Passion is an essential element in art, we are told: passion to create, passion for the process, passion for the form. These are considered all good and well.
But let’s not get into the power of positive thinking and all that! Let’s talk about something destructive and angry. Let’s talk about your passionate hatred of certain novels and stories.
Close (and casual) readers of this space know that of late, I have spoken of certain ficciones that have made this author insane with anger, not unike telling bad things to Zinedine Zidane about his mamma. I find the offending writer on a soccer pitch and apply a chest-cavity collapsing headbutt, though I imagine I would find it quite satisfying to do so.
I tend to both love and loathe books. The best novels and story collections are worth telling everyone about, to the point of embarassment.
When it comes to prosthetyzing, I can give you many reasons why Ellison’s “Invisible Man” or Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake” are wonderful books, but there is usually nothing objective about hating a book. The works in question do not posit a loathesome message (overtly, at least), and aren’t always poorly written (though often).
I recall an English professor in college get enraged when we were discussing Hemmingway’s “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber.”
“Doesn’t this just make you furious?” she asked. Sluggos all, we shook our heads in confusion. (The teacher was referring to Hemmingway’s mysoginst tendencies in the short story, but since most of us didn’t see that or, more likely, hadn’t read the assignment, we didn’t have anything to add.)
At least the professor had a good reason for her anger. I usually don’t. My reasoning is simple: it just fucking pissed me off. Usually because I find it pretentious, slick, presumptuous, or haughty, or that I am furious with disbelief that such garbage got published, in lieu of my brilliant story, of course.
He insulted Zidane’s mother and Proust
But enough about me. Since this topic has been on my mind of late, and, since, I’ve already making asked what books make you want to sing their praises to the world, answer me this:
What books, stories, or authors turn you into an irrational mass of shaking fury?
We’re talking fiction here, so forget about “Mein Kampf,” “A Million Little Pieces,” or anything by Ann Coulter, although, if you think about it, both” A Million Little Pieces” and Ann Coulter’s entire body of work are nothing but lies. Which is fiction, of a sort.
Don’t feel you have to rationalize your anger with a “reason” — feel free to give reasons, of course, but, to paraphrase Irvine Welsh, And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you’re just sodding pissed off?
I like your post.
Some celebrated novels piss me off because they directly contradict my basic insticts/principles about life and living.
Pissmires on the body politic.
Why don’t they frigging well go commit suicide or something if they truly believe the shit they write?
Dreiser, for just one, can stuff it.
I have a list, wouldn’t you know:
#1)is a tie between Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye (the Left Behind books) and Dan Brown.
After that, in no particular order,
John Grisham
Nick McDonell
Gordon Kessler (a local twit who teaches a one-day workshop on how to write a novel and founded the KWA. they piss me off too)
Tom Wolfe -when he writes fiction.
Nicolas Sparks
Then, to a lesser extent,
Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb
Robert James Waller
Barry Eisler
Most all writers that fall in the “Chick Lit” category.
I think that covers it for now.
Quinn, I think you and I must have been separated at birth because I hate all of those people with a vengeance. (Except for Gordon Kessler, I’ve never heard of him.) I’d also like to add to that list just about any book that was ever on Oprah’s Book Club list, no need to be specific.
bernita: i don’t hear many folks slam dreiser these days, but it heartens me greatly that you are moved enough to slam the guy for his soul of darkness.
quinn: was that all the books these folks wrote? scares me to think that that list covers it just “for now.”
do you know there’s a book coming out called “this is not chick lit”?
rebecca s.: all of oprah’s books except “a million little pieces,” of course.
I like your post.
Some celebrated novels piss me off because they directly contradict my basic insticts/principles about life and living.
Pissmires on the body politic.
Why don’t they frigging well go commit suicide or something if they truly believe the shit they write?
Dreiser, for just one, can stuff it.
I like your post.
Some celebrated novels piss me off because they directly contradict my basic insticts/principles about life and living.
Pissmires on the body politic.
Why don’t they frigging well go commit suicide or something if they truly believe the shit they write?
Dreiser, for just one, can stuff it.
All the Stephen King *I* have read, though I hear there is something of his worth reading… out there… somewhere…
And probably 50% of the books in existence, but I’m pretty good at judging whether or not I’ll like a book before I commit to reading it. It undergoes a thorough examination before I even read the first paragraph.
