John le Carr?...

[Simon-JG-hr]

I've always thought we're an interesting bunch on here, with many interests. As such, there must be a few people are are keen on books/literature.

Could someone please explain John le Carr? for me? I've finally bitten the bullet and bought one of his books to read - I saw my lack of le Carr? as a bit of a grave omission from my bookcase. Now, I've no doubt that he can weave a good story, and that there is a gritty realism to the people and scenarios. However, I cannot believe how bad the writing is. I swear this chap must have ADHD... Flitting from one situation to another, mid-flow (I'm having difficulty keeping up). Different positions on the time-line, different characters etc... First person to third person - not even between chapters, but mid-bloody-paragraph!!! This is incredibly hard work, before you even begin considering the overly long sentences...

Maybe I'm being a little harsh, but with what I've read of his work, I was anticipating excellent writing to go with the unquestionably brilliant plots.

(I haven't even mentioned the 100+ page chapters... Maybe I'm just an incredibly irritable git. Actually, I am, there's no maybe about it... But I just cannot see the point of even using chapters if they're longer than the entirety of Animal Farm...)

Win me round people. I want to like him.

[PeeJay]

I usually read a book a week but I've never tried Le Carre, I won't now either. I can highly recommend the last book I read though, 'The Axeman's Jazz' by Ray Celestin. Anyone who watched the last series of 'American Horror Story' will recognise the main protagonist as its the Axeman of New Orleans, a real life serial killer from 1919. Its a great story steeped in a history we know little about in the UK.

[FredClever]

Sounds like I'm gonna make a pass on John le Carr?, too.

I was recently looking for a new fun read since I'm now almost through all Nero Wolfe novels..

[mattyhall22]

I do a book a weekish as well and never read him. Im currently working my way through Brian Lumley's Necroscope series :-)


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[butternutsquashpie]

I swear this chap must have ADHD... Flitting from one situation to another, mid-flow (I'm having difficulty keeping up). Different positions on the time-line, different characters etc... First person to third person - not even between chapters, but mid-bloody-paragraph!!! This is incredibly hard work, before you even begin considering the overly long sentences...

Win me round people. I want to like him.

just read more of my longer posts! you'll go crawling back to le CarrE immediately looking for sanity

if i can remember, some of Lewis Carroll's stuff was like that too. mind you, he was a children's author... but still.

[ValeTudoGuy]

I have completely fallen out of love with reading, I used to love losing myself in a good fantasy.... The only things I read now are factual and I gain little pleasure/escapism from it so it's getting rarer and rarer that I even bother.

[Agricola]

Sounds like I'm gonna make a pass on John le Carr?, too.

I was recently looking for a new fun read since I'm now almost through all Nero Wolfe novels..

If you've got an E-reader I might cheekily recommend one of my books.

[ValeTudoGuy]

If you've got an E-reader I might cheekily recommend one of my books.

You write? Post up what we need to look for!

[Simon-JG-hr]

Please point us in the right direction Agricola.

I have completely fallen out of love with reading, I used to love losing myself in a good fantasy.... The only things I read now are factual and I gain little pleasure/escapism from it so it's getting rarer and rarer that I even bother.

I sort of know what you mean. For a very long time I was a real book worm... two or three books a week was pretty standard. But I too have found it difficult to really keep going with the fiction. I still voraciously devour newspapers and journals - I love to know what's going on and what people are thinking, but, as you say, there's no escapism there (in fact, I suppose it is the exact opposite!).

[Agricola]

OK well a few years ago I had a story in me and started to write, 3 years later I produced this book,

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/277673

Then a year or so later I produced the sequel,

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/344197

and sometime this year I'll publish the third in the series.

They're only available as E-books (no-one would publish them, so I did myself). You can download the first few chapters for free from Smashwords or look them up on Amazon, they're in all online stores.

It/they are Science fiction with lots of violence and a little sex, but something a middle-aged guy enjoys to write and read rather than the popular young adult stuff doing the rounds these days ... at least I think so anyway.

[ValeTudoGuy]

OK well a few years ago I had a story in me and started to write, 3 years later I produced this book,

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/277673

Then a year or so later I produced the sequel,

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/344197

and sometime this year I'll publish the third in the series.

They're only available as E-books (no-one would publish them, so I did myself). You can download the first few chapters for free from Smashwords or look them up on Amazon, they're in all online stores.

It/they are Science fiction with lots of violence and a little sex, but something a middle-aged guy enjoys to write and read rather than the popular young adult stuff doing the rounds these days ... at least I think so anyway.

SciFi - Check
Violence - Check
Sex - Check

Sounds promising!

[butternutsquashpie]

SciFi - Check
Violence - Check
Sex - Check

Sounds promising!

kinda like Simon's weekly blog updates! but more like: scinonfi

will defo check that out, though. Cheers AgriCo!
Space Opera!!

[FredClever]

If you've got an E-reader I might cheekily recommend one of my books.

Thanks for your recommendation, but science fiction isn't exactly what I am looking for...

Good luck with your books anyway, sir!

[EdBlackadder]

Which le Carre were you reading? I've read and enjoyed a few of his but couldn't get into the last one I tried.

[Simon-JG-hr]

A Delicate Truth. (I believe his most recent?) Saw it in the bookshop and it didn't seem to be part of a series, so a good place to dip my toe in the water I felt.


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