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Not giving readers what they want

11/3/2012

4 Comments

 
When an author writes a series of books in one genre he/she develops a fan base. This can be both a blessing and a curse. It can be a blessing because the author has a group of people out there waiting to buy the next book. But it can be a curse because invariably these fans expect more of the same. Some authors are happy to oblige. For example Lilian Jackson Braun wrote a series of “The Cat Who…” mysteries till the end of her life. But what if an author wants to write something very different? The problem with this is that readers will not like it. This may have happened recently to no other than the author of the Harry Potter books: J. K. Rowling.

As many of you know, the Harry Potter books began as children’s books and progressively turned into books for adults. But still, apart from the violence and darkness that you get in the never-ending battle of good vs. evil, the books by and large had nothing objectionable. There was kissing, some veiled references to couples hanging out together, and the only curse words in the series were “effing”, “damn,” and “bitch” (this last one only said only once). After finishing the Harry Potter books Rowling wanted to write something very different, something more “real.” And that she did.

Her newest book is called the Casual Vacancy. I have not read it because I think the e-book is overpriced, but according to several reviews I’ve read, it is set in the microcosm one finds in a small town with all its maladies. The book has drug addiction, suicide, rape, domestic violence and abuse, adultery, and pornography. The “F bomb” is dropped everywhere, there is a vivid description of a used condom, and a reference to a “miraculously unguarded vagina” that has gone viral on the internet.

By all accounts the book seems to be good. It has received very high praise from many major outlets of the publishing world, and it contains very sharp social commentary. Rowling was not naïve about what she was doing. This IS what she wanted to write about, and she knew many readers would not like it, which is exactly what happened. Even though readers knew this wasn’t Harry Potter, many still expected the high-flying themes and heroics of the Potter books, not the bleak landscape that they encountered in The Casual Vacancy. On Amazon The Casual Vacancy has a rating of 2.9 on 1,382 reviews. On Goodreads the rating is more favorable; 3.4 on 9,622 reviews. Compare these figures with the last book of the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter and the Deadly Halows) which has 4.6 on 3,766 reviews on Amazon and 4.53 on 741,168 reviews on Goodreads. Regardless of this, the book has become a best seller. However, I wonder how many of the readers turned off by this book will read more of her writing in the future?

Of course Rowling is rich and has a huge fan base. She can afford to lose some readers. But the same may not be the case for lesser known authors with smaller fan bases. How can a writer harmonize his/her desire to write something different with the desire of the fans for more of the same?

What do you think?

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4 Comments
Adriene link
11/7/2012 09:26:50 am

It's interesting, Rolando. I think Stephen King went through a transformation some time ago, branching out from strict "horror" to more mainstream novels such as Dolores Claiborne. Fans considered it a drastic change (though in reality it may be less drastic than Rowling's change). But like Rowling, he had the money to take the hit. Over time, I think King's commitment to change has given him a little more leeway and acceptance with his fans to write whatever he wants to write. As for us little guys, we may not have the same type of klout to switch gears without losing fans. I think writers write for many different reasons but for me, artistic considerations come first. It's not practical, but I would not continue a certain style of writing if my heart was leading me in another direction.

Reply
Rolando link
11/7/2012 11:06:55 am

Thanks for your comment Adriene. I understand the principle, but after a long time in low sales limbo an author that suddenly finds the formula to attract the attention of readers may find the lure of "more of the same" quite compelling. I guess we will all worry about it when we get there! ; ^ )

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Lia London link
11/12/2012 12:50:14 am

I think very few authors can get away with that. John Grisham is one who wrote so many lawyer/thriller novels, but then also did a few more subdued pieces that were almost Steinbeckian. I loved them both for different reasons, but I can see where he might have lost readers. Again, like Rowling, he can afford it. It is tricky when someone famous for good, clean, uplifting writing steps out of the box and throws around smut. In my brain, it somehow discredits the virtue of earlier works.... Which is probably unfair, but that's the reader wishing the author always to be heroic... If an author wants to branch out to something totally different, I would think a pseudonym might be a good idea?

Reply
Rolando link
11/12/2012 07:50:37 am

Using a pseudonym is a good way to deal with this problem, but it increases the amount of work an author has to do. Another possibility is if an author from the very beginning accustoms his/her readers to a varied writing style. But even here you would have to tread carefully. Thanks for your comment Lia.

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