tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713836.post5753468443878843899..comments2023-05-30T03:47:40.447-05:00Comments on ReadingBlog: Betrayal of the readerUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713836.post-8939838897009016772011-09-12T09:13:32.570-05:002011-09-12T09:13:32.570-05:00I had a thought about authors who betray readers w...I had a thought about authors who betray readers with endings or who insist on including some kinds of supernatural accessories in otherwise real world stories.<br /><br />It's like playing Scrabble with someone who gets to make up words, spellings, and rules. No appeal. Nothing they do can be wrong. How long would you play with such a person?Ken Weddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09432599516874850614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34713836.post-78989917951815087652011-09-12T09:11:33.505-05:002011-09-12T09:11:33.505-05:00Dale Stahl wrote to agree.
"Always enjoy the...Dale Stahl wrote to agree.<br /><br />"Always enjoy these observations. <br /><br />"I completely agree with Dan’s take on <i>Shutter Island</i> – loved it and then was disgusted at the end (and in no way could picture Leo DiCaprio as tough enough to be the character I pictured so never bothered to see the film.)<br /><br />"Denis Lehane has a habit of that in his books, though he writes a great story. Loved <i>Mystic River</i> but hated the ending, and the same is true for <i>Gone Baby Gone</i>. The main character returns the little girl, her life turns out hellish. Ugh, who wants to read that?<br /><br />"The sequel he wrote to <i>Gone Baby Gone</i>, name escapes me, but it was horrible. Seemed an attempt to make up for leaving the little girl to a taerrible fate in the previous book, but makes her all too smart and wise and mature as a young adult and the story is implausible besides that.<br /><br />"I enjoyed his book <i>The Given Day</i>, however, and recommend it as a good blend of a historic event with interesting characters and events – the Boston Police Strike and the Flu epidemic of 1918 I think.<br /><br />"One other little gripe I have, why does almost every male mystery protagonist have to have a murderous psychopathic sidekick that only he gets along with? <br /><br />"Like Mouse in the Easy Rawlins books or the big psycho in Lehane’s books – I’d like the protagonist to be a little more like Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade, able to be smart and tough enough to handle things themselves if need be.<br /><br />"Though I do enjoy the Mouse character in Mosely’s books, maybe that unpredictable violence keeps the main guy a little more human."Ken Weddinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09432599516874850614noreply@blogger.com