Comments on: Stories – Booking Through Thursday

By: Melody

Melody — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:18:07 +0000

Yep, it’s definitely all about the story, but IMO having engaging characters is equally important too.

By: Kim L

Kim L — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 02:55:47 +0000

Yes, that is the saddest thing! I bought a book recently that just made me lose interest, so I stopped reading. It was about Robin Hood, but the author didn’t bother to give any new insight into Robin Hood or his motivations or what it would actually be like to live as a wanted man on the run with a group of men. Bleh, he was so boring I gave up the book.

By: Jeane

Jeane — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:17:15 +0000

I just gave up on a book ten minutes ago because the story was so lame! It’s very sad. I have to agree with CB though- the books I go back and read again and again have more to them than just a good storyline. They have beautiful language and poignant messages and hidden insights that I just have to try and find again… but, if the story isn’t good in the first place, I’ll never read enough to find those other things!

By: CB James

CB James — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:15:59 +0000

I grant you the plot is important. But I think quite a few people are selling themselves short on this one. If you’ve ever re-read a book then you’ve read for some reason other than knowing what happens next, because you already know.

I’ve re-read quite a few in my time.

By: softdrink

softdrink — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:22:33 +0000

Yep, it’s all about the story. With a hefty dose of good writing thrown in, of course.

By: Trixie

Trixie — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:57:44 +0000

For me, I think the book needs to have interesting characters with interesting lives that make a good story. I am pretty fickle and have a short attention span, so I will often put down a book that I find has a less than compelling story.

And I find that I have to disagree with Gautami on her point about travelogues. I love to read travelogues as well, but part of the intrigue for me is that there is usually a backstory to the points of interest the author is cataloguing. For example, I find particular brands of travelogues to be extremely dry, and I do not prefer those. Others have interesting stories to tell about the places they go, and those are the ones that I actually “read.”

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:13:42 +0000

I can’t walk away from a book. I HAVE to finish it. It’s like a movie that you never get to see the end of. It drives me up the wall!

By: Susan B. Evans

Susan B. Evans — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:46:35 +0000

I hate having to put down a book, so usually I plow through even if I’m not interested. A book has to by truly horrifying for me to give up on it, but it happens. I feel cheated by books like that, like I can’t believe I wasted my time with them!

By: Christine

Christine — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:34:42 +0000

Sadder still, I think, is when you want to know what happens next but the writing is so awful that you just can’t go on…

By: Sally

Sally — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:43:29 +0000

I love a good story. The other stuff just enhances it.