Literary Pet Peeves

[tkioz]

When you're reading a book, what is the one thing that annoys you the most?

For me it's when an "ethnic" character comes in and rather then simply saying they have a heavy accent the author decides to write every line of dialogue phonetically, for example rather then simply writing "that's not the problem" they decide to write it "dat's not de problem." while it's fine every now and then, when it's every other bloody line it gets really really annoying.

So what's yours?

 

[Veylon]

When they get some aspect of science or technology wrong.

A computer going into a "Moebius Loop". Going physically into Cyberspace. Computers that blow up when they crash. Confusion regarding the terms Interplanetary, Interstellar, and Intergalactic; in general no appreciation for the sheer scale of space. Virtually any portrayal of hacking or hackers.

 

[voetballeeuw]

Well isn't dialogue one of the ways an author can add depth to his character? But I'll agree that sometimes in books such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, accents can get really annoying. Especially Jim's. I was so confused when chile was continuously repeated, it stood for child.

OT: I get aggravated when authors write a metric crap ton when describing something. It's not really common now, but I couldn't stand it in The Jungle.

 

[onewheeled]

I hate when books, particularly old "classics", just completely skip past potentially interesting topics.

Like Mythology by Edith Hamilton, a book that we had to read freshman year of high school. One story, I can't remember which, had a section that went something like this.

"The witch told our hero that the only way to save his father would be to slay the hydra guarding the tomb, and search for the key inside.

After the hydra was slain and the key found..."

It completely skips the fight with the beast and the searching through the tomb, which could have possibly been the most interesting parts of the immensely boring book. Ugh.

 

[emeraldrafael]

I dont like those long paragraph speeches, where it starts on page one and ends on page fifteen.

That and I dont like huge blocks of text where the writer switches between speech and action.

 

[unoleian]

When the deus ex machina is so bloody obvious it might as well have a sign taped to it saying This will be very important later.

 

[gostchiken]

Ayn Rand, that is all.

 

[Eponet]

When characters feel interchangable; it happened occasionally in The Wheel of Time series.

 

[Hashime]

When they get some aspect of science or technology wrong.

A computer going into a "Moebius Loop". Going physically into Cyberspace. Computers that blow up when they crash. Confusion regarding the terms Interplanetary, Interstellar, and Intergalactic; in general no appreciation for the sheer scale of space. Virtually any portrayal of hacking or hackers.

You mean like the Netforce series written for young adults?

 

[Anah'ya]

Writing in first person for a novel.
It's okay for a short story, and in little doses.

But over the course of an entire novel? It's the fastest way to make me put down a book.

That's what I thought too. Then I read the Dresden Files and I saw the light.


... what bugs me? Poetry, song and unnecessary detail forced upon my already weary eyes. Lord of the Rings, I'm looking at you. I never got it why people could love those books so much.

 

[Spinozaad]

In most cases: "Show, don't tell."

Because embracing the former leads to purple prose, which while hilarious is not good writing.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of purple prose... Every writer who uses 'orbs' in stead of 'eyes' or 'raven' in stead of 'black' needs to be shot.

 

[blankedboy]

Writing in first person for a novel.
It's okay for a short story, and in little doses.

But over the course of an entire novel? It's the fastest way to make me put down a book.

You done dissed Pendragon.

RAGE

 

[tkioz]

Well isn't dialogue one of the ways an author can add depth to his character? But I'll agree that sometimes in books such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, accents can get really annoying. Especially Jim's. I was so confused when chile was continuously repeated, it stood for child.

OT: I get aggravated when authors write a metric crap ton when describing something. It's not really common now, but I couldn't stand it in The Jungle.

Oh it can get really annoying, it's fine as flavour now and then, but when a main character spends the entire damn book "talking" like that it gets frustrating right quick.

Writing in first person for a novel.
It's okay for a short story, and in little doses.

But over the course of an entire novel? It's the fastest way to make me put down a book.

That's what I thought too. Then I read the Dresden Files and I saw the light.

I'll agree there, until The Dresden Files I never enjoyed anything written in first person, but how the hell can't you love a book where you've got a dude Nerco-ing up a T-Rex and riding it through a city!

[http://photobucket.com/images/dresden%20files]

 

[NeutralDrow]

When the deus ex machina is so bloody obvious it might as well have a sign taped to it saying This will be very important later.

Minor quibble: that's not a deus ex machina. It's a Chekhov's Gun.

 

[Count Igor]

Over used phrases.
In Artemis Fowl (2nd one, in Russia) twice, in three pages it ends with "And that was when..."
And another book, I can't remember the name of, it's about 200 pages long (Short one) he used "I swear to God..." 89 times. I counted.

 

[Anah'ya]

I'll agree there, until The Dresden Files I never enjoyed anything written in first person, but how the hell can't you love a book where you've got a dude Nerco-ing up a T-Rex and riding it through a city!

Spoiler: hiding the awesome

[http://photobucket.com/images/dresden%20files]

Harry Fuckin' Dresden.. love that man Thanks for the most excellent illustration link!

 

[Veylon]

When they get some aspect of science or technology wrong.

A computer going into a "Moebius Loop". Going physically into Cyberspace. Computers that blow up when they crash. Confusion regarding the terms Interplanetary, Interstellar, and Intergalactic; in general no appreciation for the sheer scale of space. Virtually any portrayal of hacking or hackers.

You mean like the Netforce series written for young adults?

I'll have to read these up some time. A hacker work set in Tom Clancy's universe written by a Star Wars author and aimed at young adults? This is like a nightmare come true.

 

[Hashime]

When they get some aspect of science or technology wrong.

A computer going into a "Moebius Loop". Going physically into Cyberspace. Computers that blow up when they crash. Confusion regarding the terms Interplanetary, Interstellar, and Intergalactic; in general no appreciation for the sheer scale of space. Virtually any portrayal of hacking or hackers.

You mean like the Netforce series written for young adults?

I'll have to read these up some time. A hacker work set in Tom Clancy's universe written by a Star Wars author and aimed at young adults? This is like a nightmare come true.

They weren't bad, it was a few years ago when I read them, but I think they would still entertain me today.