Comments on: Stunningly Tedious http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/stunningly-tedious/ Reflections of a working writer and reader Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:23:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Shawn http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/stunningly-tedious/comment-page-1/#comment-109697 Shawn Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:26:19 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/?p=1249#comment-109697 Cormac McCarthy! Slowly I turn, step by step... But seriously, Cormac McCarthy is one of the most egregiously overrated American writers I've ever had the displeasure of reading. I've tried several times to finish one of his books -- mainly at the urging of friends who insist that I'm wrong about him -- but I just can't do it. His preposterously flowery and overwrought style is so terrible that it would be laugh out loud funny if it weren't so aesthetically offensive. And all the gore and violence seem like just a smoke screen for a fundamental lack of storytelling talent. As for the article, I agree with some of the choices, but when people start throwing out Dostoevsky and Cervantes it starts to become clear that many of those questions don't know what they're talking about. <strong>jb says</strong>: Snap, Shawn. I never managed to finish a Cormac McCarthy book either. Maybe we have the same friends, who assure me, also, that I'm missing something special. Cormac McCarthy! Slowly I turn, step by step… But seriously, Cormac McCarthy is one of the most egregiously overrated American writers I’ve ever had the displeasure of reading. I’ve tried several times to finish one of his books — mainly at the urging of friends who insist that I’m wrong about him — but I just can’t do it. His preposterously flowery and overwrought style is so terrible that it would be laugh out loud funny if it weren’t so aesthetically offensive. And all the gore and violence seem like just a smoke screen for a fundamental lack of storytelling talent.

As for the article, I agree with some of the choices, but when people start throwing out Dostoevsky and Cervantes it starts to become clear that many of those questions don’t know what they’re talking about.

jb says: Snap, Shawn. I never managed to finish a Cormac McCarthy book either. Maybe we have the same friends, who assure me, also, that I’m missing something special.

]]> By: Jim Murdoch http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/stunningly-tedious/comment-page-1/#comment-109696 Jim Murdoch Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:45:50 +0000 http://johnbakersblog.co.uk/?p=1249#comment-109696 I'd let John Fowles off the hook purely for 'The Collector'. I've never been able to get into anything else he's written. I actually bought 'The Tree' a while back because it was very short and I couldn't even get into that. But 'The Collector' was such a wonderful approach to a book, tell the came story twice, once from the captor's perspective and once from the captives, tag on a coda and you've got a pretty decent novel. <strong>jb says</strong>: I don't know <em>The Collector</em>, but I revisited <em>The Magus</em> recently and gave it up less than an hour in. I’d let John Fowles off the hook purely for ‘The Collector’. I’ve never been able to get into anything else he’s written. I actually bought ‘The Tree’ a while back because it was very short and I couldn’t even get into that. But ‘The Collector’ was such a wonderful approach to a book, tell the came story twice, once from the captor’s perspective and once from the captives, tag on a coda and you’ve got a pretty decent novel.

jb says: I don’t know The Collector, but I revisited The Magus recently and gave it up less than an hour in.

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