I’ve grown more intransigent with time. For me, something worth finishing has language that, at its core, is terse, pungent, and correct. For fiction, a good story is rather useful and clear insight into human character is required. I’m flexible, so a fine story line can offset limp prose but if too many of these are lacking . . . bye.
This is not a demand for sterile purity, I think good Will Shakespeare nailed this and am delighted when new others do so, too.
Dave
I am not against a first person narrative per se, but I can’t read a book in which the reader is constantly bombarded by “I”. I know many books where the first person is skilfully and sparingly employed. But when I read books where it is used clumsily and repetitively, well I … … …
[I love the smell of illustrative I-rony in the morning…The Ride of the Valkyries blaring in the background.]
Do tell us, Master Briar… do tell. This could prove a valuable insight for those of us who are chronic ‘I’, ‘I’, 'I’ers, and ‘me’, ‘me’, 'me’ers
Fluff
A book that’s a master-class in the benefits to the reader of ploughing on (and to the writer, of the elliptical touch).
I loved that book, and read more of McMurtry on the strength of it (and also enjoyed the TV film). Perhaps just as well for him, not too high a proportion of his readers can be cognisant of cowboy cuisine.