Overrated authors?

2 Nov 2012

Quote by WellMadeMale
JK Rowling ... gimme a fcking break

I can't believe I'm gonna say this but, Rowling is great. Let me explain. I was a hater but I had a college class that covered the book to movie adaptations. She weaved themes of religion and bigotry throughout the stories to the point most readers don't even realize they are there. Also, the first book was aimed at 10-12 year-olds. She progressed the sophistication of her writing style with her audience. Pretty amazing accomplishment.

If you want over-rated, check out Lahaye and Jenkins, the guys that wrote the "Left Behind" series.

2 Nov 2012

Pearl Buck.

10 Dec 2012

Dan Brown comes first to my mind also.

11 Dec 2012

Quote by sprite

those are feuding words! i learned everything i know from Dr Suess! *growls*

Easy there, spritey. Just a bit of sarcasm. Dr. Seuss will always be my fave.

"What is the quality of your intent?" - Thurgood Marshall

12 Dec 2012

Quote by slipperywhenwet2012

Easy there, spritey. Just a bit of sarcasm. Dr. Seuss will always be my fave.

i've killed for less, you know biggrin

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

12 Dec 2012

Scott Turow, James Patterson.

12 Dec 2012

Sprite's overrated. evil4

12 Dec 2012

Quote by Jack_42

I feel that to make such statements about a literary giant as apposed to the Danielle Steels of this world requires some explanation. For example I can't stand J.K. Rowling because she just took the idea of a privileged education added magic to it and then churned out works in a formula as was Ian Fleming's stuff. However Hemingway's unique, terse style manages because of the structure to say so much with so few words and remains because of this always undated.

The point of Harry Potter is that there is a long history of UK childrens' books set at boarding schools. Enid Blyton did several different series. It was something of a satire.

As for Ian Fleming, he didn't just invent the modern spy novel genre, he invented the CIA. The OSS which was the predecessor was put together on FDR's orders on the basis of daily discussions with Flemming.

From Russia with Love was an actual plan he would have directed to take an Enigma machine if they hadn't had one just fall into their lap before they ran it. In the service he was known for the 'Flemming flair'

12 Dec 2012

Quote by LadyX
Sprite's overrated.

Oh, you didn't!

12 Dec 2012

Quote by rxtales

I found his books entertaining, but I wouldn't call them well written

Actually, I spent a lot of time studying Dan Brown because they are so badly written. But we keep on reading them!

The secret is that he is absolutely ruthless about the hooks at the end of each chapter. And he has never less than two and never more than four plot threads running at once.

12 Dec 2012

Quote by LadyX
Sprite's overrated.

somebody's gonna get a visit from the pillow fairy gang tonight, and we don't load our pillow with feathers, sista. gonna put some serious hurt down on your east side ass, bitch. evil5

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

12 Dec 2012

Alright so... I read a lot... and I do mean a LOT and I may not know all the writers spoken about on this forum but I can find something good about any book... except George Orwell's 1984 that sucked BUT everything else has SOMETHING good in there. The most brought up authors were Stephen King, Stephanie Meyer and JK Rowling from what I read. Though I'm not a Twihard or anything, I do enjoy the series. I have to admit she probably could have chosen a better way to write it and to make Bella less... erm, helpless- I like confident, independent women in my stories- however, and I may be saying this because I am younger, but I like the main point to it, or points. (i.e: everyone finds love.. the star crossed lovers... etc) As for JK Rowling, I am not a die-hard fan but I have to say I'll probably always love that series. I only disagree with a few things in her books but in the end it was a very well written series. (That and I can't seem to write more than trilogy like stuff). As for Stephen King... if you don't care for him, you're obviously not that into horror. I'm in live with that genre so he's one of my favorite authors. Hemingway is amazing also, by the way.

12 Dec 2012

Stephen King for sure and I know many may consider this sacrilege but Ernest Hemingway!! So fucking boring!!

13 Dec 2012

Quote by Nikki703
Stephen King for sure and I know many may consider this sacrilege but Ernest Hemingway!! So fucking boring!!

Hemingway isn't every one's cup of tea, but he did manage to write a short story in just six words...

"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn"

(well it's an apocryphal story but i like it)

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Why not read some stories instead

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13 Dec 2012

Quote by overmykneenow

Hemingway isn't every one's cup of tea, but he did manage to write a short story in just six words...

"For Sale: baby shoes, never worn"

(well it's an apocryphal story but i like it)

I understand a great many people love Hemingway and I would have loved to have met and drank with him. But his writings just dont do it for me. Is there a more boring book than Old Man and the Sea?

As for the six word short story, whether it ever really happened or not, I must admit it makes for a great legend!!

13 Dec 2012

Quote by Nikki703

I understand a great many people love Hemingway and I would have loved to have met and drank with him. But his writings just dont do it for me. Is there a more boring book than Old Man and the Sea?

As for the six word short story, whether it ever really happened or not, I must admit it makes for a great legend!!

I had to read the old man and the sea in highschool. I was the only person who liked it.
But that's just me, the struggle and persistance to me was admirable. I thought it was good.

