You won’t believe it …

Okay so I’m reading a new book. I simply could not finish that third book in the series I was reading. It was too much. Far too much.
When I start making comments out loud like, “Just put a cup on a fucking table for fucks sake.” and “Sit on the damn chair, you idiot!”
Then I know it’s time to walk away.

I had another unread book sitting on my Kindle. It’s a mystery. Sort of a cozy, I guess. The main character is an ED nurse and of a sensible age. No problem with the main character, really. There is far too much internalised blah blah during scenes that should move a tad faster. One can forgive wordiness at times. There’s a point though when it becomes bloody annoying.

But the thing that’s started to really grate on me is the facial descriptions.
No one smiles. Their lips contort in a number of ways. Twisting, tugging, pulling, turning … so much twisting that I’m left wondering what horrors have befallen these characters that their mouths no longer smile – they’re clearly not capable of a smile.

Take a second and smile. Just do it.
Did your lips twist, contort, pull, tug? I betting not. Because when I smile it doesn’t involve any twisting. When my kids smile, there is no twisting. Even Diesel the Mastador smiles without contorting his big floppy lips.

I don’t know what the author has against a smile.
I don’t know why there are swathes of explanation for things a reader of any kind of crime would already know. These days it’s hard to find someone who has lead such a sheltered life that they don’t understand the basics of a mystery story.
Occasionally, if introducing some new tech or whatever there is call for a quick explanation not two paragraphs that stops the story cold, thanks. Especially when they’re not accurate. (We all know how I feel about that!)
And there should be no long winded spiels from a vet when you turn up with an injured animal in the middle of the night. It’s a get on with it and sort it situation not a vet taking the time to ramble on about late night calls from kids while the dog in front of him/her is barely breathing.

The most annoying thing is … I’ll finish this book because I want to know who did it. I have a pretty good idea and I doubt I’ll be proved wrong.

It’s possible that the older I get the less I can tolerate. Life is finite.

I would just read “Palace of Treason” but it’s an actual book and I can’t read a real book at night even with my new glasses. And I have to hold it with both hands … my wrist doesn’t like holding books open so that’s where I’m at. 🙂 🙂

Want to read a book without twisting, tugging, pulling, or sticky tables? Then here’s Flashbyte. 🙂
Flashbyte

2 thoughts on “You won’t believe it …

  1. It’s so interesting you mention facial contortions, Cat. We’re always told to vary words when we write, and that’s all well and good. But a smile is a smile. Everyone understands what that is. You can say ‘grin’ or ‘smirk’ or something if it’s a particular sort of smile, but you’re right; words should be practical. It sometimes feels as though stories like that are more Google searches for words than telling about the characters! I hope you get through the story!

    • Ah, I think you’re right about the Google searches for words! Maybe people need to lay off the thesaurus sites!! 🙂 It seems like there are a lot of writers who are stomping all over rules and reason. They would benefit from our classes, that’s for sure! x

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