If I love a book, I will buy and read everything from that same author. But I make sure I don't read them all in a row because I don't want to get sick of their style. I'm not sure this would happen, but I'm not going to take the risk. There's always too much of a good thing, right?
Anyway, that's not really my point today. What I don't understand is, how I can love, adore, cherish, do cartwheels over every single book these beloved authors of mine have written, except for the ones that have been awarded with prizes. What is the deal with that? Is this just me and my off-beat mind making life difficult? Has this ever happend to you? And, if so, do you understand why the worst out of their collection gets awarded? I just don't get it ...
I once bought a book called PS I LOVE YOU by Celia Aherne I lvoed the book then went out everytime a new one appeared at the bookshop.
ReplyDeleteShe is a fantastic writer amd I do honestly enjoy each book.
Enjoyed your post as always very interesting.
Yvonne.
Ooo. . .that is a tough question. For me it might be that the books which are awarded prizes are more literary, which I don't tend to read. Not sure if it's that simple or not, though. Hope that makes sense!
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't really happen to me, but I could speculate that sometimes awards are given out to authors because their previous work has established them as an award worthy writer, even when their newest novel is not quite the same. Not sure though.
ReplyDeleteI reckon you just don't appreciate books along the same lines as the alleged eliteratti. In more ways than one, you should be happy about that.
ReplyDeleteOften, when people spend their time deconstructing and analyzing books, they develop a completely different system of values and also stop appreciating books as regular readers... Oh yeah, and of course, depending on the award internal politics often play a disappointingly large part.
I totally agree with you and do the same thing!
ReplyDeleteOften times I'll read something and not even know that it's won award *_____*. After reading the book, I'll write something or say something about why I didn't like it, and that's when someone will point out that it's a great book because it won *_____* and how could I not like it? I've also been grossly disappointed numerous times because people will suggest books to me that won various things... and then they suck, at least in my own opinion, and many times in comparison to the author's other books.
I always figured I was just a weirdo for not 'getting' the award winning books most of the time.
Hmm...you know, sometimes the hype surrounding a book can actually influence us in a negative way.
ReplyDeleteHype isn't always a great thing. Sometimes it leaves you feeling let down if someone gives it too much praise. Guess there is such a thing as "too much of a good thing"
ReplyDeleteI do think there is the whole expectations thing. But I also think that award winning books are different than best selling books we fall in love with. the best combo is a best selling book that also wins awards - hard to find.
ReplyDeleteWith a lot of awards, especially in more recent times, they attempt to judge the book as a stand alone and not as part of the author's body of work (I did a feature on this back in January - http://mithrilwisdom.blogspot.com/2010/01/very-thought-provoking-review-of.html).
ReplyDeleteThis means that, whilst the award panel look at this single book in terms of literary style, prose etc., you've fallen in love with the story as a whole, and so your favourite in the series will be the one with the most character development, the most conflict etc. I often find that with series', especially in fantasy, the most 'literary' is often the worst in terms of story and character.
Either that, or you could have a form of indie-psychosis going on, like when people stop liking a music artist when they become popular in the mainstream (I'm kidding here, but I've seen it happen with a few people, hehe).
I totally hear you on that - and my best guess is that prize-winning books tend to lean more literary and I shy away from anything TOO literary because my reading time is precious and I don't want to think too much (unless it's for a writing friend...)
ReplyDeleteAs for not reading the same author's books in a row - I'm afraid my willpower is not so great. When I discover one I love, I tend to indulge. I'm on a Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong kick right now, two authors I didn't even read until this year.
I used to not read anything on the best seller lists. But then I started reading a lot more books and had to give in. Some are worth it, others not so much. I don't know why. Maybe because people as a society choose books they wouldn't necessarily pick as individuals?
ReplyDeleteI haven't really noticed a trend on this or anything, but sometimes (ducks and hide) it's the hardest to read of their books (sometimes it's literary fiction) that gets the highest praise.
ReplyDeleteThat's a really good question. And I think Ellie is right in that it's usually more literary and the writer doesn't always follow through with another good piece. Also, some people write with the object of writing more books afterward. Some just want to write one great piece of art. When they do, and get awards, the publishers want more and give them a time line and it's not usually the timeline they had for the first book, so you get substandard work. That's just my two cents.
ReplyDeleteCD
I so feel this! Maybe not like the worst of their stuff gets the award, but most books that I read that have won an award, I don't like. Or at least I don't think they're all that special. I don't know why... maybe I'm going into it biased? Who knows? All I know is that I don't get how a book wins an award if it's clearly not good. (Clearly to me, that is. :))
ReplyDeleteI love reading award winners! Sometimes I think another book should've won, but that's just more proof about how subjective this writing and publishing industry is. I certainly wouldn't want to be the judges panel handing out awards. How do they choose??? It must be difficult!
