Pet Peeves

[Raven]

When reading a book, do you have any pet peeves that really bug you, possibly to the point where you will stop reading?

 

You know the sort of thing, repetitive use of the same phrase, overly florid descriptions etc.

 

My pet peeve is writers who put too much description around dialogue, for example:

 

"Your tea is getting cold," smiled Simon.

 

"I know," nodded Julie.

 

Simon raised his eyebrows suggestively, "I could warm it up for you, if you like . . ."

 

"No, that's all right," said Julie, shaking her head.

 

Okay, possibly a poor example, but hopefully you get my drift!

 

I find this really annoying for two reasons; firstly it pulls you out of the flow of the conversation and secondly there are only so many adjectives you can use, so if this is overused characters quite often end up coming across as being a bit simple because they are smiling, or grinning after everything they say!

 

Do you have any pet peeves?!

[Echo]

I really only have one major pet peeve: bad writing. This could be a plot that goes nowhere, stilted dialogue (your example is great, Raven), action that doesn't make sense, and any kind of writing that feels pretentious, like the author is trying to show off. I have no problem quitting a book that I'm not enjoying...there are millions of other books to read!

[BookJumper]

Oh, hundreds. A few of the most hated include:

 

- "sell-out" graphic scenes that tone a book down and could easily have been omitted with no loss whatsoever, such as those in Scarlett Thomas's "The End of Mr Y"; I'm not fond of graphic scenes in general but I will deal if they fulfill a clear narrative/emtional/whatever function, as for example they do in the novels of Carl-Johan Vallgren, Keith Miller and Elizabeth Bear.

 

- pretentiousness of the kind where the author looks down at you rather than let you in on the joke; this is the pretentiousness of Umberto Eco as opposed to the tongue-in-cheek pretentiousness of Jasper Fforde and Tom Stoppard, which conversely I can't get enough of.

 

- repetitiveness, such as my all-time-favourite "swerve to avoid" recourring thrice in the space of two pages in one of the last HPs (I was so unimpressed I forget which); I only put up with it if the rewards are otherwise great, i.e. Daniel Waters's "Generation Dead" can get a bit repetitive in its descriptions at times but the plot is so original and the characters so captivating I'm just about letting him off.

 

- as a subsection of repetitiveness, those who seem to be able to write nothing but "x said" when referring to dialogue. I get Raven's point and do agree that when a good flow of conversation is established often one does not need descriptive hangers-on at all; however I have experienced description of dialogue which is varied, engaging and informative so it annoys me when authors don't bother to make it so.

 

... others include cardboard characters, lack of historical/geographical/whatever research, excessive derivatism... I could continue, you know.

[amethyst]

I agree with the graphic scenes issue, I really don't like it, if I want graphic scenes, I'll go elsewhere, I don't like reading them in books. I don't mind if they just skim over it, but sometimes they make me wince, and I'm no prude! Ok, I read mainly chick lit, so I have to expect some graphic scenes, but certain books, such as Tasmina Perry's Goldigger's has completely put me off reading anything else by her purely because of the sex scenes in it, they're just way too much!

 

(I'll get off my soap box now:lol:)

[Adam]

Sex scenes rock!

 

I'm just kidding. I really have never read a book with "graphic" scenes.

 

I really don't have any pet peeves. I look at writing as an art form, so I respect each authors individual style. There are some that I like more than others, but I respect each authors way of telling a story. I'm not picky when it comes to this stuff. Give me a good plot and paint a decent picture in my mind and I'll walk away from the book happy.

[BookJumper]

I'm just kidding. I really have never read a book with "graphic" scenes

Hmm, maybe I need to come to you for "safe" reccomendations then !

[Raven]

I don't have a problem with sex scenes in books (or on TV and in films for that matter) if they are warranted by the plot, but if they are just there to titillate then why include them?

 

I do have a problem with some graphic descriptions of violence though.

 

A friend of mine recommended me a book by Karin Slaughter (apt name . . .), because I had been reading some Pat Cornwell books and she said Slaughter's were in the same vein - they are not, casual reader!

 

I think I got about four or five pages into the book I bought before the first murder took place and the descriptions of the victim's death was just so over the top that I put the book down and have never been tempted to read another by her (I also no longer listen to my friend when she says she's read a good book!).

