And interesting discussion came up on Goodreads. I felt it was worth repeating here.
Someone posted that they weren't crazy about classics because they prefer books that have good pacing and keep the reader engaged. They found classics to be boring. Here was my response:
I don't savor most current authors. I consume their books, toss them aside, and never read them again. They are like junk food; tastes good at the time, no lasting nutrition. This is why I am stingy with 5 star books.
Current authors know what they are supposed to do to engage the reader and keep the story going. Even the ones who don't know how to write can do that much. But very few treat it as a craft and write truly beautiful things.
Many of today's readers don't have much interest in finely crafted writing. They want to be gripped from page one and want the tension to be tight with no lags in pacing throughout the entire story. They don't ask for much more than that. That is why many of today's books won't endure.
A few will, not saying none will.
But that is exactly why I don't re-read them. My curiosity was the only thing propelling me through the book and once it was assuaged, I had no more interest in it.
I don't blame the authors. That is how they are taught to write, and that is what readers expect. Many readers don't want to have to work for anything.
If anything, the poor writing of today is because line editing is becoming extinct. To save costs, publishers have eliminated it entirely.
As a result, glaring inconsistencies, cheese, redundancies, poor character development, pacing problems and all kinds of other things are not pointed out or corrected that would have been even fifty years ago.
Having said that, not all classics are equally well written. They are not all universally enjoyed. People rate them with one star as well as 5 stars. Readers still have opinions about them. They are still worth rating and being included in today's conversations. Just because something was written a hundred years ago, doesn't automatically make it good.
No, classics are not organized, paced and constructed the way today's books are. But they have something that today's books can't even touch. Beautifully crafted sentences and a command of the English language very few today can emulate. These books are almost poetic in their turn of phrase and those who love the English language and words and the many ways they can be put together love them.
We are all different. We all like different things. Our differences are what make goodreads interesting. What you have posted will help others with your same turn of mind find good things to read. They'll want to look at your book shelf to see what they'll like and they'll think you have incredibly good taste and find some new books they love.
Some people love classics and aren't sure which books written many years ago are worth their time. They'll want to check out the book shelves of someone who loves classics. They'll admire their choices.
The important thing is that our ratings are an honest reflection of what we thought of the books we read from our own perspective.
The point of goodreads for me is finding new things to enjoy that I otherwise may not have been aware of to read. There are current authors that I have thoroughly enjoyed and will read over and over again that I wouldn't have known about if it hadn't been for other people's suggestions. It's worth wading through twenty 'junk food' books, for me, to find that one book that is a real feast.
I fully recognize that the book I wrote isn't according to current book writing standards. I'm also aware there will be very few who enjoy it compared to the millions of readers out there.
In one draft I tried to give it a 'hook' but it just seemed gimmicky and wrong. Charlotte's story unfolds slowly, I know I'm the author and I can do whatever I want, but I couldn't change it without being false. I didn't think I'd ever publish it, so it didn't matter.
I'm surprised at how many have liked it because I do believe most readers want instant gratification in their books. I'm grateful to know that is not always the case.
