April 17, 2008

  • The Character Development Is In Tents!

    I am reading the best book.  The Ruins,  by Scott Smith.  It's a movie now.  The writing is swell.  The character development is intense.  I am learning a lot about the tricks of writing a novel by reading this.  It is quite entertaining.

     I am engrossed by what the characters think, feel, see, taste and smell... Those are key ingredients.  I am seeing it in action.   I'm sure the book is much better than the movie.   I still don't exactly know what is happening,  I'm not yet at the half way point,  but fully engrossed.

     It's the kind of book I want to read in one sitting,  although I never would have chosen it,  it seems like cheesy horror,  if I hadn't read of the success of the writing. 

     I'm so fucking jealous of Scott Smith I can taste the bile in the little bit of vomit that came up in the back of my throat while reading about a character with a broken back who shit his pants.  The poor poor Greek guy,  and being stranded with a group of people who don't speak your language... how miserable can you get?

    I'm reading it for the writing of it but it is actually very very engrossing... I can't wait to get to the meant, (sic, meant "meat", but really 'meat' may mean 'meant' depending on the meaning)  although it's looking quite scary for this group of diverse characters stranded on a hill surrounded by angry Mayans with bows and arrows.

    One of them has a GUN!

    It's a story story,  story!  You don't come across those too often these days.  Gifted shitting writer.  Simple yet intense.  Like reading a fucking map to get exactly where you're going.

    Anyway,  I didn't know what to write so I wrote that.

    ..

Comments (8)

  • I have to throw books like that in my mix all the time. All the high minded or important stuff can get un enjoyable if you don't. Thanks for the review. My mom would love this.

  • Wow - this one sounds like its a must for my book pile.  Thanks! 

  • well i know that when i see a movie that has some real interesting characters i don't resent the writers but rather the characters for leading such colorful lives when mine is mundane. it seems envy is the standard human mode of operation.

  • always good to hear about a good read.  peace, Al

  • Now THAT is a book. If it takes part of your soul and literally embraces you into it so much, you can smell the environment that is a truly good read!!

  • That sounds like a great book, I'm going to have to check out the library and see if they have a copy,. Thanks for the ideas man!

  • I read for enjoyment a lot, and I'm always reading the books critically, too, picking up writing tips. That sounds like a good story.

  • i don't like watching scarey movies but i don't mind reading books like that. one of my first books i got into reading when i was first starting out in middle school picking my own books out was a mystery about fog and people disappearing. it was so good although on a child level not an adult level. i got sucked into the romance genre after that and didn't read anything but romance for years. then i stopped all together. the past few years though ihave opened my reading up (i refuse to read romance anymore and that has really opened my eyes to other genres in reading... i have found i love biographies and true stories the best)
    i might pick up this book. the movie preview looked interesting but i know i won't see the movie. i think seeing stuff like that on tv really messes with my psyche.

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