Some writers have a very distinctive style, and
whether you like the style has a lot to do with whether you like their books.
Patricia McKillip is an author whose lyrical style I love, and I will read
pretty much anything she writes just because I really, well, like the way she
writes. I particularly like her Riddle-Master trilogy, which hits a lot of other
buttons for me (Welsh-like riddles, non-romantic love, betrayal, redemption),
and I was really surprised to learn that a friend whose judgment I totally
respect couldn't get through even the first of the books -- because she doesn't
like McKillip's style.For another example, Catherynne Valente is an author that a lot of people really like; I don't really like her style, so I have a hard time with her. (Interestingly, her extremely-lyrical style reads to me as similar to McKillip's, and I don't have a good read on why I like McKillip but not Valente).
On the other side of the fence from lyrical, there's a much more staccato, exuberant kind of style, which is often used for young-adult SF. Cory Doctorow (For the Win, Little Brother) does this; so does Neal Stephenson in his SF books (e.g., Snow Crash). Sarah Rees Brennan, though she doesn't write SF, has a similar kind of style. This kind of style can definitely highlight the exuberant ideas-based foundation of these kinds of books.
Other writers, I feel, have a very transparent style. Allegra Goodman's novel Intuition is written in a style that is meant not to get in the way of what's happening in the book -- because it's a book about science and scientists, this makes sense.
What kind of style do you enjoy? Are there styles you don't enjoy?
Yes, I find I dislike when a write does an omnipresent style in which you can hear the thoughts and feelings of all characters. I think it takes away some of the mystery for me of wondering characters motivations!
ReplyDeleteCool post!
Thank you for a most interesting post. Some writers have a very distinctive style that you can see throughout their works, regardless of what genre they write in (for example JK Rowling or Dickens). I do think that authors who are indavidual in their style of writing and creativity, origonality are in many ways more reconizable and popular.
ReplyDeletei have read some of the book from authors and then i email them and tell them what i thought of the book or the blog but i read the book sincei am arc and blogger and try to do the best for them
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alisa. I've always had problems with authors writing from many POV s. I like the mystery in the books I read, but I have to say that not all authors spoil the mystery when writing more than one POV.
ReplyDeletevery interesting topic!
I like it when I find things out along the way when the characters do most of the time. It depends on what I'm reading, but if I know certain things before the characters do, it can take away my interest from the story. Other times, I like to know things before the characters do, and then it's interesting to wait for when they find out and see how they react.
ReplyDeleteI prefer it when a character tells the story first person definitely. One of my favourite distinctive writing styles I have read recently is Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi... it's so disjointed and strange, but PERFECT for the story. Great post :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoy most writing styles, but I don't really like when the narrator speaks out to you in some cases, because I feel that in some situations it seem like the author is trying to make the story seem interesting.
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