Comments on: “The Southern Vampire Mysteries” Still Sort of Suck…

By: jenny

jenny — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:21:10 +0000

I didn’t think it was a hard read, just not a very enjoyable one for me.

By: Kiorru

Kiorru — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 04:42:02 +0000

Eh,
the first book might have been a hard read but I found the ones after to be very good.
I enjoy her writing. Especially Erin.

By: Ali

Ali — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:53:42 +0000

I am actually very surprised at the number of continuity errors I’ve spotted, even in the first 4 books. A spreadsheet would go a long way to ensure things like that are caught BEFORE they hit mass publication. It’s either that, or Catfish Hennessey got himself a big ol’ name change, and as is typical, we just didn’t find out about it because it was published as a short story. Maybe Catfish Hunter is his porn name…
At any rate, they’re kitschy fluff, and fun to read when I don’t want to tax my brain.

By: The Inner Bean » Blog Archive » Charlaine Harris, I’ve Given Up on You…And Your Little Books Too!

Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:56:56 +0000

[...] Mysteries novels? No? You don’t remember? Well in that case, you can refresh your memory here and here if you’d like. I’m not planning on delving too deeply into the same old [...]

By: Dwight Routte

Dwight Routte — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 14:51:19 +0000

Sweet post.

By: Fantasy

Fantasy — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 05:03:13 +0000

I’m loving it

By: Morgan Elektra

Morgan Elektra — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:33:55 +0000

I read Dead Until Dark. I didn’t have any trouble getting through it, like you Jenny… but it was marshmallow fluff. No real substance and it didnt’ stay with me. I didn’t think the writing was TERRIBLE, but it wasn’t good. The show is a lot deeper and more layered. One of the few instances of visual medium taking something shallow in literature and making it great.

Incidentally, Stephanie Meyer gets a ton of shit for poor writing, and while I think she has a lot to learn her writing has improved over the course of the books. And her writing is much stronger than Harris’.
Morgan Elektra recently posted..Walking the Line

By: The Inner Bean » Blog Archive » Podcaturday: In Which I Continue Bitching About Charlaine Harris

Sat, 19 Jun 2010 20:52:10 +0000

[...] importantly, even more important than my growing anger with The Southern Vampire Mysteries, is Acadia’s very astute tips on how to hold an intelligent conversation. He’s an [...]

By: vange

vange — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:43:01 +0000

I’ll take big bucks for very little work, Mary Byrne! So there!
vange recently posted..World Cup Update #3

By: jenny

jenny — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:13:29 +0000

I don’t like Sookie at all, Joe. Not in the book, not on the show. I’m still reading because it’s like candy for the brain when I don’t feel like taxing myself with something more intellectual, but the TV series is so much fleshier. The characters get more development because the plot goes beyond Sookie’s realm of introspection. I am also missing great characters like Tara and Lafayette. When I say I’m jealous of Harris, it’s because I find myself wondering how she managed to get a book deal in the first place.

By: joe

joe — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:01:54 +0000

It’s hamburger. I like to eat hamburger. I like to eat steak. Sometimes I eat steak tartare with white truffle oil but that doesn’t mean I don’t like hamburger. I’ve always liked literary hamburger. I like Sookie, she’s a big beefy hamburger and they’re not calling the fries pomme frites. I actually don’t like HBO Sookie. IMHO they want her to be Anita Blake. Don’t be jealous of Charlaine or Laurell, be jealous of someone like hmmm Connie Willis or C.J. Cherryh (the best psued ever)

By: jenny

jenny — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:07:04 +0000

Yeah, Sookie is my least favorite character in the series, even on television. I have to say in reading the book, I am disappointed that many of my favorite characters from the show aren’t in the books at all.

By: jenny

jenny — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:04:30 +0000

And have you read the books? If so, you think they’re really well-written? I’d love to hear your take on that. As for being jealous, who wouldn’t be jealous of a writer who can’t write, yet earns like mad off an “idea” rather than actual writing? I guess I take back my “jealous” comment. I wouldn’t want to have a big fancy career that centered around half-assed work that isn’t even consistent from beginning to end. Thanks for your thoughts, Mary Byrne.

By: Mary Byrne

Mary Byrne — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 11:53:47 +0000

As you stated, you sound extremely jealous…no need to say more.

By: Jae Roth

Jae Roth — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:57:49 +0000

Someone once tried to tell me that what I considered poor writing on Harris’ part was her attempt to create Sooky’s voice. Well, that explains why I don’t like Sooky. In the book, let’s face it, she’s TSTL (too stupid to live). I forced myself through the first book and it was torture.

Currently reading Kenyon’s YA Infinity. The Squeenager might like it. It’s an interesting take on zombies.

By: James Melzer

James Melzer — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:58:50 +0000

I tried to read the first book, but couldn’t get through it. As for the show, you know how I feel about it. I did enjoy staying up late with you, though

By: Jim Ryan

Jim Ryan — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:50:45 +0000

I like the TV show when I get a chance to see it (with most TV I usually wait for the season to end and watch the whole thing in one block). Haven’t tried the books yet. I’m still trying to open enough time in my schedule to get to Anne Rice and I’ve delayed that one for over a decade!
Jim Ryan recently posted..And Now an Interview with Jennifer Hudock

By: jenny

jenny — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:32:12 +0000

That could be, Jae… I have a hard time with the fluffy bunny horror genre. My problem with Harris is just bad writing. I swear, it’s like reading through the HPFF queue of olden days. “The vampire was dressed all classy like. He had on blue trouser slacks and black wingtip shoes. His shirt was green like grass…” And I swear, there was a portion of description about Sam Merlotte when she actually said, “Sam has blue eyes, but not the same color blue as mine, which are smokey blue.” It was like something I wrote when I was in 9th grade.

By: Jae Roth

Jae Roth — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:26:57 +0000

Not a fan of Harris’ writing style and had burned out on Kenyon after the Acheron book went so horribly over the top. (I did not need 300 pages of specific descriptions of the sexual abuse of a young boy.)

Kenyon is even more prolific than Harris when you consider she’s not only Sherrilyn Kenyon, she’s also Kinley MacGregor. She’s done really well up until her last DH book in keeping up with her own canon. The woman’s work ethic is insane, she has three series as MacGregor and three as Kenyon, plus a new YA series and manga adaptations of the DH books. Kenyon claimed she’s prolific because most of the DH series was written (at least in her brain) long before she found a publisher who was willing to take a chance on parnormal. That and she claims she doesn’t really sleep much.

I’ve aways said your problem with the work of Kenyon and te like is that you are a horror purist at heart. You want your vampires and werewolves blood thirsty and scary.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:06:57 +0000

Hired a continuity editor? No need to say more..
Patrick recently posted..Fighting Dragons on Mars

By: vange

vange — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:54:04 +0000

Strike while the iron is hot. She has an audience now with a short attention span. It doesn’t look like she’s aiming for literature; paper backs for teenagers…like modern day pulp mags in paper back form, I guess.
vange recently posted..Ancient Chinese Secret, Huh?

By: David Sobkowiak

David Sobkowiak — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:58:12 +0000

I’ve never watched the show (don’thitme) but I think I have a similar problem with my writing at times. It’s a work in progress, showing instead of telling, but one I will be very happy with when I finally get there.
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