I have a list, wouldn’t you know:
#1)is a tie between Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye (the Left Behind books) and Dan Brown.
After that, in no particular order,
John Grisham
Nick McDonell
Gordon Kessler (a local twit who teaches a one-day workshop on how to write a novel and founded the KWA. they piss me off too)
Tom Wolfe -when he writes fiction.
Nicolas Sparks
Then, to a lesser extent,
Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb
Robert James Waller
Barry Eisler
Most all writers that fall in the “Chick Lit” category.
I think that covers it for now.
I have a list, wouldn’t you know:
#1)is a tie between Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye (the Left Behind books) and Dan Brown.
After that, in no particular order,
John Grisham
Nick McDonell
Gordon Kessler (a local twit who teaches a one-day workshop on how to write a novel and founded the KWA. they piss me off too)
Tom Wolfe -when he writes fiction.
Nicolas Sparks
Then, to a lesser extent,
Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb
Robert James Waller
Barry Eisler
Most all writers that fall in the “Chick Lit” category.
I think that covers it for now.
Quinn, I think you and I must have been separated at birth because I hate all of those people with a vengeance. (Except for Gordon Kessler, I’ve never heard of him.) I’d also like to add to that list just about any book that was ever on Oprah’s Book Club list, no need to be specific.
Quinn, I think you and I must have been separated at birth because I hate all of those people with a vengeance. (Except for Gordon Kessler, I’ve never heard of him.) I’d also like to add to that list just about any book that was ever on Oprah’s Book Club list, no need to be specific.
Oh, well, of course. All except that one. That’s high art, that is.
bernita: i don’t hear many folks slam dreiser these days, but it heartens me greatly that you are moved enough to slam the guy for his soul of darkness.
quinn: was that all the books these folks wrote? scares me to think that that list covers it just “for now.”
do you know there’s a book coming out called “this is not chick lit”?
rebecca s.: all of oprah’s books except “a million little pieces,” of course.
bernita: i don’t hear many folks slam dreiser these days, but it heartens me greatly that you are moved enough to slam the guy for his soul of darkness.
quinn: was that all the books these folks wrote? scares me to think that that list covers it just “for now.”
do you know there’s a book coming out called “this is not chick lit”?
rebecca s.: all of oprah’s books except “a million little pieces,” of course.
All the Stephen King *I* have read, though I hear there is something of his worth reading… out there… somewhere…
And probably 50% of the books in existence, but I’m pretty good at judging whether or not I’ll like a book before I commit to reading it. It undergoes a thorough examination before I even read the first paragraph.
All the Stephen King *I* have read, though I hear there is something of his worth reading… out there… somewhere…
And probably 50% of the books in existence, but I’m pretty good at judging whether or not I’ll like a book before I commit to reading it. It undergoes a thorough examination before I even read the first paragraph.
Well, the lesser extent people are more disliked because of a certain pretentiousness, or frivolity masquerading as something more substantial.
And Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb just because she insists on using a bloody pen name and then sticking her real name on the cover too “It’s me, but it’s not me” boogedy-boogedy – as if somehow there’s really a difference in her writing.
I pretty much stuck with just the writers whose entire canon drives me batty, except Wolfe. so, yeah. I once used John Grisham’s “the Pelican Brief” to illustrate bad writing to a class of undergrads – and that was just a discussion on how he mauls POV.
Oh, well, of course. All except that one. That’s high art, that is.
Oh, well, of course. All except that one. That’s high art, that is.
One novel I well and truly loathed was some piece of crap I attempted to read in jr. high called “Nora”, perhaps with an H on the end. I couldn’t find it on Amazon-thank god-but on the cover it said “In the grand tradition of “Wuthering Heights”.” I hadn’t read it at that point…I got the audiobook from the library, and “Wuthering Heights” pissed me off too.
Re:Oprah’s Book Club-I LOVED Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone”, which I read before the OBC came about. His next one, “I know this much is true”, pretty much came about because of the publicity from O, and I hated it. Never finished it.
Well, the lesser extent people are more disliked because of a certain pretentiousness, or frivolity masquerading as something more substantial.
And Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb just because she insists on using a bloody pen name and then sticking her real name on the cover too “It’s me, but it’s not me” boogedy-boogedy – as if somehow there’s really a difference in her writing.
I pretty much stuck with just the writers whose entire canon drives me batty, except Wolfe. so, yeah. I once used John Grisham’s “the Pelican Brief” to illustrate bad writing to a class of undergrads – and that was just a discussion on how he mauls POV.
Well, the lesser extent people are more disliked because of a certain pretentiousness, or frivolity masquerading as something more substantial.
And Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb just because she insists on using a bloody pen name and then sticking her real name on the cover too “It’s me, but it’s not me” boogedy-boogedy – as if somehow there’s really a difference in her writing.
I pretty much stuck with just the writers whose entire canon drives me batty, except Wolfe. so, yeah. I once used John Grisham’s “the Pelican Brief” to illustrate bad writing to a class of undergrads – and that was just a discussion on how he mauls POV.
One novel I well and truly loathed was some piece of crap I attempted to read in jr. high called “Nora”, perhaps with an H on the end. I couldn’t find it on Amazon-thank god-but on the cover it said “In the grand tradition of “Wuthering Heights”.” I hadn’t read it at that point…I got the audiobook from the library, and “Wuthering Heights” pissed me off too.
Re:Oprah’s Book Club-I LOVED Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone”, which I read before the OBC came about. His next one, “I know this much is true”, pretty much came about because of the publicity from O, and I hated it. Never finished it.
One novel I well and truly loathed was some piece of crap I attempted to read in jr. high called “Nora”, perhaps with an H on the end. I couldn’t find it on Amazon-thank god-but on the cover it said “In the grand tradition of “Wuthering Heights”.” I hadn’t read it at that point…I got the audiobook from the library, and “Wuthering Heights” pissed me off too.
Re:Oprah’s Book Club-I LOVED Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone”, which I read before the OBC came about. His next one, “I know this much is true”, pretty much came about because of the publicity from O, and I hated it. Never finished it.
I get more angry at bad movies than I do bad books. I don’t have the same level of passion and expectation for books as I do for movies. Having said that, on my never again list is: Hemingway, Wolfe, Dan Brown, and 75 percent of the contemporary lit section at Barnes and Noble. And, um, whoever it was that wrote Bridges of Madison County.
Books That Make Me Go Grrrr:
The Dan Brown Ouevre
The Peter David Ouevre
The Tom Clancy Ouevre
Now, am I disqualified if I only ever read one book by each of these authors and knew from that pain that nothing good would ever come from exploring more of their work? (And in my defense, I only read half a Clancy book, I listened to Da Vinci Code on CD, and Peter David was back in my youth when I thought Star Trek novels were cool…acutally, I think David is the reason I STOPPED thinking Trek novels were cool.)
jordan: there is a good stephen king novel out there, but i haven’t read it, either. his book on writing is actually quite good, however.
rebecca s.: never question the power of a million little lies.
quinn: there are indeed writers who will just drive us batty, no matter what they offer the reading public.
madame d.: there seems to be some extremely strong feeling about oprah out there. i didn’t think “she come undone” was half bad but felt silly for liking it. is that pretentious, or what?
fringes: movies get me pretty p.o.’ed as well — it’s the immediacy of the medium.
yeah, who wrote the bridges of madison county? wasn’t it jacqueline susan?
brian f.: dan brown is taking a pounding. not that he doesn’t deserve it. even if you only heard half of it on cd.
like i said, you don’t have to have any reasons to hate something.
I get more angry at bad movies than I do bad books. I don’t have the same level of passion and expectation for books as I do for movies. Having said that, on my never again list is: Hemingway, Wolfe, Dan Brown, and 75 percent of the contemporary lit section at Barnes and Noble. And, um, whoever it was that wrote Bridges of Madison County.
I get more angry at bad movies than I do bad books. I don’t have the same level of passion and expectation for books as I do for movies. Having said that, on my never again list is: Hemingway, Wolfe, Dan Brown, and 75 percent of the contemporary lit section at Barnes and Noble. And, um, whoever it was that wrote Bridges of Madison County.
