One in Seventeen Books Sold are Written By James Patterson

That statistic scares me.

I just finished reading an article from the New York Times entitled "James Patterson, Inc." and wow is it interesting. Basically the article relates the major success of James Patterson - not only how he created a brand for himself using his experience as an Ad Exec, but also how he essentially shifted one of the most successful publishing houses, Little, Brown, to embrace mass-market fiction rather than literary masterpieces.

Let me preface my response to this article by telling you I have only read one James Patterson novel in my life, Sam's Letters To Jennifer, at the request of my mother. After taking a whole two days to read this fluffy novel with absolutely no character development and a disgustingly simple plot structure I promised myself I would be much more skeptical when considering recommendations from my mother.

I have also met James Patterson, last year at BEA, and while I'm not a fan of his books I'm kind of a fan of him. As I trotted up to get a signed copy of his latest YA novel he noticed my name tag that labeled me from Madison, WI and began bantering about the terrace and the fact that his wife is also a fellow alumni of UW. Cool guy, bad books.

However, while it seems that James Patterson (and his many ghost writers) write for the masses using little or no literary devices, once upon a time James Patterson did know how to write. After Patterson landed himself an agent who helped to get his first book published he was awarded an Edgar - the mystery writing equivalent of a Grammy - for best first novel. Now days Patterson fails to live up to his literary achievement and notes that in his first novel, "The sentences are superior to a lot of the stuff I write now, but the story isn't as good. I am less interested in sentences now and more interested in stories".

Considering one in everyone seventeen books bought are written by James Patterson, it's sad that he can't master the art of pairing a good story with a good sentence. Why does it have to be one or the other? One of my favorite authors, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, has mastered the art of combining rich prose with a suspenseful, cant-put-it-down story line and I'm sure 9 out of 10 people have never heard of him. (You know, all those people who don't read book blogs everyday.) They are too busy reading the nine books Little, Brown publishes by James Patterson per year.

In my opinion, James Patterson left his writing abilities to pursue marketing his brand. Here is a marketing genius who has schemed his way to the best-seller list too many times to count by writing simplified novels that indulge the public's basic instincts. Does that make him a bad guy? No, he is arguably the most successful authors today - he's obviously doing something right. But, in my opinion, he is a shinning example of what publishing is turning into - or has already become. These days it's more about marketing your book than it is about writing a decent one. It's more about an author's platform and what they can do for the publisher than what the publisher can do for them.

Originally posted 1.14.10

And Another Justification...

I realize I am the biggest hypocrite of hypocrites and I deserve all the ridicule I am receiving from every end of the earth for reading Twilight (and by the way I finished book 3 and am taking a break before I start book 4 - I was experiencing a Twilight overload), but I would like to share this little quotable.

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe this guy has it right:

"Consuming nothing but grand literature is like only eating rich, fine food; we all need variety or else our palate becomes jaded. And besides, one appreciates the genius of Italo Calvino or Samuel Beckett even more keenly when set against some straightforward non-fiction or trashy, fun genre novel.

It's best, I think, to mix one's biblio-diet. Fine literature is an excellent staple, incredibly nourishing and satisfying, but there's no harm indulging every now and again in a crime novel, an autobiography or a dissertation on pop culture." - Darragh McManus, "Bedside Reading: The Naked Truth"

Team Edward

Recent Reading Developments

I am both excited and ashamed to admit I've succumbed to the temptation to read the Twilight series. After watching the first two movies and falling in love with Edward I had to pick up the books. I'm currently on the third novel and am delightfully engrossed in the suspenseful romance Stephanie Meyer has created. Yes it's corny and no the series won't change my life, but I am enjoying the story regardless of the ridicule I'm enduring while reading it.

I've also become inspired to create a list of 26 books to be read in one year - one book every two weeks - which I will start after I finish the Twilight series. I began compiling my list and am attempting to make it as well-rounded as possible to include books/authors I've always meant to read and haven't yet, classics and a little non-fiction. Suggestions welcome!

Lastly, I'm going to get a library card already. I'm pretty sure it's a requirement somewhere that every English major have one.

To Read or Not To Read

Everyone and their sister (including mine) has read the Twilight series. While I don't have anything against YA novels, I do look down on mainstream literature, if you even want to call it that. (Unless of course, I find it before it becomes mainstream - i.e. The Time Traveler's Wife and Harry Potter.) So, I've been avoiding the Twilight series at all costs.

Err - actually just the books. I'm kind of in love with the movies. It's the 13-year-old girl in me. I've seen Twilight about six times and went to see New Moon on opening night. I should also confess I think about Edward Cullen multiple times a day. Is is possible to be completely infatuated with a fictional character? Yes. Do I wish Edward Cullen was a real person so I could do unspeakable things to him and make him fall in love with me? Yes!

Now that I'm embracing my inner teenage girl, heartthrob crush and all, I secretly want to borrow the series from my sister and jump in. Should I stick to my standards and shun Stephanie Meyer like I shunned Dan Brown after finished The DaVinci Code? Or should I give in to that teenage girl inside me and embrace Twilight like 17 million people have?

I'm thinking since I fantasize about Edward on a regular basis I already have given in to the Twilight phenomenon so my reading the books won't make any difference. That makes perfect sense, right?

Mass-Market Fiction: Love To Hate It

I confess I am a total book snob.  If you have The Da Vinci Code or anything written by Mary Higgins Clark listed as your favorite books on Facebook, it’s a total deal breaker. However, lately I’ve got to thinking about mass-market fiction and it’s place in the publishing world and I’ve come to realize it is one of importance. 

I recently read a blog by Assistant Professor of English Anne Trubek that maintained Publishers Should Start Using Birth Control, which argued that publishers should concentrate more on creating quality literature, thereby publishing fewer titles, than whipping out hundreds of titles a year for the sheer profitability. While I completely agree with the concept, it is altogether hopeless and highly idealized.  Ms. Trubek is forgetting that, sadly, not all of us are English majors and not everyone can appreciate the quality of great literature.  In other words, she is forgetting the average reader does not go home to curl up with Ulysess or The Sound and the Fury. In order for a publisher to be successful they must publish many books that they hope can become bestsellers in order to publish the few gems that not everyone will buy, but more often than not turn into those Pulitzer winners.

So keep reading your Mary Higgins Clark and Dan Brown novels.  This way, I can rest assured publishers are making enough revenue to take a chance on those great pieces of literature not many will buy in the first year or two, but will inevitably fall into the hands of those who can appreciate it.

I am completely aware my opinion comes across as arrogant, but as I confessed earlier, I am a total book snob.

For those of you who still defend the quality of mass markets I suggest you read this guy’s blog.