James Patterson novels

[Critical]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

Good book. Those earlier books are much better than what he comes out with now.

He just churns them out so fast now that I think some of his earlier talent is missing.

Not that today's books are horrible. I still read them, but I do miss the early days of his writing.

I definitely agree about his earlier books. I only read Patterson if someone gives one of them to me. I find them, frankly, unsatisfying. I read Step on a Crack over a few hours one afternoon last week and I can hardly remember what it was even about. Like many other authors, including Anne Rice, Patterson has been churning out what I call "First Draft Novels" for many years now. Also, I noticed that a number of his books lately have another author listed. Has he done a Tom Clancy and turned over the actual writing to someone else? His early stuff was pretty good, but it feels like he's just paying the bills now.

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[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by Critical

I definitely agree about his earlier books. I only read Patterson if someone gives one of them to me. I find them, frankly, unsatisfying. I read Step on a Crack over a few hours one afternoon last week and I can hardly remember what it was even about. Like many other authors, including Anne Rice, Patterson has been churning out what I call "First Draft Novels" for many years now. Also, I noticed that a number of his books lately have another author listed. Has he done a Tom Clancy and turned over the actual writing to someone else? His early stuff was pretty good, but it feels like he's just paying the bills now.

I think he and Stuart Woods both phone their books in now instead of actually writing them. I still read both of them, but they don't give me the pleasure they once did. I'm like you. I can read it in an afternoon and then don't remember what it was about. But I have to admit I do that with a lot of books. I read so much that after a while unless its a REALLY great book, they all tend to blur together.

But Patterson is putting out what, 5 books this year? I just saw where another one is due to be released in Nov. And 2 have just come out recently.
If I had the energy, I'd go research how many he's published this year.
I'm thinking he comes up with the idea and farms it out to another writer to actually write it.

[Margaritaville]

Originally Posted by myrosiedog

I think he and Stuart Woods both phone their books in now instead of actually writing them. I still read both of them, but they don't give me the pleasure they once did. I'm like you. I can read it in an afternoon and then don't remember what it was about. But I have to admit I do that with a lot of books. I read so much that after a while unless its a REALLY great book, they all tend to blur together.

But Patterson is putting out what, 5 books this year? I just saw where another one is due to be released in Nov. And 2 have just come out recently.
If I had the energy, I'd go research how many he's published this year.
I'm thinking he comes up with the idea and farms it out to another writer to actually write it.

Very interesting thoughts - I was wondering how on earth he was churning out so many novels in such a short span of time. And when I purchase one of his books that list another author - I instantly lower my expectations.
I still enjoy his work (The Beach House being the exception), however, not quite so much as I used to.

[Critical]

Originally Posted by Margaritaville

Very interesting thoughts - I was wondering how on earth he was churning out so many novels in such a short span of time. And when I purchase one of his books that list another author - I instantly lower my expectations.
I still enjoy his work (The Beach House being the exception), however, not quite so much as I used to.

I think that phenomenon of so-called successful authors hiring ghost writers is more common than we are aware of. Years ago, a friend's husband worked for one of Tom Clancy's writers. Clancy would come up with the plot and this guy would actually write the book. I don't have much respect for any author who does that. It smacks of greed and short-changes fans of the writer.

[myrosiedog]

Originally Posted by Critical

I think that phenomenon of so-called successful authors hiring ghost writers is more common than we are aware of. Years ago, a friend's husband worked for one of Tom Clancy's writers. Clancy would come up with the plot and this guy would actually write the book. I don't have much respect for any author who does that. It smacks of greed and short-changes fans of the writer.

Never knew that about Clancy. I used to be a great fan of his, but his books started getting to the length and breadth of War and Peace and well, I just couldn't stick with them. The Hunt for Red October remains my favorite.


Patterson will have published 7 books by the end of this year. Two more set to come out in Oct. and Nov. That's a lot of books to write and have come out in one year. So you know he can't be doing all the writing.

You'd think it would flood the market and dilute his sales. It used to be that a prolific writer (John Sandford is one) would write under a pen name if he could get out more than one book a year so it wouldn't flood the market and would concentrate sales of his books. I believe Nora Roberts used to do this as well.

[Margaritaville]

I read his latest - Double Cross after putting it off for quite some time, it was at the used book store, so I figured I couldn't go too wrong. It was "eh" at best -- definitely not one to spend your hard-earned $$ on.

[srs_in_Oregon]

Originally Posted by kimrs

Just finished The 6th Target. Not one of the best. Good, but I was not too interested in the trial parts of the books. We also found out all of the killers too soon. There was not enough of the thrill trying to track down the killers within a time period. I didn't feel the urgency that usually permeates through his books.

I agree with this...6th target was a lot slower then the others, 1-5 I could barely put it down, and the 6th one, I finished, but it took me awhile..

hope the 7th one is better.

[Raye6696]

Has anyone read 7th Heaven? I have it sitting on my to read pile and have kept putting it off. Just wondering if I should read it or keep shuffling it to the bottom.

[Margaritaville]

It was good - but not as good as his others in that series. Fast read.

[SR5Rfan]

I've only read two of his books which were loaned to me, and I don't remember the titles. I don't know if it was because they were the "large-print" edition, but it seemed like every other page started a new chapter. It was very irritating...I didn't feel like I could get into the story when it was so chopped up.