Edited August 15, 2009 by Raven
typo . . .

[Echo]

I've never been bothered by descriptions of violence. In fact, I find them fascinating...creepy, I know.

 

But I don't like sex scenes that are too graphic, either in a book or on TV. It just kind of grosses me out.

[amethyst]

I am completely with you there Echo

[Kell]

Lewis Grassic Gibbon. He is a major pet peeve of mine when it comes to writing! I was forced to read Sunset Song for Higher English and I actually couldn't finish it because it's so horribly written! HUUUUGGGGGEEEE long sentences that last an entire paragraph (which is the length of any normal writer writing 3 paragraphs!). Starting sentences with "and" or "but". Rambling on and on and on. Having extremely boring characters. The list is endless. No offence to fans of his (I know there are some as a friend of mine read his entire A Scots Quair for her study - by choice, no less!!!) but I think his writing absolutely dire.

[Tikkititi]

Lewis Grassic Gibbon. He is a major pet peeve of mine when it comes to writing! I was forced to read Sunset Song for Higher English and I actually couldn't finish it because it's so horribly written! HUUUUGGGGGEEEE long sentences that last an entire paragraph (which is the length of any normal writer writing 3 paragraphs!). Starting sentences with "and" or "but". Rambling on and on and on. Having extremely boring characters. The list is endless. No offence to fans of his (I know there are some as a friend of mine read his entire A Scots Quair for her study - by choice, no less!!!) but I think his writing absolutely dire.

 

THANK YOU! I find Lewis Grassic Gibbon unreadable, frankly, and have been made to feel like an inadequate reader because of it. Hmph.

 

Pet peeves for me would include constant reminders of a character's looks. I had to stop reading Jean M Auel's Earth's Children series because, GAH, Ayla is beautiful, I GET IT.

 

I would also agree with the use of unnecessary graphic scenes. I'm by no means a prude, and will happily read those scenes if they actually serve a purpose. Actually, the Earth's Children series is a good example again - in the first book, Clan of the Cave Bear, there is a quite graphic rape scene. The scene furthers the plot and makes sense in the context of the book, so no problem. In the later books, graphic sex scenes are included for no reason than I can see, other than extending the number of readers.

 

(Note to Jean M Auel fans: Sorry for picking on the Earth's Children series. Auel just happens to be guilty of two of my biggest pet peeves.)

[Talisman]

My pet peeve applies more to non-fiction - authors that assume you have read their previous works by constantly referencing them - and also non fiction books that don't have an index - I refuse to buy them.

[Scarlette]

- 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.

[honestfi]

Poorly executed plots - it doesn't matter if you've copied someone elses, providing it hasn't been used ad nauseum, but having a plot as transparent as a window makes for dire reading

 

Sex scenes with no purpose to them - I wish some authors would try and keep them plot crucial, rather than just throw them in to bed together to pad the book out, or because they need some breathing space

 

Repetitive theme - read a book recently that had a girl who at the end of every other chapter was teetering on the edge of death, but you knew she wasn't going to die, being the heroine, it just made it tedious

 

Plots that are up their own...erhem - I once tried to read a Booker Prize nominee and I have never read such anal trite in all my life. Did the author even understand or connect with the plot?

 

Any books where I'm unable to connect with any character (be he good or bad guy) - All are objectionable, and you just want to wring the hero's neck as they are eligible for the Darwin Award

 

The horrible, horrible, horrible vogue for sentences without conjunctions, probably for fear of repetition, but it reads like something a child would write, e.g. She wandered around the garden, didn't want to go back into the house. UUUUUrrrrrggggghhhhh sets my teeth on edge. Without Warning by Carol Smith is written like that

 

I can't remember any more. But I could go on.

[Mia]

Descriptions of surroundings that last for several pages, are extremely boring and repetitive and get in the way of furthering the plot. Yes, I'm talking about you, Dean Koontz.

[chesilbeach]

Misuse of the word myriad

[amethyst]

Just thought of another, typo's!!! Grrrr!! Whether they be incorrectly spelt, or whether they'd put the wrong characters name in at the wrong place, it really irritates me, surely proof readers should be picking these things up!!

