My biggest pet peeve in fiction books of any kind is when the heroine is reading, especially in historical romances when she's reading a romance book.
Pet peeves in books
Cat E.
09/19/2012
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I have to say when they make it so easy to figure out what's going to happen. I had a couple that I knew what would happen in the end and I actually went online to find out and sure enough, it was exactly what i thought. I ended up taking the book back.
09/19/2012
Creation "science" textbooks for kids. Not much of a Peeve as much as mental overload.
09/19/2012
Quote:
Me too! We were in Wisconsin, visiting the Milwaukee Zoo last summer and they have these bill boards for the Creation Museum all over the place. (With a picture of a caveman riding a dinosaur on them.) We kept seeing them, and I said to my husband, "Can you imagine me in that place?" He started to laugh (I was raised by a man who was not only an artist and teacher but had a Master's Degree in Anthropology, so I grew up with evolution) then I said, "I'd walk in there and my head would explode!" We laughed most of the way home.
Originally posted by
Mwar
Creation "science" textbooks for kids. Not much of a Peeve as much as mental overload.
I believe in a LOT of weird things. But only things that aren't taught in schools and which the belief of such doesn't harm other people.
09/19/2012
I HATE books that use too many adverbs (Stephen King says if he sees more than 2 or 3 adverbs in the first few pages of a book, he'll put it down and never pick it up again. I'm guessing he makes an exception for H.P Lovecraft, though. He's British.....) and books that describe too much.
I HATE long, complimentary descriptions of people, especially women: "Her long, curling, shiny, raven locks blew seductively in the wind, and her ample bosom and curving bottom heaved achingly in the wavering black silk teddy he had chosen for her, while her limpid damp bright cerulean eyes lovingly swept the room, searching for her..." UGHGHGG PUKE!!!! (Not to mention this selection (which I made up) changes voices at least twice in the same paragraph.)
I like good fiction.
I also can't stand when a woman is raped early in the novel, only to fall in love with the rapist later and then marry him. Who the fuck would do that?
I have a LOT of pet peeves when it comes to writing.
I HATE long, complimentary descriptions of people, especially women: "Her long, curling, shiny, raven locks blew seductively in the wind, and her ample bosom and curving bottom heaved achingly in the wavering black silk teddy he had chosen for her, while her limpid damp bright cerulean eyes lovingly swept the room, searching for her..." UGHGHGG PUKE!!!! (Not to mention this selection (which I made up) changes voices at least twice in the same paragraph.)
I like good fiction.
I also can't stand when a woman is raped early in the novel, only to fall in love with the rapist later and then marry him. Who the fuck would do that?
I have a LOT of pet peeves when it comes to writing.
09/19/2012
Long character descriptions, lots of short choppy sentences, and books that end with a real cliffhanger right in the middle of the action when the sequel isn't due to be released until next year.
09/19/2012
Quote:
King's British? I always thought he was Maine born. Lovecraft was born and raised in Rhode Island
Originally posted by
P'Gell
I HATE books that use too many adverbs (Stephen King says if he sees more than 2 or 3 adverbs in the first few pages of a book, he'll put it down and never pick it up again. I'm guessing he makes an exception for H.P Lovecraft, though.
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I HATE books that use too many adverbs (Stephen King says if he sees more than 2 or 3 adverbs in the first few pages of a book, he'll put it down and never pick it up again. I'm guessing he makes an exception for H.P Lovecraft, though. He's British.....) and books that describe too much.
I HATE long, complimentary descriptions of people, especially women: "Her long, curling, shiny, raven locks blew seductively in the wind, and her ample bosom and curving bottom heaved achingly in the wavering black silk teddy he had chosen for her, while her limpid damp bright cerulean eyes lovingly swept the room, searching for her..." UGHGHGG PUKE!!!! (Not to mention this selection (which I made up) changes voices at least twice in the same paragraph.)
I like good fiction.
I also can't stand when a woman is raped early in the novel, only to fall in love with the rapist later and then marry him. Who the fuck would do that?
I have a LOT of pet peeves when it comes to writing. less
I HATE long, complimentary descriptions of people, especially women: "Her long, curling, shiny, raven locks blew seductively in the wind, and her ample bosom and curving bottom heaved achingly in the wavering black silk teddy he had chosen for her, while her limpid damp bright cerulean eyes lovingly swept the room, searching for her..." UGHGHGG PUKE!!!! (Not to mention this selection (which I made up) changes voices at least twice in the same paragraph.)
I like good fiction.
I also can't stand when a woman is raped early in the novel, only to fall in love with the rapist later and then marry him. Who the fuck would do that?
I have a LOT of pet peeves when it comes to writing. less
I agree with the overly descriptive writing being too much, with Lovecraft being one of my few exceptions. I think that's why I dislike McCaffrey, Rice, Auel, and some other writers. That's probably my biggest pet peeve, where I'm skimming over pages and pages where the description is in overdrive.