ReplyDeleteStrange conundrum. I don't think much about awards or notice them, I just read kind of how I write. I'm a pantser reader.
ReplyDeleteI don't notice awards often, but I have noticed this anomaly too. :/ Sometimes I wonder if it's because it's their first book that gets the award...and when they continue their awesomeness, the award-people feel like they can't just keep handing them out.
ReplyDeleteYes. You're a nut job.
ReplyDelete(kidding)
I think it depends on the award, but many awards are given for boundaries pushed, whether artistically, stylistically, or content-wise, and sometimes to me those feel like 'too much'--not always, but sometimes.
As for books by the same author... A couple... divided in time (as you said)-unless they are a series, and the series has to have a grand, overarching plot or it bugs me. But I do get tired of a given voice if I don't give it a rest. I would get tired of my best friend if I spent day in and day out with her, with no OTHER people in between... I'd get tired of my family if... wait... I do get tired of my family... (sometimes I need a break)
I agree that a lot of books that win awards aren't as entertaining and sometimes hard to slough through.
ReplyDeleteI don't get it either. It's stupid, really. I know, tons of insight here.
ReplyDeleteThis happens with my favorite movies, too. The ones the critics scorn are my faves, and the box office greats leave me saying, "Eh..."
ReplyDeleteHope your writing is going great!!
I don't pay much attention to awards. I read what appeals to me.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you root for the underdog and once they get an award, they've blown it:)
Hi! That happened to me with Ann Enright and Banville, whose work I'd previously enjoyed - I wasn't able to finish either of their Booker Prize winning books! Soooo caught up in the detailed monotonous beauty of language and soo slow. I like emma donaghues writing esp Slammerkin and will be interested to see if "The Room" is tinged with the Booker Curse of unreadability.
ReplyDelete(Its funny, I commented about this exact topic earlier today on facebook)
There are a few cases where I've loved an author's previous book/series and the next one wins an award, but I haven't pick the book up because the premise doesn't appeal to me.
ReplyDeleteWith YA, there's such a diversity of awards, such as 'great book for reluctant readers,' that I usually don't pay attention to who got an award and for what. In the end, it's the story that counts. :)
Wow. You're totally right. I guess that I'll just have to hope that nothing I writes gets any kind of award huh?
ReplyDeleteGuess I need to pay more attention to my books - I never notice if one's received an award or not.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a subjective thing with books and prizes. I'm lucky in that I usually pick up a book I know I'll like, but I won't necessarily think it's a must read because of a prize. Someones literary prize winner can always turn out to be the book someone else hates :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's the people who award the prizes - it's not just books. Half the time, I'm not "getting" the movies that are winning Golden Globes or Best Picture at the Academy Awards (Hurt Locker? Good movie. Not what I would call the BEST. But I found the entire category lacking this year) or the tv shows winning the Emmy. I don't know if I'm just completely out of sync with those people who award literary, film and television awards or what? I'm glad I'm in good company, though!
ReplyDeleteInteresting question. This has certainly happened to me with classics. I never seem to like an author's most famous or "best" work. Take Jane Austen, for example. P&P is NOT my favorite. I like MANSFIELD PARK way better. Dickens? I hate A TALE OF TWO CITIES. Homer? THE ILIAD = way better than THE ODYSSEY. I feel like a lot of times, an author's "best" work is too hyped. We hear all these great things about it, but it can't live up to the standard. But with one of their other books, we don't expect much and we're pleasantly surprised.
ReplyDeleteSigh--yes. I did the same thing with Nora Roberts. I devoured every one of her novels I could find. And there were some that I just didn't care for, so I branched out! Only to find the same problem. But not everyone will love everything.
ReplyDelete~JD
I think you're just trying to make life difficult in your off-beat way.
ReplyDeleteKIDding... lol! :D I don't know. I haven't really kept track of the award-winning books. I mostly just read by whether the story sounds interesting. I know, how BORING! ;p
I've seen "award winning" author so many times on the cover of a book I ignore it the same way I ignore "new and improved" on on food products.
ReplyDelete.........dhole
Yep, I tend not to like the books that win the prizes as much. Not sure why. It's sometimes because the writing style seems more important than the story.
ReplyDeleteLyn
W.I.P. It: A Writer's Journey
Yeah. I should also pay more attention to awards. I'm such a bad wannabe author. Always out of the loop.
ReplyDeleteI HEAR YOU!!
ReplyDeleteIt's because they're chosen my poncy critics and not the general reading public. I have tried very hard to love many award-winning books but it just hasn't happened. The only one I loved was 'What was Lost', which won the Orange Prize a few years back.