Stoppit, brain!

[elaby]

I’m having something of a reading crisis, O Great LJ Hivemind. And I think it’s grad school’s fault.

Nowadays, things I read fall into three categories, and these categories seem to define the level of enjoyment I get out of reading.

Category 1: Fiction of Awe-Inspiring Rockitude. Examples include Rose Daughter, Inkheart, and anything by Neil Gaiman. When I read these, I am utterly enthralled by the story. I’m taken into the book’s world, and the only outside thoughts that come in (outside thoughts being stuff not related to the plot/characters as if they were real) are “Oh man, this is so skillful. I should take notes.”

Category 2: Pretty Good Fiction That Should By All Rights Be Enjoyable. Examples include the Eragon books and the first two novels of the Dresden Files. My problem lies in this section. No matter the fact that I should be getting pleasure out these – the only thing that goes through my head as I read these is analysis from a writerly perspective. Why did the author have character X do that? Why didn’t he pace this differently? He should have told us that earlier. He shouldn’t be making character Y so over-the-top that I already hate him/her when I’m obviously not supposed to. That metaphor didn’t make any sense. That analogy purposefully pointed at something that throws me out of the narrative. OMG BRAIN, SHUT UP.

My enjoyment of reading is seriously being compromised by my stupid head, and I don’t know how to make myself stop. I can’t turn it off. I feel like either I trust the author or I don’t, and when I don’t, I spend the entire time picking apart the writing and trying to figure out what effect the author was trying to accomplish. It’s driving me BATTY.

Oh, and there’s also Category 3: Nonfiction. I’m pretty good with nonfiction – if it’s metaphysical stuff, I form my own opinions given the material and I take into consideration the way the author presents it. If it’s history, I take in the facts and consider the spin the author puts on it by the language he or she uses. I’m not having too much of a dilemma with this, except that sometimes I feel bad that I only feel the need to blog about a nonfiction book if it’s pissing me off in some way.

But my problem with Category 2 is driving me insane. I feel like I got that way by the end of the Harry Potter series, too, and I really should have been able to enjoy that for itself and not for what it said about JKR’s writing decisions. Has anyone else ever had this problem? This isn’t to say I think it’s bad to think about the writing process while you’re reading fiction... I’m just sick of it getting in the way of my enjoyment.

In slightly related news, I got two new books last Saturday - Walking with the Green Man by Bob Curran and A Witch's Guide to Faery Folk by Edain McCoy. I'm having issues with the former because while it's very interesting, it's written at about the level of a mediocre college essay. Please stop insulting my intelligence by repeating your VERY SIMPLE thesis at the end of EVERY PARAGRAPH, plzkthnx. Also, get an editor, because if you have a PhD you really should know the correct use of the word "however." The Guide to Faery Folk is much much better, though, and although I've disagreed with it in places, it gives me interesting things to think about and has a lot of depth so far.

For some reason, I have no problem picking apart nonfiction ^^;;

Comments

[poelaramont.livejournal.com]

My writing brain comes out when I watch TV or movies. I predict certain plot points fairly accurately.

I've never really dissected fiction like that, though. My brain just says "good" or "bad" if I'm not actively critiquing.

Now I'm afraid of letting you read my stuff, O Mighty Analyzer. 8-P

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

I solved the problem by eliminating Category 2. :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Fear not! I don't seem to have the same reaction to stuff that's not already published. Probably because I realize that it's in-progress writing and not a finished product.

[queen-lily-rose.livejournal.com]

Edain McCoy Is One Of My Favourite Authors.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Ha XD I really want to just have fun reading less-than-brilliant books, though!

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I'm very happy with the book so far :) And the stuff I've been reading lately in this genre is older, and I'm relieved to read her stuff because it's quality is high.

[poelaramont.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, okay. I am mollified!

Hopefully, my eventually-finished stories will fall into category 1, anyway.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_melisande_/]

I think that you shouldn't try to slog through something just because it should be a fun read. If you're not enjoying it then why bother? I'm sure you can find lots more category one books, you should read those! It sounds like that would be far more enjoyable for you than picking apart category two books.

Yeah, I know that was less than helpful. Sorry.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I expect that they will :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

It was helpful :) I just feel like I USED to enjoy category two books and I ought to, because they're fun, I just can't stop myself from looking at them like I'm supposed to be editing them.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_melisande_/]

I know. I'm sorry. Your brain is just too huge! It never stops working! You shouldn't have kept feeding it the way did.

[semyaza.livejournal.com]

Me, too, but I have far less trouble with older less-than-brilliant books because the writers had a better grasp of how to construct sentences. I can put up with shallow characterisation and corny plots if a book reads well. Flatness seems to be a besetting sin of many popular writers these days.

