I have decided that its hard for me to get into certain British style books. I am talking about that sort of whimsical, quirky, Victorian-esque British writing style that seems very common in books.
The only author I can think of where I like that sort of style was Lemony Snickett and JK Rowling, but its been close to 15 years since I read anything by either of them.
I even have a hard time with Hitchikers Guide, and am about to drop it after 100 pages.
Someone recommended me “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children” and just based on the title I have absolutely no interest.
Anyone else have this issue or am I just being pretentious? I am a little annoyed since there are so many classics and world famous authors with this kinda writing style, but something about it really disinterests me.
by Sleepy_Like_Me
19 Comments
Maybe you just don’t enjoy comedic writing? Not all books are going to jive with all readers.
There are many British writers with a variety of styles.
How are you with Orwell’s Animal Farm?
Sherlock Holmes?
All Creatures Great and Small?
Gerald Durell’s books?
The Secret Garden?
Jane Eyre?
Watership Down?
At first glance, you seem to be talking about the purple writing of earlier writers, which isn’t common at all now. In fact it’s actively discouraged.
I’m not sure where you got the idea that Rowling’s writing is like this, her style is pretty straightforward and not purple at all. The *Harry Potter* books’ style is nothing like, say *Tom Brown’s Schooldays* or *Great Expectations*, for instance.
>I even have a hard time with Hitchikers Guide, and am about to drop it after 100 pages.
Man that book is only about 100pp in the first place.
Seems you’re just used to over-simplified writing. What are you reading, kids’ books or something? It really sounds like either that or you just have a block about what you call “British writing”.
The Victorian era is in the mid-to-late 1800s and Lemony Snickett is American.
Try Graham Greene. To me, he has a very lean, straightforward style of writing. I would recommend “The Quiet American” which is set in Vietnam in the 1950s. A good read but not many laughs
Nope. Some of my very favorite books of all time have been written by British authors (I’m American). I don’t think you’re being pretentious but I don’t think you can attribute your lack of enjoyment to geography.
*Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children* is written by Ransom Riggs – who’s American – and has basically nothing at all to do with the Victorian era. The writing is worlds removed from it. You’re safe going into that one from that perspective, but from what you’ve written, I suspect you’ll find it too slow moving.
I’ll honestly recommend you try *The Da Vinci Code* – or other novels – by Dan Brown. Brown is very straightforward with his writing, but leaves pretty much every chapter on a cliff-hanger, with all action and events taking place in a single night and day. He has a terrible reputation, but honestly, his books may be what you’re looking for. What he does well is, I suspect, what you’ll respond to.
Stephen King and Lee Childs might also be interesting for you. A lot more action and tension, a lot less fluffing about and the language lacks the purple/flourished approach you’re wary of.
Hope this doesn’t sound condescending. And no, you don’t come off as being pretentious.
Happy reading!
I don’t think you’re talking about purple flowery prose at all, you’re talking about a particular sort of British pomposity that writers take on a-lot. I use to adore it, but now I no longer enjoy it. The book I’m currently reading went in that direction so I put it aside. I know exactly what you mean. I think some can’t help but write as if they’re from another era. I think you just don’t want those sort of stiff formalities in your books, and you want people to be real or show some depth.
Lol I have the opposite problem with American style books and I’m American. Honestly your brain will adjust to the style after a while. But I’d recommend starting off in the early 20th and late 19th century if you want to work your way down. I just finished reading an Oscar Wilde book and I think he’s a perfect transition where he’s still whimsical as ever but not so far removed from our current language system.
I’ve definitely had issues reading British writing in the past. It’s so hard for me to get a run on the cadence of it. That faded a little once I got a ways into the book, but if I put it down for any length of time, I had to get back into it again. I started listening to the audio version of the book (if available), and that helped me ease into the cadences. I could actually drop the audio after a little while and go back to reading with few/little problems.
“I can only read books for children” is the opposite of pretentious lmao
There are endless British writers from endless periods with endless styles
“I can only read books for children” is the opposite of pretentious lmao
No, because it’s impossible to generalise British writing as a homogeneous entity with a general style. Welsh, Scottish and English authors can differ greatly in style and themes. Try reading Graeme Armstrong, Rachel Trezise, Christopher Brookmyre, Crystal Jeans if you want to see how drastically different British voices can be.
*The Hitchhikers’ Guide To The Galaxy* **is** whimsical and quirky. That was Douglas Adams’s style. I wouldn’t say it is exclusively British or that prevalent in British writing. I do find it adds something to my business cases, though.
What style are you looking for? Tight prose? Thud-and-Blunder? Gritty hyper-realism. Happy to recommend something pretty British from the shelves behind me.
Lemony Snicket is American. The writings of Douglas Adams and JK Rowling are nothing like each other. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is a) American and b) really bad. And none of them are Victorian. So I’m really not sure what the issue is.
There’s many British authors, with a huge variety in styles of writing.
Try [Alistair MacLean](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alistair_MacLean). He was a very fast paced author whose books read like action films (which a lot became), indeed he often wrote the screenplay alongside the novel. I’d recommend his first novel, HMS Ulysses, which is based on MacLean’s experiences on arctic convoys in WWII
With HHGttG try the radio series (upon which the book is based). The cast recording might help you get things a bit straighter.
It takes me a while to get used some of the British humor like Discworld or Hitchhikers, but it often takes me a while to get used to all sorts of authors too. A few chapters usually.
Any examples of books you do like? Maybe people can narrow down the exact issues your finding.
I know I have a lot of trouble with some American books because I keep having to remember what the slang means. Also extreme hatred for every book with phonetic accents, I shouldn’t have to sound out the words to guess wtf your character is saying.