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James Patterson.
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I noticed today that this man , has yet another new book out.- in fact there seems to be a new one published every week.
I've never read him - is he actually any good?
I've never read him - is he actually any good?
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I definitely wouldn't stump up for a new book of his, they're just not worth it in my opinion. They're not very complex and have the annoying habit of starting a new chapter every couple of pages. I wonder sometimes if other writers do all the donkey work and he just lends his name to the books.
On the other hand if you want something to pass a few hours on a beach somewhere giving your brain a rest, then go ahead and get one.
I thought the earlier Alex Cross ones were worth reading.
He seems to be mostly sharecropping these days, so the quality of any particular book will depend on who wrote it.
I also like his Michael Bennett series - not read the latest release - this is one of the book series he co-authors, but I have enjoyed the books, even if they are a little clichéd and some of it has been done before (what hasn't now-a-days)but for an uncomplicated read it is rather enjoyable. I have been branching out with some of his other books but they have been hit or miss so far.
One of the recent episodes of Castle (a TV show about a crime writer that investigates murders with homicide detectives - is much better than I have described) there is a scene when Richard Castle is told James Patterson is going to be late for his poker game he says "probably gives him time to write another book". Which I thought was a pretty funny line, because he really does seem to have a new book out every other month.
His stand alone books can be quite entertaining .... I enjoyed Sail and Swimsuit. Beach Road and The Lifeguard were also quite good, as was The Quickie.
If you want an easy read on the beach then Patterson's your man. He spits them out so regularly though I sometimes think the quality has to suffer.
I've never heard the term sharecropping in this context. So do you mean he gets other people to write his books for him, but keeps the byline?
Indeed, that's how it works. For instance the Ellery Queen crime series was written by a whole bunch of co-authors, apart from the cousins who started the series. Even the great SF writer Jack Vance wrote three books as Ellery Queen.
Currently, he doesnt even write half of them. In my opinion now in it for the cold hard cash only, not for the art of writing. (of course ALL writers want the money, but some,eg Stephen King/John Connolly, seem to also write because they have to get it out!)
If you like formulaic,by the numbers plots with little to no surprises, then James Patterson is for you!
ok for a read on the beach when you are only half paying attention I guess,if you can pick one up for a penny in the charity shop, but otherwise probably only good for adjusting wonky table legs.
Agree the early Alex Cross were a great read the plots in the latest books don't require much thought to work out who dunnit. They are on my list now for total no brainer reads on holiday.
It's tosh.
That will never happen again - I can't believe how predictable it was.
Yeah, think I've read that. Cradle Will Fall is in a similar vein and I quite enjoyed it. His usual stuff is very paint-by-numbers and predictable.
Jodi Picoult is the same she always seems to have a new book out.
I quite like Alex Cross but it really annoys me how he calls his youngest son "little man" all the time! Just one of those things
Agreed - read Sail recently and really enjoyed it.
Did pick up "Death Trap - Lee Weeks" which sounded quite interesting, then when I got home I saw "The Female James Patterson" printed on the front, which doesn't sound very encouraging.
They all have slightly different styles but are rather minimalistic in their descriptions. They are designed as pageturners so all have very short chapters as a result.
He also did some Kids book where the main protagonist was a child, but he got away with his issue of unable to write as a child, by making the character part alien or something and super intelligent. I gave up after a few pages as I couldn't get into the character.
I'd rather gouge my eyes out with a spoon than read any more of his utter bilge.
/edit: Just remembered the last book I actually tore in half and threw in the bin ( I normally revere the written word) in order not to inflict it on anyone else was L Ron Hubbards Battlefield Earth. I did finish it due to a peverse self inflicted rule about giving every book a chance.
Well this guy makes Hubbard look like Shakespeare. He's jsut plain awfull. Go check some of Alistair McCleans books (his originals, not the ghost written tripe after he died) for a good example of how to write a thriller.
Can I ask which books you read?