Has anyone else felt this too?
Note: I don’t mean to offend anyone by this post. I just recently came around this.
Also, I am neither British nor American.
A major example I have of this is between Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. When I first read both these books, I was immediately very impressed by HP’s world and story building layed across 7 books. I gulped it all. Funnily tho, I have never felt any emotional attachment with HP’s characters, the main three. Some other characters were better tho. The Weasleys were nice. Harry and Hermione both seemed boring to me as characters tbh.
I read PJO. It also had an amazing story building, but to me it were the characters who were the most memorable. I love Percy, I love Annabeth, I love Grover, and everyone.
And even other books I have read, I don’t know why but Brit characters always have this emotional blandness to them.
Like they do have amazing stories, and it seems to me that stories are happening to those characters.
While in American, I feel that the characters are happening to the stories.
Obviously not all the time but yeah.
Then especially in movies, I feel this more.
The Harry Potter franchise is amazing. But I couldn’t bother about the main characters. Which reminds me Emma Watson is definitely overhyped but that’s a different discussion.
Well, I am not criticising the films and movies. Idk if this has got to do with British people in general, that they tend to be quieter about their emotions while Americans in general are loud, or idk.
I would love to know what everyone thinks.
by Ok_Impression_8145
12 Comments
I get that. I think the british accent enhances comedy, and lessens serious talk. It’s bigoted, I understand that, it’s a flaw I have to work on.
I think that’s more about JK’s strong world building but weaker character work in comparison with Riordan, no? Harry is a bit of a blank slate through which we view the world.
This sounds more like a difference of two writers than two cultures. Do you have any other examples besides kids fantasy series?
If I were to go by those two series, I connected more to the Harry Potter characters, but overall I find pretty even distribution in books I read. It has much more to do with the author’s writing skill and how relatable the characters are to my own personality than anything to do with country of origin (of the author or characters).
not offended (and neither British nor American). but I feel like I have to say: harry potter is not the be all and end all of UK novels.
I think in general Americans are more straightforward with emotions and drama and British people keep things a little more to themselves out of a sense of propriety or just ingrained cultural reservation, so it makes sense to see that reflected in the literature and film from each source. But bear in mind that these series were written at different times, by different authors, in different cultural zones, with different publishers and publisher’s expectations, in different genres (HP officially crosses from children’s lit to YA by book 4 or 5; PJO is middle grade), and with different writing styles. It’s also worth noting that Riordan was a middle school teacher and absolutely nailed the (ADHD or not) middle school kid mindset. There are a lot of variables that might make one series easier to connect to than the other, and having a preference for types of characters you relate to best is normal, but I wouldn’t discount all British characters in lit or movies because of that. It’s best to make your assessment on a case-by-case basis.
Maybe you just find it easier to identify with protagonists in first person narrations.
I assume everyone in literature has a Trans-Atlantic accent until stated as such.
I have a hard time understanding/connecting with the writing (words and style) of British writers.
Everybody highly recommends Good Omens and it was one of my worst reads. 🤷♂️
I don’t really watch any English made programmes American stuff is so much better
I’m the exact opposite. If I pick up a detective novel, it has to involve a British detective. Americans will not do. I don’t find American police culturally at all entertaining, no matter how good the writing. I’m happy to read about some other cultures though. Botswana, France, Mongolia, Italy… all good.
Maybe it’s just too much tv exposure?
It’s the opposite for me. I much prefer stereotypical British to American culture.