Dan Brown: Inferno

[Roxbrough]

that was really funny! I don't think his writing is as bad as that article though, it was a teeeny bit mean. It was more the 'look how clever I am' feel to Inferno that annoyed me.

His bank balance would indicate that no matter what those who do not like him think, he is a least a good business man!

 

[Roxbrough]

I've never managed to read more than one page of Dan Brown's writing (the first page of The Da Vinci Code, for what it's worth), I couldn't get myself to read the whole thing as I was rather annoyed by the prose. I feel much the same about the Fifty Shades trilogy of which I have plodded through a whole chapter before admitting defeat.

I like the Telegraph article, gave me a wee chuckle.

I always give a book 80 pages before even considering giving up on it. Maybe you have an attention span issue?

 

[Meadow337]

I always give a book 80 pages before even considering giving up on it. Maybe you have an attention span issue?

Firstly:

Maybe you shouldn't be so cheeky! Remember people can't read tone on the net - if you meant it lightheartedly use a smiley face or to indicate humour Ok?

There are lots of reasons why people give up on books quickly one of which is experience in what you do and don't like.

Secondly if you go back up and press 'reply' again the forum software embeds the new quote in line

Like this:

His bank balance would indicate that no matter what those who do not like him think, he is a least a good business man!

So you don't need to have a post for each person you want to reply to.

He writes popular books. Popular does not always mean good. I could name a dozen 'best sellers' that are not really 'good'.

I disagree and do not understand what the word nah means.

Thirdly - what do you think 'nah' means. Read it in context - it was a reply to a question was it not? Sound it out. What does it sound like? 'Naaah' got it? Good.

 

[Roxbrough]

Firstly:

Maybe you shouldn't be so cheeky! Remember people can't read tone on the net - if you meant it lightheartedly use a smiley face or to indicate humour Ok?

There are lots of reasons why people give up on books quickly one of which is experience in what you do and don't like.

Secondly if you go back up and press 'reply' again the forum software embeds the new quote in line

Like this:



So you don't need to have a post for each person you want to reply to.

He writes popular books. Popular does not always mean good. I could name a dozen 'best sellers' that are not really 'good'.




Thirdly - what do you think 'nah' means. Read it in context - it was a reply to a question was it not? Sound it out. What does it sound like? 'Naaah' got it? Good.

I was not meaning to be cheeky and it could well be the case. Coronation Street is only ever broadcast in 15 minute segments for the reason I note. If you wish me to keep my opinions to myself I will do but I thought the purpose of a forum was an airing of opinions what ever they may be. Please use you moderator powers and remove any opinions I express that you do not like, this will not offend me.

I write in English and do not understand what the purpose of smileys are so would not use them appropriately.

I do not understand how reading a few lines of page one allows anyone to assume that an entire book is going to appeal or not. I would love you to explain this further.

I am not able to understand non English and my personal feeling is that the use of text speak and lazy language will only serve to make the site look less professional, but once again if you disagree I do not mind. You see Meadow, I do no mind if people have different opinions to myself, I am not precious.
As far as Dan Brown and his highly successful novels go I think it has become 'in vogue' to knock him. I would suspect that most who do are envious of his success. Do you not agree?

Please feel free to advise me at any time, I have little experience of forum, I am usually reading ha ha ha.

 

[Meadow337]

["Roxbrough, post: 363731, member: 24783"]
I was not meaning to be cheeky and it could well be the case. Coronation Street is only ever broadcast in 15 minute segments for the reason I note.

What came first? Short attention spans or short programming? Besides which it is generally the young MTV generation who grew up on the rapid clips in music videos who suffer from this phenomenon.

If you wish me to keep my opinions to myself I will do but I thought the purpose of a forum was an airing of opinions what ever they may be. Please use you moderator powers and remove any opinions I express that you do not like, this will not offend me.

Of course it is about airing opinions, but others also have theirs and respect never goes astray.

I write in English and do not understand what the purpose of smileys are so would not use them appropriately.

Smileys are the little icons with smiley faces that convey emotion. They are used to convey an emotional overtone / context for words that might otherwise be taken as offensive because the person doesn't realise you are joking. Sometimes they are even used in place of words.

Three easy to remember shortcuts are : ) for : ( for and : D for - leave out the spaces.

I do not understand how reading a few lines of page one allows anyone to assume that an entire book is going to appeal or not. I would love you to explain this further.

Because you make a judgement based on what you like and past experience with similar styles / material. If you know what you like it's fairly easy to judge if you mesh with that author's style within a page or two.

I am not able to understand non English and my personal feeling is that the use of text speak and lazy language will only serve to make the site look less professional, but once again if you disagree I do not mind. You see Meadow, I do no mind if people have different opinions to myself, I am not precious.

Chill - people have different styles of writing. Perfect English is not required otherwise we would all be correcting all the little errors that creep in.

As far as Dan Brown and his highly successful novels go I think it has become 'in vogue' to knock him. I would suspect that most who do are envious of his success. Do you not agree?

To some extent but not entirely. His writing does get very bogged down in very prosaic and turgid prose at times. I doubt people will remember his books in 100 years time.

Please feel free to advise me at any time, I have little experience of forum, I am usually reading ha ha ha.

Which is why I offered some friendly advice

 

[sparkchaser]

Nah is American vernacular for "no".

You actually believe that a healthy suspension of disbelief is not required for Dan Brown? To each his/her own, I guess.

