Comments on: Charlaine Harris Blogs about Dead & Gone Criticism

By: Sindee

Sindee — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:25:59 +0000

I don’t understand all the haters on this book. I read the book, I enjoyed it, it flows with the rest of the series and I liked the darker turn of events. As for the characters, I found the whole turning of events interesting to see how they develop/ react to everything. I feel Charlaine Harris is correct in her post. These are HER books, HER stories & HER characters…I feel it’s very rude to tell her what she needs to write and how to go about it. I really liked Dead and Gone and cannot wait for the next book!

By: MMM

MMM — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 04:18:40 +0000

ERV-

You are brilliant. I slept through all science classes from sixth grade through college, yet I find myself wanting to read your scienc-y blog.

I didn’t know that Charlaine Harris actually addressed criticism from fans, but when I read her note, I laughed out-loud. Seriously? Please, what a joke. I have never been to her web-site, and now I am certain I will never go. If you can’t handle comments, DON’T OPEN A FORUM for feedback. If you don’t like criticism, don’t publish it.

As amazed as I am at the CH “response”, I am even more flabbergasted at some of the commenters on this post. Our country is at a 9.5% jobless rate right now and CH is angry that a very small number of her fans, who probably are overzealous, are “crossing the line” and posting their comments in a forum that CH provided to them??? It might have been wiser for her to ignore it with grace and thank the stars that people are still buying her 27.99 hardback.

By: christina

christina — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:20:58 +0000

random side note: the person was not saying that a luddite had to do specifically with computers, only that a luddite is someone who is resistant/against technology. he simply used the example of sookie being actively against computers as an example of a luddite. for what it’s worth, in the scheme of words, it’s not THAT old.

i think that the point is while people shouldn’t get all crazy and insane that a book didn’t go the way they want, it seems a bit silly for the author to go and respond and acknowledge this group of people. could you imagine if every celebrity responded to every magazine cover rumor that was said about them? it’s not that they don’t have the right. it just seems silly.

By: Paula

Paula — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:21:16 +0000

I don’t know about you Erv, but I laughed out loud when Sookie talked about “nailing Eric’s butt to the wall for putting her in the position of being pledged to him.” I also liked it when Sookie and Eric were in bed together and Eric asked Sookie if she would do a nude picture, and she told him no because “things like that usually come back to bite you in the butt.” Both of these statements came from Dead and Gone. I don’t know about you, but those sound pretty witty to me. I love the way that writing and humor coalesce in Charlaine’s novels.

By: Paula

Paula — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:10:49 +0000

I don’t know how you can say that the writing on Dead and Gone was “crappy” because she didn’t write any other way than she has before! Are you saying that the writing in her other books were “crappy?” I think not! Maybe you are just upset because she didn’t take her plot where you wanted it to go, but the last time I checked, the writer’s name is Charlaine Harris, not you.

By: Sarah Hubbach

Sarah Hubbach — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:29:23 +0000

Charlaine Harris is absolutely right. People seem to think they have a right to say what she should do with HER characters. It is one thing to make CONSTRUCTIVE critique but it is another to think you have the right to her plot lines and characters. Like many of you out there, i work in a retail situation and for those who don’t, let me just tell you how weird some people are. I can understand Charlaine’s concern. What if ONE person took it too far? It only takes ONE crazy lunatic to do something stupid. It seems like most of us here know the books are fiction but believe me there are fanatics out there that just get crazy about this stuff. And I am sure that is who she was talking to on her blog. So to say she is having a hissy fit is just unfeeling. Who knows what kind of hate mail she gets. If you are a writer and you have kids how would you feel? Threatened? Worried someone would do something to your home or family? I would. And it may even make me worry enough to just stop writing the series altogether figuring it wasn’t worth the trouble.
One of the fanfic writers, I forget which one (maybe Malanna), almost quit writing because people were getting so vicious with similar comments that the writing was no longer fun. They were tellingher to rite faster etc.
You know it is so easy to type something out on a blog and complain about something but would you be so brash and daring to go up to Charlaine and say these things to her face? I think most of us have better manners than that and I think we should apply those manners as well to internet blogs, especially those on a person’s own website.
It is okay to not like D&G, we all have our favorite book in this series. I also think that many people who anxiously waited for its debut for months such as I did may have made their expectations of this book so high that I am not sure the book could live up to those. Remember she says she still has about 2-3 books for sure that she knows she wants to write so what would happen if she just hurried through all the material? The series would end and we would be sad. At least I would anyway.
I agree with What SG says, books, and life for that matter, wouldn’t be great if they didn’t have highs and lows. How happy would you be if you were happy all the time? You would have nothing to compare it to really. Life would be predictable and boring. It is the highs and lows that make life interesting.
I also liked D&G and thought we got some good info from this book. And I patiently wait for the next installment.

By: aslinn

aslinn — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:00:05 +0000

Luddite is a word far older than the computer age.

You must have too much time on your hands to keep remarking on this. Take some friendly (or however you want to take it) advice. Find something else to do.

By: SG

SG — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:34:34 +0000

I have been distressed as well by the tone of some of the people writing in various places angry about characters dying and not behaving the way they want them to.

If books never surprised you, made you sad or angry what would be the point in reading them. If you know everything that is going to happen and if the characters follow predictable paths the books would quickly be boring.

I think some people have become so invested in these characters and books they feel a sense of ownership. I have certainly seen people saying things like, they will be angry if such and such doesn’t happen that Charlaine owes to her readers and they forget that they don’t speak for all readers

In some sense this is the downside of success.

I have read and reread D&G a number of times and I like it very much.
My only complaint is that its too short and I have to wait too long for the next one.

By: ERV

ERV — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:13:02 +0000

I think its more akin to a critic saying ‘Windows Vista is crap compared to XP’, and losing respect for Bill Gates after he tells critics to STFU on his blog, and then a mob of fan-boys freaking out on the critic.

Or maybe its like what it is. A reader being disappointed in D&G and saying so on a random blog, and losing respect for Harris after she tweaks on her blog, and then a mob of fan-girls freaks out.

And, a ‘luddite’ is usually defined as a person who resists technology. For instance, I would call Sookie a luddite– shes not only computer illiterate in 2009, she actively dislikes them. So Sookie, a luddite, would likely have a hard time following my blog. I havent heard your definition before, and its not what I meant.

By: MelMel

MelMel — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:39:07 +0000

Well, there were things that I didn’t like about D & G, a few things that made me go ‘huh?’ but at the same time i couldn’t put the damn thing down until I finished it! And that’s a sign of a good writer. And yes, I certainly will buy the next one! Can’t wait!