanna looked in the mirror. A blue-eyed, blonde-haired girl of about medium height stared back.' You know what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 - A bad plot. Which is even worse than bad writing, I would say. At least with bad writing and a great plot, a book can still be enjoyable. - Characters that don't inspire emotion. I need to feel something for the characters I read about - whether I love or hate them. - Overly poetic writing. This is what put me off most about a recent book I decided not to finish. A writer doesn't need to describe every single thing in the most extravagant language for the reader to find it interesting/upsetting/beautiful/ugly. Agree, especially about the overly poetic writing .. it almost always feels false and laboured. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Too much sighing and shrugging of shoulders. I like Barbara Erskine books but the last one I picked up had the heroine shrugging her shoulders so much she would have needed a neck massage! Also, badly written sex scenes: ie "he tore at her body like a thief" - a little decorum if you please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blithe Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I can't read Tolkien because of this. Swathes and swathes of description, followed by a song or two, before anything actually starts happening! Gah! I can't get through Tolkien for the same reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I'm the opposite I love description. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickwick Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 She opened the door in her nightdress.Ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted September 3, 2009 Share Posted September 3, 2009 She opened the door in her nightdress.Ugh Haha, sounds like a bodice ripper:mrgreen: Another one .... why oh why do heroines always have green eyes. Why can't they be watery or bloodshot like everyone else:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimmyS Posted September 6, 2009 Share Posted September 6, 2009 My pet peeve is when a book constantly flicks between past and present and it you have to read the paragraph twice to twig which bit it belongs to...HATE that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katrina1968 Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 My pet peeve?!! Lets see, oh here it is... When the author does his/her dedication page on a piece of pornography between the covers (no pun intended) and the FIRST thing they do is "I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ". What irks me about this? Well, the fact everything after that is totally NOT what He wanted to be associated with. I mean, your writing a book full of perverisons out of the norm and you thank God for that? Uh, sorry, BIG pet peeve! Better to write the smutt and leave God out of it if for no other reason but respect. Mind you, its got nothing to do with whose a Christian and who isnt, its the mindset of someone who CLAIMS to be, not someone who DOESNT claim to be. Now I shall step down off my soapbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I thought Pet Peeves was a book you were all talking about, I didn't realise what it meant until just now when somebody used the term in the "What really bugs you" -thread At the moment I'm really annoyed at descriptions of every character's clothes. I'm reading a Sookie Stackhouse book and Charlaine Harris sure likes to give us a mental image of what everyone's wearing. I find it utterly useless and boring. Violence, cussing and sex are also things that annoy me, if they are there in the book just to shock people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueB Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I thought Pet Peeves was a book you were all talking about, I didn't realise what it meant until just now when somebody used the term in the "What really bugs you" -thread At the moment I'm really annoyed at descriptions of every character's clothes. I'm reading a Sookie Stackhouse book and Charlaine Harris sure likes to give us a mental image of what everyone's wearing. I find it utterly useless and boring. Violence, cussing and sex are also things that annoy me, if they are there in the book just to shock people. That was me Frankie sorry to confuse ya lovey!! I find that with the Sookie Stackhouse books.....we dont need to know what they are wearing 100% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 That was me Frankie sorry to confuse ya lovey!!I find that with the Sookie Stackhouse books.....we dont need to know what they are wearing 100% Yep it was you Maybe Charlaine Harris has a thing for clothes herself... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freewheeling Andy Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Two pet peeves 1 - very long paragraphs. Generally a trait in older, more "classic" books. Where authors write huge volumes of description without pausing for breath. And I'm too lazy to read large blocks of unbroken stuff. 2 - super-introspective characters, who are super-emotional and pathetic and appear to change their behaviour/mood/opinions of others on some really trivial thing, and treating it as a terrible slight that, say, someone didn't hold the door open for them, and then go off on a huge whiny complaint about how that person really therefore doesn't like them, and that means the whole of the group they are with doesn't, and that really changes the characters intentions for his whole life, blah blah blah. God, these characters want a proper slapping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueB Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Yep it was you Maybe Charlaine Harris has a thing for clothes herself... YOu maybe right there!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWords Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Spelling mistakes, wrong information (the price of gas in 1982 wasn't the same as it was in '98), travelogues, stupid plot oversights, numerous characters with similar names... I could go on, but I would just be tormenting myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 One thing I really hate is really long chapters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Something I noticed a lot of in Janet Evanovich's books - a character 'padding' somewhere after they've gotten out of the shower. I understand the meaning of the word, but there seems to be no other way in which a character can get somewhere after they've come out of the bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kara.jackson Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 Truly? Brutal and pointless over-adjective-ification. Drives me mental. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funrun Posted September 9, 2009 Share Posted September 9, 2009 when there is waffle and jaggon no really meaning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 One thing I really hate is really long chapters. I'm starting to agree with this - I used to think I didn't care how long a chapter was once I was absorbed in the story, but I really do prefer shorter chapters and am more inclined to read books with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Unneccessary waffle - I find myself losing interest, long chapters/paragraphs - I like to have a place to stop to get up if I need too, too much swearing and spelling mistakes - not many then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fayezie Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Too much description which isn't necessary, I don't like to skip read, but I do if there is unneccessary description. I don't like long chapters where there isn't a decent place to stop half way through if you have to. Personally I prefer short chapters (feels like I've read more ) but especially because I read a lot in my lunch hour so am restricted for time. Also, when you're reading a story in a series of books which is half way through the series, and they assume you know the previous story lines etc (the one especially for me was Scarpetta by Patricia Cornwell - I happened to see the book cheap and it sounded good. I wasn't aware that it was part of a series until I started reading it!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anika Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 Biggest irritation is too many cliches! And, as soon as gore presents itself, I'm done. Well, if it's a brief mention with no further offences, I'll read on, but I'm extremely squeamish, and those images tend to stick in my mind, unfortunately. I also hate long passages in a foreign language with no translation. A word here and there for the expressive element, okay. But whole paragraghs? I don't think so. And writers that think we need to know the entire life story of all the LESS than minor characters...... example: We first see Mr. X when he walks in the room and hands a message to Mr. Hero-of-story. Then there are 3 pages about the dreams, aspirations and hardships of Mr. X, whom we never see again. Why? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigWords Posted November 12, 2009 Share Posted November 12, 2009 We first see Mr. X when he walks in the room and hands a message to Mr. Hero-of-story. Then there are 3 pages about the dreams, aspirations and hardships of Mr. X, whom we never see again. Why? The inevitable sequel. Or sequels (plural), because the writer is in love with the characters that populate the book. Lazy editing comes into play, but mostly that type of thing is setting up plots and characters for more installments. Funny thing about those types of books... So few get sequels because they don't capture the audience due to wasting pages on irrelevant characters. Irony abounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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