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TheChocolateMelted t1_izwlzzq wrote

Lazy:

The Motion of the Body through Space by Lionel Shriver was extremely lazy in my eyes. Not saying it will make you stupider, but the shallowness and clear agenda were disappointing. It's actually put me off her as an author.

The President is Missing by James Patterson and Bill Clinton. The plot felt quite lazy on that one. There's also a chapter towards the end which is basically just pontificating and feels like it's been inserted. (I suspect it's the only one Clinton actually wrote himself.)

I've almost always found Stephen King to be lazy as an author. Awesome ideas, but terrible execution, very much in need of a good edit before publication. For example, Mr. Mercedes was particularly poor in my eyes; while it was often quite visual, it fell back on typical King tropes, extremism and unfocused storytelling. However, I'll immediately agree that I'm a poor reader of his novels, so hoping he will one day prove me wrong.

I'll also say that Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) will give you the stupid feeling. However, I don't think it's laziness on his behalf, just a genuine lack of writing/linguistic talent. He seems to truly believe in what he's doing, but his editor should really be working harder on him. His books could be so much better.

Brain food:

Try Meanwhile in Dopamine City by DBC Pierre. It deals with the intrusive and controlling nature of social media. In fact, when the main character has his phone turned on, the pages are split in half, with one side telling the main story, the other a social media flow. This makes it difficult to read and focus on, but it is presumably deliberately the case. Quite a fascinating book.

Catch-22 and almost anything by Joseph Heller challenges me. The first is mentally acrobatic, jumping from here to there in the plot and also linguistically. An excellent book. I've read all his others and enjoyed them on different levels.

The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers works on several levels. You always have the feeling that the story has been properly crafted. You could say the same for The Handmaid's Tale and The Testamants by Margaret Atwood and even Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

Happy reading!

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hour_of_the_rat t1_izwprpc wrote

>“Do you know how long a year takes when it's going away?' Dunbar repeated to Clevinger. 'This long.' He snapped his fingers. 'A second ago you were stepping into college with your lungs full of fresh air. Today you're an old man.'

'Old?' asked Clevinger with surprise. 'What are you talking about?'

'Old.'

'I'm not old.'

'You're inches away from death every time you go on a mission. How much older can you be at your age? A half minute before that you were stepping into high school, and an unhooked brassiere was as close as you ever hoped to get to Paradise. Only a fifth of a second before that you were a small kid with a ten-week summer vacation that lasted a hundred thousand years and still ended too soon. Zip! They go rocketing by so fast. How the hell else are you ever going to slow down?' Dunbar was almost angry when he finished.

'Well, maybe it is true,' Clevinger conceded unwillingly in a subdued tone. 'Maybe a long life does have to be filled with many unpleasant conditions if it's to seem long. But in that event, who wants one?'

'I do,' Dunbar told him.

'Why?' Clevinger asked.

'What else is there?
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>-- Catch 22

That book is simply brilliant on all level. Reddit loves the passage about alfalfa, but it's quoted so often on this site it excludes other amazing examples of Heller's writing.

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boxer_dogs_dance t1_izwsuuk wrote

See also Stolen Focus by Johan Hari, summarizing research about how social media is designed to be addictive and how it interferes with attention span.

Also the Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen is written with a clever and surprising form for the book. It has amazing unique metaphors, beautiful language and is a brutal and insightful approach to war, espionage and the refugee experience.

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Key_Marionberry_8379 t1_izwvx0f wrote

The president is missing! Omg, I almost forgot that book (and this is a hint on my opinion). So useless, I forgot it right after finishing it

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TheChocolateMelted t1_izwy2y5 wrote

You know they wrote a second book together? Haven't read it myself, but my wife says it makes the first one look good ...

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Key_Marionberry_8379 t1_izx65pn wrote

Really? Ahahah I love your wife's comment!

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TheChocolateMelted t1_izx8tqs wrote

Just note that it's about a former-president who was also a SEAL or marine. And then the Washington Post review wins :

>"Clinton has once again revealed such a naked fantasy version of himself that you almost feel embarrassed for the man."

Brutal. :-)

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GypsyV3nom t1_izxlum8 wrote

Stephen King's writing has always given me the impression that he moved on to his next idea 3/4ths of the way through his book. He does an incredible job of building up to a climax, but never seems to stick the landing. His endings often feel half-baked and lazy.

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