Comments on: Thrills and thrillers

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:25:54 +0000

'Girl' is boring at the beginning, revs up a bit in the middle, and dissolves into cliche at the end, with one of the most obvious 'touch chick' heroines outside of the vampire-killer girls in leather pants. (Crossed with 'the computer wiz' from War Games, circa 1982.) Other'n that, I loved it.

You know who writes pretty good thrillers? Cormac McCarthy. But if they're good, nobody calls them thrillers.

Chabon wrote an okay thriller recently, too--though he could've cut 80,000 words.

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 14:18:37 +0000

I listened to the Steig Larson books on audio, and found them gripping. When I reread the first one in paper format a few months ago, I found it much less so, and harder to get into at first, though once I was hooked, I enjoyed it almost as much as the first time through.

By: Em-Musing

Em-Musing — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 10:28:14 +0000

LOL! I thought I was the only one who thought it was flat. I HAD to read this book. It was chosen in my reading group. I thought that because I'm part Swedish, it would help, or I'd learn about different foods. Nope. Herring and lingonberries still rule.

By: Cid

Cid — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:26:14 +0000

I disliked "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", personally. I think there was too much lost in translation; the plot was interesting, but the characters and much of the material didn't translate well enough.

By: Stacy McKitrick

Stacy McKitrick — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:40:30 +0000

I had to look up Thrillers on B&N, just to see what constituted that genre. Guess I'm a Thriller fan. Favorite authors of that genre: Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Allison Brennan, Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake Series), and Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse Series), to name a few.

By: The Daring Novelist

The Daring Novelist — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:45:59 +0000

I can't help but wonder if the advent of ebook-only publishing will allow for a new "pulp fiction" category which will nurture new voices along.

Because it's inexpensive to publish, I see a lot more sub-commercial commercial fiction appearing in independent and small press for Kindle and such, when in paper I used to see only expensive literary and niche works.

By: Nurit

Nurit — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:38:40 +0000

I've never been a thrillers' fan but I appreciate your opinion regarding the franchise culture and publishers not willing to take risks with new talents and aspiring authors. That's what worries me beyond the specific book genre.

By: michelle

michelle — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:37:11 +0000

I am so glad you were honest about this book, I was about to BUY it! Sometimes I think reviewers are afraid to be honest and just parrot what they have heard other reviewers saying-possibly they don't trust their own judgment? Or they don't want to offend? either way, thanks!

By: LS Murphy

LS Murphy — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:18:42 +0000

I used to loved reading thrillers but, as you said, the genre is full of the same ole same ole. I commend you for continuing even though you aren't enjoying the novel.
I most recently read Tana French's In the Woods.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:14:15 +0000

Stieg Larsson takes a while to get into — but I found that once the trap sprung, so to speak, I couldn't look away. And Lisbeth Salander is worth getting through a dull setup; if an American thriller would give us such a badass, unapologetic heroine, it might deserve Larsson's sales. But I'm not going to hold my breath waiting.