tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post3421371744042234435..comments2024-03-26T16:31:13.865-07:00Comments on Mark Lawrence: Sugar and spice and slugs and snails and puppy-dogs’ tails, that’s what Readers are made of . . .Mark Lawrencehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16877925828353073272noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-33214392412916285832017-01-03T13:41:10.403-08:002017-01-03T13:41:10.403-08:00I'm mostly a beautician who also appreciates c...I'm mostly a beautician who also appreciates characters and plot. Pretty sure that's why I find your work mesmerizing. Your characters and plot are fantastic, but you could write about pretty much anything and I'd still be all in. My kindle books are all highlighted up. :-PAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05623783936059583442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-14007373761096242032014-12-28T16:59:10.818-08:002014-12-28T16:59:10.818-08:00I am definitely a Characterophile with a bit of a ...I am definitely a Characterophile with a bit of a Beautician and a Lover thrown in. I have a Master of Arts in Spanish lit so I can be a bit of a "subject matter expert killjoy" when books are written with poor grammar and overused clichés. My specialty is XIV century polemicist literature, so I know a bit about the Middle Ages and about manuscripts, knowledge that I use to roll my eyes at some of the poorly researched books I've come across in the Fantasy and Historical Fiction genres. Plots for the sake of plots irk me, especially in Fantasy where writers often suffer from "World-wright Syndrome," that is, they spend a long time setting up this intricate and very detailed world and forget all about their characters and their motivations. So, they have this fantastic world with cartoon like characters running around. That really makes me want to throw the book across the room.<br /><br />So, there you have it, I love books with interesting characters that have some smut and lyricism thrown in. I love to fall in love with a writer's style and a character's voice. Bah! I am a bag of walking clichés. :PVivianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17107996719996980748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-80749996051845343032014-12-28T16:49:28.424-08:002014-12-28T16:49:28.424-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Vivianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17107996719996980748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-32494180742416676712013-10-12T11:58:05.786-07:002013-10-12T11:58:05.786-07:00I wish I had written down the mix you put yourself...I wish I had written down the mix you put yourself down for before I read it - just to prove that I would have guessed as much from your writing. <br /><br />As you say, we are all a mix of different types and I like to think I can be as impressed and over awed by good writing as anyone - even the phrase "Hunter of Secrets who will ferret out a hidden message in any text longer than a till receipt" had me tickled pink.<br /><br />Maybe you redefine a genre? break a mould, or merely create (collate) a new caste of people who love beautifully written epic fantasy.<br /><br />In what I write I am very plot driven, tying stray loose ends together in a skein of interconnectivity that makes the world wide web look like a cat's cradle, so why have you sold four trillion times as many books as me!TOMunrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16765922761332758600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-38553684577986781852013-10-12T11:57:16.413-07:002013-10-12T11:57:16.413-07:00Oh, I don't know. I want a bit of everything,...Oh, I don't know. I want a bit of everything, good writing, good plot, good characters, good ending - so guess I'm the greedy bastardist.<br />Lynn :D<br />Lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13928865767523025349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-23847044329052850252013-08-29T15:52:20.853-07:002013-08-29T15:52:20.853-07:00YOU DON'T LIKE MARMITE??!!??
I am never read...YOU DON'T LIKE MARMITE??!!??<br /><br /><br />I am never reading your books again!<br /><br />*huff*<br /><br />:DFrancis Knighthttp://francisknightbooks.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-80234839847816330112013-02-12T04:53:41.073-08:002013-02-12T04:53:41.073-08:00Yep, I'm definitely somewhere between a Beauti...Yep, I'm definitely somewhere between a Beautician, Characterophile and a Hunter of Secrets. Love this post - I found myself laughing at how true the Beautician was for me in most cases...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-33838719469558172222013-01-29T15:45:02.302-08:002013-01-29T15:45:02.302-08:00I'm sorry, Stefan, but it sounds like you are ...I'm sorry, Stefan, but it sounds like you are trying to justify, to yourself, and us, stealing Mark's book. <br /><br />Stop that. Don't kill the golden goose by deciding its easier and justifiable to yourself to steal an author's work. I happen to want Mark to write lots more books, thank you very much.<br /><br /><br />Paul Weimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444942522624902562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-85026809482294460082013-01-29T15:27:10.365-08:002013-01-29T15:27:10.365-08:00When I can't afford an item I don't need b...When I can't afford an item I don't need but would like ... I don't fucking steal it.<br /><br />The fact that my work is easy to steal doesn't mean that you should. Listen to yourself.Mark Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877925828353073272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-79865981943740774452013-01-29T15:11:19.077-08:002013-01-29T15:11:19.077-08:00You need to have a credit card for that, which i d...You need to have a credit card for that, which i don't have. Never wanted to have one i don't think i could control myself if i had it at my disposal. If the book gets translated here i will be more than happy to buy it. It isn't even expensive. The only way i could buy it is by paying the postal service that sends the book package. That is the only way how i order books, if i can't get my hands on it at a bookstore.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02574073074215893024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-76215447355841600472013-01-29T14:58:49.784-08:002013-01-29T14:58:49.784-08:00I'd rather you didn't steal my work - I do...I'd rather you didn't steal my work - I don't steal from you.<br /><br />http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/help/topic/HelpId/3/Which-countries-do-you-deliver-to#helpContent<br /><br />Delivers free to Serbia.Mark Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877925828353073272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-20799870869154675582013-01-29T14:18:58.222-08:002013-01-29T14:18:58.222-08:00Sorry mate, but i am a pirate, the Prince of Thorn...Sorry mate, but i am a pirate, the Prince of Thorn isn't out in my country.I would buy it if it would be released in my country which is Serbia. There is nothing better then holding a physical copy in my hands.