Moira Quirk reading Tasman Muir’s Gideon the Ninth. Any line that’s snarky!

Absolutely! Interestingly, there are many female novelists prior to Richardson (Eliza Haywood is perhaps the best known example ) who wrote much racier, less “moral” work, which was very popular with readers of all genders. Richardson is reacting to an already well-established genre of “romances.”

I buy for others (to support the authors and bookstores I love). I borrow for me (and I donate to the library whenever I can).

The phrase often used to describe Mann’s work is that they are “novels of ideas.” I always struggled with this description because I think every compelling novel is full of ideas, but in Mann’s case, I think the phrase is intended to signal a focus on the implications of events (what do events mean) rather than the sheer narrative excitement of the events themselves. In Mann’s work, the reader is asked to do more of the work of interpretation than in a plot-based novel, which is possibly why the narrative seems “lazy.”

Mann’s kind of novel isn’t for everyone, but there are too many wonderful books in the world to worry about that! For me, this has been a really worthwhile discussion because it’s allowed me to think through a term that has puzzled me for years. Cheers.

A book is only as good as its author. A book is only as great as its reader?

Is that anything?

I “read” a lot of audio books via Libby, but l buy physical books to support my local independent bookstore!

The progression you describe (the protagonist solves a problem in a manner that produces a bigger problem; repeat to finale) is the structure of a lot of popular fiction and movies. It’s the core strategy taught in many screenwriting classes. When the strategy is well done, the action feels like the inevitable result of the protagonist’s choices. When it’s not well done, the action feels like action for its own sake. It’s a shame the format is so glaringly obvious in the book you just read.

Here’s a thought. When you take a break from the novel, take a moment to draw a character or scene that you remember. Don’t worry about accuracy. Just have fun. The point is to tune into your visual imagination. Not everyone has this in the same way, but you owe it to yourself to try to develop yours.

All the best horror works at both psychological and supernatural levels. Each amplifies the other, making both scarier. The Shining does this as well as any book I’ve ever read.