Books That Make Me Go Grrrr:
The Dan Brown Ouevre
The Peter David Ouevre
The Tom Clancy Ouevre
Now, am I disqualified if I only ever read one book by each of these authors and knew from that pain that nothing good would ever come from exploring more of their work? (And in my defense, I only read half a Clancy book, I listened to Da Vinci Code on CD, and Peter David was back in my youth when I thought Star Trek novels were cool…acutally, I think David is the reason I STOPPED thinking Trek novels were cool.)
Books That Make Me Go Grrrr:
The Dan Brown Ouevre
The Peter David Ouevre
The Tom Clancy Ouevre
Now, am I disqualified if I only ever read one book by each of these authors and knew from that pain that nothing good would ever come from exploring more of their work? (And in my defense, I only read half a Clancy book, I listened to Da Vinci Code on CD, and Peter David was back in my youth when I thought Star Trek novels were cool…acutally, I think David is the reason I STOPPED thinking Trek novels were cool.)
jordan: there is a good stephen king novel out there, but i haven’t read it, either. his book on writing is actually quite good, however.
rebecca s.: never question the power of a million little lies.
quinn: there are indeed writers who will just drive us batty, no matter what they offer the reading public.
jordan: there is a good stephen king novel out there, but i haven’t read it, either. his book on writing is actually quite good, however.
rebecca s.: never question the power of a million little lies.
quinn: there are indeed writers who will just drive us batty, no matter what they offer the reading public.
madame d.: there seems to be some extremely strong feeling about oprah out there. i didn’t think “she come undone” was half bad but felt silly for liking it. is that pretentious, or what?
fringes: movies get me pretty p.o.’ed as well — it’s the immediacy of the medium.
yeah, who wrote the bridges of madison county? wasn’t it jacqueline susan?
brian f.: dan brown is taking a pounding. not that he doesn’t deserve it. even if you only heard half of it on cd.
like i said, you don’t have to have any reasons to hate something.
madame d.: there seems to be some extremely strong feeling about oprah out there. i didn’t think “she come undone” was half bad but felt silly for liking it. is that pretentious, or what?
fringes: movies get me pretty p.o.’ed as well — it’s the immediacy of the medium.
yeah, who wrote the bridges of madison county? wasn’t it jacqueline susan?
brian f.: dan brown is taking a pounding. not that he doesn’t deserve it. even if you only heard half of it on cd.
like i said, you don’t have to have any reasons to hate something.
Bridges of Madison county-Freaking Robert James Waller.
I actually read Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend. At like 12 or something. And even then knew it was complete and utter shit.
Bridges of Madison county-Freaking Robert James Waller.
I actually read Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend. At like 12 or something. And even then knew it was complete and utter shit.
Bridges of Madison county-Freaking Robert James Waller.
I actually read Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend. At like 12 or something. And even then knew it was complete and utter shit.
I have to say, I’ve actually read Jacqueline Susann’s books and liked them in a sort of trashy, tv-movie-of-the-week way. Does that mean I’m banned from further discussion?
Anna Quindlen’s treacly bestsellers full of “wisdom.”
I have to say, I’ve actually read Jacqueline Susann’s books and liked them in a sort of trashy, tv-movie-of-the-week way. Does that mean I’m banned from further discussion?
I have to say, I’ve actually read Jacqueline Susann’s books and liked them in a sort of trashy, tv-movie-of-the-week way. Does that mean I’m banned from further discussion?
Anna Quindlen’s treacly bestsellers full of “wisdom.”
Anna Quindlen’s treacly bestsellers full of “wisdom.”
Great blog! Thanks for including me on your list. The honesty is refreshing.
Keep screaming out the truth on paper until the world hears you. Our writing is the only weapon we have that can make a difference!
Great blog! Thanks for including me on your list. The honesty is refreshing.
Keep screaming out the truth on paper until the world hears you. Our writing is the only weapon we have that can make a difference!
Great blog! Thanks for including me on your list. The honesty is refreshing.
Keep screaming out the truth on paper until the world hears you. Our writing is the only weapon we have that can make a difference!
madame d.: when you’re 12 and you know something is complete and utter shit, it must be, by definition, complete and utter shit.
rebecca s.: you’re not banned from further discussion, though i’m considering probation.
free winkie: yes! agreed. anything with self-satisfied “wisdom” is going to enrage me.
gordon: thanks for the compliment, though i don’t what “list” you’re talking about.