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02574073074215893024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-55175022144323259642012-09-10T05:15:25.667-07:002012-09-10T05:15:25.667-07:00This was ridiculously entertaining. I don't th...This was ridiculously entertaining. I don't think I could deconstruct my reading criticism to this extent. Todd Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14651709330418238412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-43284156369287571632012-06-08T15:10:00.865-07:002012-06-08T15:10:00.865-07:00I am almost entirely what you would call a Charact...I am almost entirely what you would call a Characterophile, sadly, though the more "sophisticated" type that doesn't care if the character's "badness" gets redeemed or not. <br /><br />Weak prose doesn't tend to bother me unless it is profoundly illiterate, and I am frankly not educated enough to know who is a "master of prose" without being told. (I had to be informed about Faulkner, whom I enjoy but would have otherwise suspected of having some serious punctuation-phobia.)<br /><br />A good plot is entertaining, yes, but as long as I know basically what the character is trying to do in a given scene I don't tend to notice overall structural flaws or plot inconsistencies. <br /><br />You might consider me a "scanner" because I do notice issues of racism/sexism in texts and sometimes they make me very VERY angry, but I don't fit the description you provide there as I don't open up a book looking for things to be angry about (and I suspect that most of the people you believe do, don't actually, either).<br /><br />I will admit that my entire reason for partaking of any kind of fiction is just to crawl inside someone else's head and see through his/her eyes for a bit. And I have a healthy dose of The Lover as well. I do so adore it when fictional people get starry-eyed over each other and have the smoochie-woochies. (But it's not required.)<br /><br />So yup, pretty much just a straight-up Characterophile.<br /><br />Signed,<br /><br />Shamelessly one-noteMishellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16522505373868969450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-89276466608095708812012-05-10T17:54:01.935-07:002012-05-10T17:54:01.935-07:00I guess I'm equal parts Plotster and Character...I guess I'm equal parts Plotster and Characterophile. Story has always been the most important thing to me, though my obsession is not as extreme as the description here. But I also have to have, not necessarily likeable, but interesting characters. I can be a Beautician on occasion, but most likely not without a good story first.<br /><br />Maybe I'm a Keep Me Up Past My Bedtime-ist. If a writer manages to do that once, I'm a fan. :)Fred Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09905015280938311335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-79592726523312370342012-05-07T06:21:09.889-07:002012-05-07T06:21:09.889-07:00Pretty much exactly how I break down a book when I...Pretty much exactly how I break down a book when I am reviewing, except I replace Theme with Immersion.<br /><br />Also I'm a massive sucker for the set piece action sequence, the epic battle that goes for 50 pages and is designed to look like a Hollywood script. Actionophile?Ryan Lawlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07047714111260390899noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-82808838760495170652012-05-05T11:18:23.953-07:002012-05-05T11:18:23.953-07:00And then there's Harriet Klausner. A category ...And then there's Harriet Klausner. A category in her own right. :)Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-45899258332520193712012-05-03T03:22:33.795-07:002012-05-03T03:22:33.795-07:00Could be a lot of truth in that. Many readers only...Could be a lot of truth in that. Many readers only notice prose when it's bad.<br /><br />By the way - did you destroy your goodreads account just now or is the site being flaky?Mark Lawrencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16877925828353073272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-49646294387947682562012-05-03T03:13:07.312-07:002012-05-03T03:13:07.312-07:00@Justin, it doesn't take much to know who thos...@Justin, it doesn't take much to know who those examples are, especially re. the Awards Reader.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-75029292104301850262012-05-03T01:00:41.114-07:002012-05-03T01:00:41.114-07:00I want Mark to try and guess what mix or reader we...I want Mark to try and guess what mix or reader we are by reading our reviews. :)<br />I think I've actually changed a fair bit since I started reviewing books and attempting to write some fiction of my own. I think I became much more of a 'beautician' and care less about plot.Michellehttp://www.vilutheril.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-85339105567910138152012-05-02T14:28:00.010-07:002012-05-02T14:28:00.010-07:00Ha, lovely, I bet most readers wouldn't have f...Ha, lovely, I bet most readers wouldn't have figured they were the ones being read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-15875561207891429952012-05-02T12:59:01.297-07:002012-05-02T12:59:01.297-07:00I break it down into Plot, Character, Setting and ...I break it down into Plot, Character, Setting and Language, with their little sister Theme. Different readers focus on different ones as their primary love.Paul Weimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02444942522624902562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-80747518909679703782012-05-02T11:24:49.424-07:002012-05-02T11:24:49.424-07:00You might be right with the estimation of your rea...You might be right with the estimation of your readers. Maybe an author must be a "beautician" to create beautiful characters for readers who are not that much into poetry of any kind?Longaschttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14315739202508784897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-17533508243485667532012-05-02T11:14:42.068-07:002012-05-02T11:14:42.068-07:00Is there an Immersionist? (Experientialist? Empa...Is there an Immersionist? (Experientialist? Empathist?) I judge good writing on how deep into the story a writer takes me - irrespective of the moral judgement of the protagonist, the twists in prose, et al. <br /><br />The big driver is just how MEMORABLE I find the story, characters, world, writing and judgments within the novel. For me, the best writing means that I've been sucked into the writer's world - only to emerge on the other side of the novel wanting more. Even better when echos of that writing haunt me for months or years later.El Queso Grandehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15586825161724114030noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529725084811715233.post-57949222415034363582012-05-02T10:40:32.343-07:002012-05-02T10:40:32.343-07:00I'm just sad you didn't provide us real li...I'm just sad you didn't provide us real life examples of these readers.Justinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18030992882575439420noreply@blogger.com