13 Dec 2012

awww

I thought we were going to mention Lush authors Embarassed

“Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power.”
― Oscar Wilde

13 Dec 2012

Quote by crazydiamond

I had to read the old man and the sea in highschool. I was the only person who liked it.
But that's just me, the struggle and persistance to me was admirable. I thought it was good.

I had to read it too. And a Farewell to Arms.

I agree that the persistance this 200 yo fisherman showed to fight with the fish was admirable as well as his respect for the fish. And I did feel bad for him when the sharks ate his fish. But it was still a snooze fest!

But I will say the book wasnt as boring as the movie, HAHA

14 Dec 2012

JK Rowling may not be the next coming of (insert favorite author's name) but she does get kids reading. My son is in 5th grade and he loves the Harry Potter books and has read all of them more than once. We read to him a lot as a baby and toddler. There are several Dr. Seuss books I can recite from memory. As he's become old enough to read on his own, he always has a book in his face. He's read all of The 39 Clues books, Diary of Wimpy Kid, Hunger Games, and a few others. But he always goes back to Harry Potter books. At the end of 4th grade the kids took their standardized tests, which he got the scores back at the beginning of 5th grade. Proud daddy time, my just turned 11 year old fifth grader tested at Junior year 5th month level. Thanks to JK Rowling and Harry Potter, my 5th grade kid reads and comprehends at an 11th grade level and ranks in the 98th percentile. Yes, I'm bragging.

If the point of writing, especially kids' books, is to get people/kids to read, then JK Rowling will always be thought of highly in my family.

My favorite author at the moment... Wally Lamb. "The Hour I First Believed" is incredible. Brutally emotional.

When the debate is lost, slander becomes the tool of the loser. Socrates

14 Dec 2012

Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights - supposedly a love story.not much love a lot of jealousy and spiteful behaviour, no love from what I saw. Classic? Not for me...

14 Dec 2012

Quote by MarySweets
E.L James.

Honestly I'm happy that the Erotic genre is now mainstream and no one has to be embarrassed to be reading any type of erotica.

Just that her being a fantastic author made me laugh. If honestly if it was written by a teenage virgin then perhaps I would accept her work. However since it's written by a middle aged married woman .... uh yeah.

My sentiments exactly. Anyone on here can write better than E.L. James.

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11 Sep 2013

Jackie Collins

27 Sep 2013

The dudes who wrote the bible. Sorry, just my 2 cents. If women and some common sense were involved in output, then it might be a better read. A longer read, but a better read.

27 Sep 2013

Quote by LadyX
Sprite's overrated.

I second that, actually.

27 Sep 2013

John Grisham

27 Sep 2013

Quote by Magical_felix

I second that, actually.

woo hoo! it's official! i suck!

You can’t truly call yourself peaceful unless you are capable of violence. If you’re not capable of violence, you’re not peaceful. You’re harmless.

27 Sep 2013

Quote by secretcharm
awww I thought we were going to mention Lush authors

So did I, I was scared to come in and see my name. Embarassed

But, yeah I agree with most of the ones who have been named, the problem is, or maybe not a problem. I happened to read most all those authors.

And I don't think Stephen King is overrated, the man is a genius. What a wicked twisted, delightful mind he has. Just my two cents.

27 Sep 2013

Quote by sprite

woo hoo! it's official! i suck!

You do?? How much do you charge? b229

"What is the quality of your intent?" - Thurgood Marshall

27 Sep 2013

Quote by flytoomuch
Well many of the authors being mentioned are simply "popular" in the sense that they sold a lot of books. I don't think many serious critics have ever suggested that Dan Brown or Stephanie Meyer are being "rated" as quality authors? In that sense they have never been "overrated" they are simply popular in the way a McDonald's hamburger is popular. Easy to consume, not challenging to the mind, a mass market product. Dan Brown is crap I do agree and one must wonder how he sells so many books?

I absolutely cannot agree with putting Hemingway in this category!! Sorry! This is a man who is largely responsible for the term "the lost generation" and went on drinking binges with James Joyce? Really? My god he hung out with Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, etc. etc. While not everyone may appreciate his sparse style, when you have read his works in full you realize the significance of coming to grips personally, as an individual, with the two greatest wars in man kinds history and the struggle to create internal order out of external chaos. As a short story writer Hemingway crafted some of the finest ever written in that era and influenced writers like J.D. Salinger who went on to create his own highly crafted short stories in a similar style.

Very well said

27 Sep 2013

Quote by WellMadeMale
JK Rowling ... gimme a fcking break

Hey man...She got me into reading as a kid. I mean, I hated it before Harry Potter.

That said...There is a lot of overrated stuff about her writing but the world she created is awesome. The Weasleys. Yea...that was some bad writing.

Anyway.

Christopher Paolini. Ok, as a writer, I understand recycling ideas for your own purposes. But the dude didn't even try to change stuff. Total hack of Robert Jordan and J.R.R Tolkien.

Terry Goodkind. Stylistically blah. Seriously though, he writes the same book over and over with virtually the same characters. The TV show was alright. The books. I couldn't get through the first.