 

[Hedwig]

Loved the Telegraph spoof

I actually liked "Demons and Angels" (or is it the other way round?) and "Da Vinci Code" as fast-paced popcorn for the brain, but didn't think much of the "Lost Symbol". I'm not sure if I want to try "Inferno".

 

[Meadow337]

I have read (I confess) every single one of his books - some of earlier stuff had some interesting concepts like Digital Fortress for example. I even enjoyed "Lost Symbol' although I did think it was a little thin and was genuinely disappointed by 'Inferno'. I expected more and that was probably the problem.

 

[Roxbrough]

Nah is American vernacular for "no".

You actually believe that a healthy suspension of disbelief is not required for Dan Brown? To each his/her own, I guess.

Absolutely and if my earlier remark upset you in any way I assure you it was not meant to. I always see Americans as a race who have not quite managed to conquer English yet ha ha ha.
I was watching CSI the other night and several characters had an entire conversation in acronyms, I could not decide whether they were talking about the Automobile Association, Amateur Athletics, or Alcoholics Anonymous !
You see the point I'm sure.

 

[Roxbrough]

"His writing does get very bogged down in very prosaic and turgid prose at times. " quote

I see that as good English and like it.

 

[Polly Parrot]

I always give a book 80 pages before even considering giving up on it. Maybe you have an attention span issue?

No attention span issues here, I'll happily read Proust, Joyce, Dickens, Woolf, etc. But there lies the problem, I find the aforementioned good writers who know how to string a proper sentence together. As far as I'm concerned, Dan Brown lacks that quality. I thought that one page of writing was complete and utter garbage and decided it wasn't worth my time reading any more of it. I should have stopped after the first sentence though, that was my mistake.

 

[anu]

I quite liked Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, even Deception Point was a good time pass read. But, then I read Lost Symbol and Brown's fascination with Secret societies and symbols began to jar me. How many times one can read similar plots dished out in a slightly different manner.

So, as far as I am concerned, I am not going to waste money on Inferno. And, in any case there are so many books and so little time to read and I can hardly get fixated on just one genre or writer. Why not read something different every time and give new authors on the block a chance

 

[Meadow337]

I quite liked Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, even Deception Point was a good time pass read. But, then I read Lost Symbol and Brown's fascination with Secret societies and symbols began to jar me. How many times one can read similar plots dished out in a slightly different manner.

So, as far as I am concerned, I am not going to waste money on Inferno. And, in any case there are so many books and so little time to read and I can hardly get fixated on just one genre or writer. Why not read something different every time and give new authors on the block a chance

given the amount I read - I'm definitely giving a variety of authors a chance And having read a number of 'copycat' books in the 'Dan Brown' genre he is definitely still the master. I have enjoyed all his books, even Inferno had its good points. It was just a little too smug.

 

[Hedwig]

And having read a number of 'copycat' books in the 'Dan Brown' genre he is definitely still the master.

That's true. I tried a large variety of other books in a similar vein and always ended up mightily disappointed.

 

[Meadow337]

That's true. I tried a large variety of other books in a similar vein and always ended up mightily disappointed.

Yup we can diss on his writing style as much as we want but he still does produce a far more interesting and complex read than others attempting to copy / cash in on his success.

 

[Chris Markowski]

I didn't sense any smugness. His ability to provide insight or at least make it look like he is providing insight, into European history, art, and even the life of the wealthy is interesting to read, for me. Going off on tangents of historical reference and so on, fine. The only problem I have is yes, it is the same formula book after book. But its still a good read. There are a lot worse out there to trudge through. His writing style is clear and vivid. I don't have any issue with it at all, although it doesn't transcend his norm and it stays within his boundries it seems.

 

[Meadow337]

Yup sorry but when an author goes into lengthy and entirely spurious descriptions of esoteric parts of Italian museums - its entirely smug!

And this is entirely arrogant:

"Wow, either this is the most accomplished audience on earth, or this e-publishing thing is really taking off."

 

[Chris Markowski]

Yup sorry but when an author goes into lengthy and entirely spurious descriptions of esoteric parts of Italian museums - its entirely smug!

And this is entirely arrogant:

"Wow, either this is the most accomplished audience on earth, or this e-publishing thing is really taking off."

Well.. what was spurious of his description of the Museums? Do we know he was making it up?

Just curious.

 

[Meadow337]

Well.. what was spurious of his description of the Museums? Do we know he was making it up?

Just curious.

yeah there are any number of articles and websites who delight in taking apart his books. According to the seriously pedantic people who do this, there are any number of errors.

Perhaps I also used the wrong word. I meant to say "superfluous" in that they didn't serve much purpose in the text other than to highlight how clever Dan Brown is because look see what I know.

 

[Roxbrough]

No attention span issues here, I'll happily read Proust, Joyce, Dickens, Woolf, etc. But there lies the problem, I find the aforementioned good writers who know how to string a proper sentence together. As far as I'm concerned, Dan Brown lacks that quality. I thought that one page of writing was complete and utter garbage and decided it wasn't worth my time reading any more of it. I should have stopped after the first sentence though, that was my mistake.

I am a musical snob, listening to music must be done on audiophile equipment otherwise it is not listening at all.
You have the same problem with literature. You list the authors with relish and expect new material to be of the same type. Grammar is not even taught in schools any more, so Proust, Joyce and Dickens are overly dry fossils sad as that may be.
Coronation Street is very very popular, Dan Brown is aiming at that sort of audience. No doubt if he wanted to be dry and flowery, he could be. he prefers to 'sell' and 'entertain'.