Anyone else find...

[schmalex]

That after reading literary classics for school, you go to read popular fiction, and stuff that you might have enjoyed years earlier just seems really poorly written. I used to enjoy reading just about anything, but now I feel like a book-snob. Most stuff I pick up for light-reading just appears really cheesy and poorly written, and most of the stuff that meets my standards is fairly dense and requires brain-power. It's quite annoying 

[echenzi]

Popular fiction for me is still well crafted in the sense that it sells.

For instance Stefanie Meyer's Twilight series is a masterpiece because she does detailed descriptions of Edward Cullen, and all his *amazingness* hahah.

On the contrary she barely describes bella, and leaves bella very open ended so that all the tween girls can fit into her shoes and romantically fantasize about Edward Cullen.

This has made her book a success.

[schmalex]

I may have to look into this well-crafted series....it sounds intriguing.

[EvangelionZeta]

I don't see it as annoying - I see it as enlightenment.

Seriously though, you should be able to enjoy trashy stuff still, it's just you'll see it a bit differently I guess.

[echenzi]

Trashy stuff is written with a target audience, the general public. It may not specifically target different groups in society but yes, to publishers all that matters is that the book sells.

In truth a lot of the critiques of novels by newspapers such as New York Times are disagreeable, but then you could also argue the literary classics we are fed at school aren't as great as they seem, or a bit overrated.

[schmalex]

 

I don't see it as annoying - I see it as enlightenment.

Seriously though, you should be able to enjoy trashy stuff still, it's just you'll see it a bit differently I guess.

I just don't know what to read now!

[EvangelionZeta]

Do what I'm doing and try to read all of Shakespeare's works.  :p

[schmalex]

Do what I'm doing and try to read all of Shakespeare's works.  :p

My friend's dad has actually done this, but I'm taking a break from Shakespeare now that school's finished. Analysing Hamlet did my head in.

[Cthulhu]

Of course popular literature these days doesn't compare to the classics.
Example: Twilight.

[sam.utute]

If your looking for fiction that is not "mainstream", apparently Terry Prachet is supposed to be a really good author. His books are both entertaining and extremely enjoyable if you can understand their humour.

[Cthulhu]

Discworld is amazing

[MuggedByReality]

     Do you regard Harry Potter as clunky pablum?

[Cthulhu]

     Do you regard Harry Potter as clunky pablum?

Rowling's writing was just awful in the first couple of books but she improved over time.

[schmalex]

I thnk Harry Potter isn't as clever as it tries to be.

[Noblesse]

Same here, after reading some of the classics, I can't read modern fiction anymore. It all seems so poorly phrased (a bit like this post lol).