09/19/2012
Quote:
Stephen King is the one exception to this rule for me, I find bits of his personal thoughts and well, personality in his descriptions that you don't normally get with other authors.
Originally posted by
Sammi
King's British? I always thought he was Maine born. Lovecraft was born and raised in Rhode Island
I agree with the overly descriptive writing being too much, with Lovecraft being one of my few exceptions. I think that's why I dislike ... more
I agree with the overly descriptive writing being too much, with Lovecraft being one of my few exceptions. I think that's why I dislike ... more
King's British? I always thought he was Maine born. Lovecraft was born and raised in Rhode Island
I agree with the overly descriptive writing being too much, with Lovecraft being one of my few exceptions. I think that's why I dislike McCaffrey, Rice, Auel, and some other writers. That's probably my biggest pet peeve, where I'm skimming over pages and pages where the description is in overdrive. less
I agree with the overly descriptive writing being too much, with Lovecraft being one of my few exceptions. I think that's why I dislike McCaffrey, Rice, Auel, and some other writers. That's probably my biggest pet peeve, where I'm skimming over pages and pages where the description is in overdrive. less
Rice just pisses me off to no end. Especially the Sleepy Beauty trilogy. Just WHY?
09/25/2012
An overwhelming number of white, cis, straight, and/or male characters is always and will always be my number one pet peeve in books (and life, to be honest.)
09/25/2012
I have plenty, but some of my main ones:
- The heroine reforming a jackass through the power of her love and devotion. Sorry, sweetcheeks, if he's a jerk to you in the beginning of the book and in the middle of the book, he's going to be a jerk to you at the end of the book. If they didn't know their behavior was unacceptable until the heroine called them on it, that's one thing, but if he's truly a jerk, no amount of love will change him.
- Author Tracts. They can be done well, but the ones that grind the action to a halt while we hear all about how everything the author thinks is good is perfect for humanity, and everyone else is just stupid and evil.
- Getting lost in details. I'm fine with details that add to a story, but I don't need the genealogy of the cat sitting on the wall to appreciate that it's an alley cat.
- Informed flaws. When it's obvious through the text what the character's flaws are, but the author keeps going 'No, no, their only flaw is this!' Key example, Edward in Twilight. We're told his only flaw is being overprotective. We're shown that he is overbearing, controlling, sulky, possessive, jealous, arrogant, nosy, unreasonable, manipulative, whiny, and sexist. But we're supposed to ignore all of those flaws because the author tells us he's just overprotective.
- When the heroine can not make a mistake. This seems especially common in post-feminist fantasy and science fiction (presumably because of fears of being labeled sexist), but I've read so many things where the heroine does one boneheaded thing after another, it turns out all right through sheer luck, and everyone praises her for her amazing wisdom and insight. It's just as sexist to not let female characters have any consequences for their mistakes and make them perfect little special snowflakes capable of doing anything, while the men are all bumbling fools who were lost without them.
- The heroine reforming a jackass through the power of her love and devotion. Sorry, sweetcheeks, if he's a jerk to you in the beginning of the book and in the middle of the book, he's going to be a jerk to you at the end of the book. If they didn't know their behavior was unacceptable until the heroine called them on it, that's one thing, but if he's truly a jerk, no amount of love will change him.
- Author Tracts. They can be done well, but the ones that grind the action to a halt while we hear all about how everything the author thinks is good is perfect for humanity, and everyone else is just stupid and evil.
- Getting lost in details. I'm fine with details that add to a story, but I don't need the genealogy of the cat sitting on the wall to appreciate that it's an alley cat.
- Informed flaws. When it's obvious through the text what the character's flaws are, but the author keeps going 'No, no, their only flaw is this!' Key example, Edward in Twilight. We're told his only flaw is being overprotective. We're shown that he is overbearing, controlling, sulky, possessive, jealous, arrogant, nosy, unreasonable, manipulative, whiny, and sexist. But we're supposed to ignore all of those flaws because the author tells us he's just overprotective.
- When the heroine can not make a mistake. This seems especially common in post-feminist fantasy and science fiction (presumably because of fears of being labeled sexist), but I've read so many things where the heroine does one boneheaded thing after another, it turns out all right through sheer luck, and everyone praises her for her amazing wisdom and insight. It's just as sexist to not let female characters have any consequences for their mistakes and make them perfect little special snowflakes capable of doing anything, while the men are all bumbling fools who were lost without them.
09/25/2012
It's hard to say, since they have to be moderate to be annoying. A little author tract is fine, and too much can be hilariously campy. It's especially great when the "hero" spouting off morals is also clearly a sociopath
09/25/2012
Total posts: 11
Unique posters: 10