Thoughts on James Patterson?

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SpazzTheBassPlayer

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Dec 16, 2014
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-He's okay. He's not the best writer out there but he creates solid, engaging stories. I don't think he's particularly original, and he's certainly laughed all the way to the bank, so I respect his drive to produce. I hear he's a nice guy.

+1

I read a LOT of Patterson....When I saw the thread title, I didnt know exactly how to respond....then I read Lily's answer and laughed: This NAILED it -- I couldn't have said this better!

With all this said, I still enjoy reading his books. They are entertaining and rise ever so slightly above mediocrity to keep me engaged
 

scarlet525

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Dec 20, 2015
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Patterson has been phoning it in for years. I really liked his early Alex Cross novels. I even went to see Kiss the Girls, & I rarely go to the movies. But ever since he began the co-author nonsense, it's all gone downhill, & I don't bother any more. He's become the Danielle Steel of the suspense genre.
 

Doc Creed

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Nov 18, 2015
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Patterson has been phoning it in for years. I really liked his early Alex Cross novels. I even went to see Kiss the Girls, & I rarely go to the movies. But ever since he began the co-author nonsense, it's all gone downhill, & I don't bother any more. He's become the Danielle Steel of the suspense genre.
Pretty much my thoughts verbatim, lol.
 

muskrat

Dis-Member
Nov 8, 2010
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He's not a writer, not by my definition. He may have been, once upon a time, but bizarre circumstances, and a baffling literary success, have warped him into the industry he's become. Imagine if King, resting on his laurels, began hacking out loose outlines for other writers to finish? Sure, he'd still be a best seller, but I doubt he could live with himself. I know I couldn't.
 

Neesy

#1 fan (Annie Wilkes cousin) 1st cousin Mom's side
May 24, 2012
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I've not read James Patterson in years. He is everywhere, though.
I think I even saw a commercial.
Wasn't he on the TV show Castle? He was one of the writers that Richard Castle played poker with.

I have never read any of his stuff either.

Oh wait - I got one of his Alex Cross books for free but have yet to try it, so who knows? Maybe some day I will give it a try.

Just looked him up online - quite a prolific writer:

"He holds the Guinness record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers of any author".
 
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kingricefan

All-being, keeper of Space, Time & Dimension.
Jul 11, 2006
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Spokane, WA
Patterson has been phoning it in for years. I really liked his early Alex Cross novels. I even went to see Kiss the Girls, & I rarely go to the movies. But ever since he began the co-author nonsense, it's all gone downhill, & I don't bother any more. He's become the Danielle Steel of the suspense genre.
Danielle Steele writes better.
 

doowopgirl

very avid fan
Aug 7, 2009
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Like a lot of you I gave up on him years ago. Seemed like the same story with different names. Also, I know this is petty, but the ultra short chapters were drivng me nuts. Never enough to sink your teeth into.
 
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Grandpa

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Mar 2, 2014
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I saw this thread and had to get through it, because Patterson was lighting up my Facebook my promising to teach me to be a writer**, and Grandma has passed a book of his to me, and....

.... well....

... I just couldn't get through it. At my age, I don't have time to waste. If a book is being less valuable to my time than some other activity, then the book gets pushed aside. There was nothing special to the writing. It had workable but not notable description, and so many culture references that I started to feel like I was suddenly in a reality show, because even Kardashian got mentioned.

I like books that are somewhat timeless. i mean, pick up an old Nero Wolfe or 87th Precinct series, and yeah, you get a sense of the time, but it's not filled with celebrity detritus that will mean nothing to a reader 20 years from now. This story was written for readers in about a five-year window.

Ain't going back unless someone gives me a very good reason.





**My feeling is that really good authors that I'd like to learn from are going to find their time more valuable by authoring rather than pandering to schmoes like me.
 

Grandpa

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Mar 2, 2014
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Like a lot of you I gave up on him years ago. Seemed like the same story with different names. Also, I know this is petty, but the ultra short chapters were drivng me nuts. Never enough to sink your teeth into.

Argh, yes. I'd get to the end of a chapter, start a new one, and it was the same scene, continuing. Man, that was distracting.