Ok so this is mainly a post to see if there’s a better term for it, and if it’s something that is talked about at all.
Basically, I have felt in the past while reading some books that the author was trying to keep my attention, or hook me, by making up frustrating situations and delaying the satisfying resolution as much as possible. That or whenever a resolution comes, almost immediately, another frustrating situation arises.
When I get this impression, it really annoys me and just feels cheap. It will often leave a bad taste in my mouth even if I liked other aspects of the book. It’s all pretty vague, I’m aware, but I don’t know how to explain it better. The foremost example I have is The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. I enjoyed it at first, but the sheer amounts of frustration it made me feel meant that by the end I was more hate-reading than anything else.
Is there a better term for this technique ? I don’t just mean characters facing adversity. For instance, I didn’t feel this while reading The Martian, even though the main character goes through a lot and has constant setbacks. I think the main difference is if it feels organic or just as a device to keep me hooked.
by saraki-yooy
4 Comments
The most common form is typically called “UST” or “Unresolved Sexual Tension.”
But totally depends on what the frustrating situations or “hooks” are.
I’m not sure of a word for this phenomenon in particular, but it sounds like the crux of your frustrations (heh) is in [contrivances](https://mythcreants.com/blog/defeating-the-contrivance-bogeyman/). Rather than disliking the main character being set back, you dislike that the set backs are contrived, don’t follow the designs of the plot up to that point, or have no real reason to exist, other than to fuel the reader to seek their resolution by continuing to turn the page.
A contrived plot is subjective, but when I feel there are multiple contrivances assisting or driving the plot, it can take me out of it as well.
George RR Martin. I almost want his stuff republished as separate works about each character. But then it would still be nihilistic and gross. Maybe I just hate his writing…
Sally Rooney