Comments on: Miriam Goderich discusses 1001 books (sort of)

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By: Arukiyomi

Arukiyomi — Sun, 20 May 2007 21:37:00 +0000

@ Don and everyone else

if you want to know how many books you actually have to read a month before you die, download a free copy of Arukiyomi's automated spreadsheet.

1500+ others have!

Enjoy...

By: Kanani

Kanani — Thu, 03 May 2007 15:22:00 +0000

I don't have to fall in love with the characters, but I must find them compelling to follow. I just want to say this because I've known a few writer who are told, "I just don't like your character," and then change them to someone 'likeable,' when in fact, they were more resonant before.

An example of an unlovable main character was Rhoda in Jo Silber's "Household Words." I didn't love this character --and neither did Ms. Silber, but she was portrayed so fully that in many ways, the circumstances so well wrought, that eventually, I could empathize with her.

Another one is in the Anne Tyler novel, "Back When We Were Grownups." Rebecca makes a lot of cold moves, yet again, because her motivations and thoughts are so well expressed, we can follow her.

In non-fiction, Barbara LaSalle expresses outright desperation and outrage in "Searching For Ben." Again, she's not exactly lovable, but neither are her circumstances. Yet, I followed her on her quest to take care of her autistic son.

And by the way, Peter O'Toole was so gorgeous in "Lord Jim." Really, slay me. He was ridiculously handsome and troubled. Man-candy. Oh, yeah. Somebody peel me a grape.

By: Kris

Kris — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:11:00 +0000

I love that commentary. I can't finish a book without characters I have fallen in love with, madly, deeply, truly.

When I write, I fall in love with my characters, my antagonist included. I love them all. Otherwise, how could I ever tell the truth about them.

I admire The Old Man, too, but can't love him.

In my book I am submitting by request to Mr. McCarthy this week, I was amazed to find I loved the boy murderer as I wrote.

To me, Dostoevstky and Soseki are the Kings of this quality. I ration their books over 10 year periods.

Were it not for the second of my five husbands educating me in literature, I would have never known their characters, never thrown The Idiot across the room in tears in the last pages, refusing to finish it, sobbing.

Thanks for the list. I'll consider it for sure.

Kris

By: Eileen St. Lauren

Eileen St. Lauren — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:37:00 +0000

This the truth.
I will go one step further and write: An author-agent realationship is like a “good marriage” or ANY “good relationship” and all that comes with it–the good, the bad, respect,commitment, forgiveness,space, the ups, the downs, the all arounds, etc.. Most importantly the glue that holds it (or ANY good realationship) together when nothing else will is the Love-Love-Love… However if it’s bad then no one is happy for very long and it just falls by the wayside.
And we authors certainly don’t want that to happen!

By: Copyright 2007 by Carol Scibelli

Thank you for s'plaing (as Ricky Ricardo said) that there is no s'plaing why some books just grab you.

Falling in love is what it's all about and what writer would want an agent that is not head over heels in love with her book?

By: Kay Richardson

Kay Richardson — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 20:08:00 +0000

I wish they’d release 1001 you should not have read.

By: Bernita

Bernita — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 10:35:00 +0000

There’s nothing like a list of “musts” to bring out my childish rebellion gene.

By: Edward Hancock II

Edward Hancock II — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 20:29:00 +0000

When an agent tells me she didn’t connect with my character, it’s very disappointing for me, as I guess it is for most writers. The characters are often so vivid in my mind — so lively, realistic and active — that it’s hard for me to imagine why anyone wouldn’t just fall absolutely 100 percent in love with them.

It goes back to Elementary school writing principles. You (the writer) know what you mean. The reader is not inside your head. The trick is to get them there.

By: Ryan Field

Ryan Field — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:00:00 +0000

This was a good post (and realistic, too). But I can't help wondering when does an agent decide to shop a book simply because it has mass appeal potential? And fight for it because they believe the mass market will buy it and enjoy it, even if it goes against their own personal tastes? Clearly, it happens every now and then.

In other words, when it comes to agenting as a business is the objectivity ever clouded by the subjectivity, and if so, how does this relate to the overall sales figures of books(fiction)these days?

Many well known designers have built their reputations creating haute couture for the top forty, but they make most of their money selling underwear to the mass market in WalMart.