[Euphorix]

It may be somewhat ironic after Amethyst's post, but one thing that annoys me to no end is incorrect use of apostrophes. Thankfully you don't see much of this in books; but the general population - hopeless. I recall my English teacher telling me 98% of the British population could not use an apostrophe. I don't know his source, but it wouldn't surprise me the least. One particularly daft student in my class used to sprinkle apostrophes a little bit everywhere - sometimes next to random s's in the middle of words. Needless to say, I nearly strangled him.

[honestfi]

It may be somewhat ironic after Amethyst's post, but one thing that annoys me to no end is incorrect use of apostrophes. Thankfully you don't see much of this in books; but the general population - hopeless. I recall my English teacher telling me 98% of the British population could not use an apostrophe. I don't know his source, but it wouldn't surprise me the least. One particularly daft student in my class used to sprinkle apostrophes a little bit everywhere - sometimes next to random s's in the middle of words. Needless to say, I nearly strangled him.

 

:motz:I so agree. Actually, you do get them in novels occasionally, where the proof readers miss a writer's brain-fade, most often it's the apostrophe at the end of a proper noun ending in 's'. I've been told that if you actually "say" the extra s, it needs apostrophe-s, if you don't then it's just an apostrophe. This is pretty petty though, do be honest misuse like this doesn't particularly bug me.

 

What I can't stand is greengrocers and their "tomatoe's" gggggggrrrrarrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

{sigh}

[jewell]

It may be somewhat ironic after Amethyst's post, but one thing that annoys me to no end is incorrect use of apostrophes. Thankfully you don't see much of this in books; but the general population - hopeless. I recall my English teacher telling me 98% of the British population could not use an apostrophe. I don't know his source, but it wouldn't surprise me the least. One particularly daft student in my class used to sprinkle apostrophes a little bit everywhere - sometimes next to random s's in the middle of words. Needless to say, I nearly strangled him.

 

We'd get on well then. I drive people crazy with my constant use of

commas.

[SueK]

Bad editing:irked: Usually by publishers who want to get the book out there quickly and haven't bothered to do a good job.

 

The main one that comes to mind (and I've mentioned it on this forum once or twice) is Labryinth by Kate Mosse. Soooo badly edited it spoiled the book for me. Part of the plot takes place in 12th Century France and you have characters saying "OK". puuurrllleeeeaaaaasssssseeee:irked:

[Talisman]

The number one which I forgot to mention (Sue K's reference to bad editing reminded me) is people who insist (without a lot of the time having actually read any) that self published books are poorly written and edited - or that if they were any good they would have been picked up by a gate keeper (sorry - traditional publisher), also those who label such books as vanity press (the true vanity press imo are celebrity memoirs amd ghost written novels), which brings me to yet another peeve ...

[Kylie]

I agree about apostrophes. I can often be heard out in public saying to my partner in an outraged voice 'why did they put an apostrophe there?' or 'there should be an apostrophe there!'. I see them everywhere. It drives me nuts (and probably my partner as well, because I always feel the need to point them out).

[BookJumper]

Another thing that really gets to me is continuity errors.

 

My inner editor finds it nigh on impossible to cope with one without shutting down and abandoning the book, particularly if it's meant to be a masterpiece of its kind. One recent example is Richard Matheson's "I am Legend" - after looking forward to it for ages, I find a continuity error on page two (either an afternoon or an entire day had been entirely lost, i.e. "at midday he did this. Then he closed the windows because they were about to come, and they came only at night").

 

This aggrieved me so much I gave the book away.

 

... which is ironic, because as a writer continuity is the bane of my existence - I'm working across long periods of time so years have the nasty habit of multiplying when I'm not looking. On the other hand, I do everything to avoid this because of how much it annoys me as a reader, and I hope that my future editor will do a good job of getting rid of those mistakes I might have missed - that's their job.

[Kell]

Descriptions of surroundings that last for several pages, are extremely boring and repetitive and get in the way of furthering the plot.

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!

 

Misuse of the word myriad

Ooh, I hate this too. I'm a bit like JD and Veronica in Heathers over this one - LOL!

 

It may be somewhat ironic after Amethyst's post, but one thing that annoys me to no end is incorrect use of apostrophes.

Another pet peeve of mine too.