[jongleur-gerard.livejournal.com]

lol just the way this is worded, it reminds me of one of those old school horror movies "The Day Elaby's Brain Ate New York!" dun dun dun

[jongleur-gerard.livejournal.com]

As one of your other commenters has noted, I have heard similar comments from people who have studied film regarding general Hollywood fare. I think it comes down to development of taste and a refined mental 'palette.' The more experience we have with something, the more basis we have to form a coherent opinion beyond gut reaction good/bad. Someone may look at a painting and like the colors or the subject, but after art school look again and see brushstroke, lighting/shading, the play of warm vs cold colors, the orientation of sightlines drwing the obsever's attention and judge each, coming up with a completely different reaction.
It really comes down to two facts: ignorance is bliss (and its antecedent: knowledge is pain/complication) and most of everything really isn't that good. By definition, every field will have a range of works from quite well done to 'how did that get into the public eye, and how can I flush it out?' This range generally follows a very skewed bell curve.
I guess I'd say try to figure out what it is that draws you to those cat 2 books and try to find cat 1 books which satisfy that need. They must exist, no? Unless, it's secretly the suckitude that draws you, the ability to look at this paragraph or that character and say "meh.. I could do better.. and here's how." ;)

[raechel]

I get that way from time to time and I can't say why exactly, but I'm usually so upset by the end of it that I just put down the book and grab a new one to read or go watch a movie. I will say this, though, some TV shows get on my nerves from time to time. One Lost episode had the same line used by two completely different characters (which, as someone who doesn't qualify as a writer but likes to write, I find this very cheap and cheesy) and it COMPLETELY ruined the illusion for me because after that all I could hear were a bunch of lines and directors telling actors how to deliver them *cries* That's why I can never watch the behind the scenes unless I've already watched the movie.

[caitirin.livejournal.com]

XD!! I wanna see that.

[queen-lily-rose.livejournal.com]

I Like That Book Too. Anna Franklin's Works On The Fae Are Rather Good As Well.

[templarwolf.livejournal.com]

If you think its bad now, trying going to Odyssey. There is very little I watch or read that doesn't fall into Cat 2 any more. Most of it doesn't even rate that high... I now read everything like a slushpile reader. If I'm not hooked by the end of the third page or so, I'm done. I haven't tried Inkheart yet, but since Bekka gave up on it about a third of the way through, I may not bother.

We just finally saw Bridge to Terebithia<i? the other night. Pretty good, but through most of it I was biting my tongue. All I wanted to do was scream "Throat-punch the bitch and use the damned bathroom!"

[minyan.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Problem or reaction or what have you, absolutely. There are some books I can only read when I'm almost too tired to think (though they can be restful then)... and there are lots that I can't read, because the writing isn't good enough to let me see past it.

Example, I have an old fondness for the early Anne McCaffrey dragon books — the harper trilogy and dragon flight, dragon quest and the white dragon. (I suspect Moreta would be great too, but it sounds so sad I've never had the heart to read it.) But the later ones are just awful, and I'd rather daydream fan stories than slog through them.)

The best strategy I know of is to find more of category #1 ;-). Did you like Sunshine?

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Seriously! I shouldn't have!

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Too true! That's a good point.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

HAHAHA XD It's not that impressive yet!

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Haha, I think that's the case once in a while, but the thing that draws me is that I know I USED to like books like that and that if I weren't paying attention to the writerly stuff, I would be enjoying the characters and plot. But that's good advice!

And I think you're totally right with your painting metaphor.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Yes! That's totally true! I feel like sometimes if I've watched the behind the scenes thing, all I can think about is "how was X feeling when she was doing this scene?" or whatever. Arg!

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I'll have to check her out! Thanks for the recommendation :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I didn't see the movie of that because I was forced to read the book several times in elementary school and I hated it. I was really delighted with Inkheart, though, but it all depends on your tastes :)

[elaby.livejournal.com]

I haven't read it yet! I really should, though, because Rose Daughter made me SO happy.

I have books like the Anne McCaffrey ones. That's what I've heard is cool about the Dresden Files - a lot of authors get worse down the road in series, but he gets better and better as a writer.

[queen-lily-rose.livejournal.com]

She's A Really Good Writer And She Knows Her Stuff!

[coastal-spirit.livejournal.com]

I wish I had some good advice to give you about this, but I don't! ;) Perhaps just accept it, take a relaxed attitude about it and try not to let it bother you? Concentrate on what you do like? I dunno.

My enjoyment of reading is seriously being compromised by my stupid head

I think that should read "my overly intelligent head". Sorry. *giggle*

I haven't exactly had the same experience, but I do tend to pick books apart if the characters don't grab me.

[elaby.livejournal.com]

Hee ^_^ Thank you :) I think I should just try to enjoy them and concentrate on what I do like.