Topic: New Knowledge, Old Books

I'm curious if you all start to notice things you didn't use to when re-reading old books (or new)? What I mean is if you find yourself becoming more nitpicky? I've been re-reading the original Icewind Dale trilogy by R.A. Salvatore which I still think are excellent but I can't help but notice how often he repeats himself. Not just within the same book, but across the trilogy. These books were some of the first to inspire me to write, along with a few Dragonlance Novels.

I should clarify, too. I still see these as masterworks, at least to me. It's just interesting to notice now.

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

The more we think we learn, the more we see "mistakes" in other works. Kinda like the English teacher who is always catching mistakes in the way people talk. The one on the receiving end may not see the "nit-picking" as a mistake, only natural speech despite the technical incorrectness which the "expert" will notice. I do see things which give me pause in most anything I read anymore, but I try to ignore the interruptions as they detract from the enjoyment and there ain't a damn thing I can do about it after the fact. Once it is spoke, it can't be unspoke. Take care. Vern

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

Once you're a writer, you'll never read as a reader again!

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

I agree with Vern and Ann.  Since becoming a writer, I do spot things in various novels I'm reading. I think we become attuned to what we've learned and it becomes more noticeable. Can't change what's already published, so just enjoy reading.:)

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

I used to like Clive Cussler's books. I still like the imaginative stories, but I find it hard to read them as literature anymore. His dialogue tag and POV errors, as well as his penchant for adverb modifiers,  distract me from the story.

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

jack the knife wrote:

I used to like Clive Cussler's books. I still like the imaginative stories, but I find it hard to read them as literature anymore. His dialogue tag and POV errors, as well as his penchant for adverb modifiers,  distract me from the story.

Ha!  I just finished Clive's 'Raise the Titanic' and I couldn't enjoy it for those very reasons.  I read it years ago but decided to refresh my memory.

Another thing that annoys me:  classified ads.  I read one this morning in a newspaper:  For Sale:  White woman's purse.

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

Marilyn Johnson wrote:

Another thing that annoys me:  classified ads.  I read one this morning in a newspaper:  For Sale:  White woman's purse.

I wonder what happened to that white woman. And how about those headlines like, "Springfield school needs to be aired."

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

Rather ironic, we learn the so-called "rules" of writing and then we can't help but notice all the exceptions by authors who are actually making money by not following them. Life ain't fair. But as Luke Peters would say, "It wouldn't be fair if life was fair." Take care. Vern

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Re: New Knowledge, Old Books

jack the knife wrote:

I used to like Clive Cussler's books. I still like the imaginative stories, but I find it hard to read them as literature anymore. His dialogue tag and POV errors, as well as his penchant for adverb modifiers,  distract me from the story.

I haven't gotten to that point with R.A. Salvatore, but it's close. He weaves an interesting enough narrative and uses omnipresent POV but it does get tiresome to hear the exact same descriptions 15 times, or the reiterations of past events as if the reader forgot within the last two chapters. I'm worried about reading some of my other favorites now...

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