Why I hate James Patterson*
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- Опубликовано: 23 фев 2023
- *Obviously I don't actually hate him, I don't even know the guy, but "why I'm mildly annoyed by James Patterson" was a rubbish title
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I think you are being pretty harsh, but I think it's fair for you to be skeptical of his ethics. I do think this is a thought piece that could really have benefitted from a bit of quantitative evidence. How many books (independent and/or collaborative) does he publish in a year? How many has he published in the last decade? During his full career? Then, you could compare that to other authors. I was personally thinking of how his numbers would compare to Ed McBain, or some other author with a big number of books. Even better might have been to then add any numbers you might be able to find of people who get rejected from publishers each year. I would have been more convinced with that type of support in place.
That’s a very fair challenge. It’s actually quite hard to work out how many books he has published per year because the sites all list them by series rather than just chronologically.
To give you an example of the volume though he has 11 books published or to be published between Jan and July this year. So almost 2 a month.
Hunter/McBain published about 135 books over about 55 years. At his most prolific he was publishing 6 books a year.
@@CriminOllyBlog That is quite useful, even if it isn't a complete set of numbers. With the numbers in place, it becomes much more clear about the difference between "prolific" and "mass production." Thanks for doing a bit to answer my reply. ✌🍐
@@imorca1994 My pleasure! It was a great question and a definite gap in my video
Good for him!
I'm looking forward to his next novel with his new coauthor, ChatGPT. 🙂
That's really interesting, I only learned about this recently, everyone's talking about it and it's a rabbit hole I'll probably avoid lol
If you don’t want to wait, just ask ChatGPT to write a James Patterson crime novel for you. 😂
All of his kids books are just diary of a wimpy kid, but something is a little bit different
Olly, this needed to be said. I am also astounded by the sheer volume of books with this author's name on the front. I agree with all that you say. It is literary exploitation. Reading any of these books you will feel somewhat short changed. These used to be known as 'Airport Lounge Novels', something to be read on a flight and swiftly discarded. Equally guilty is Clive Cussler and to a degree Wilbur Smith. I have fond memories of the Mack Bolan books, though never great, they were never bad either. They did exactly what was promised on the cover and you never had to wait long for the next one.
Yeah Cussler, who I used to really like, is definitely guilty of it too nowadays.
Exploitation for you might not be exploitation for someone else. I read many books among them Patterson ones.
@@shae1547 I think it is exploitation in so far as he is exploiting the success of his name to sell as many books as possible. (Note that I don’t think exploitation is necessarily a derogatory term, I love exploitation movies for example)
I worked with an author who worked with Patterson on a middle grade series. Patterson writes an annotated outline that gets sent to the writer to fill out. It then goes back to Patterson for final review. He only started listing the coauthor after people called him out for using ghostwriters for many of his books.
That’s fascinating! Thank you!
Makes me wonder how long he was using ghost writers before he got caught.
Is that series middle school?
Weird
I read one of his books and decided I don’t have enough time left to waste on these type of authors😅
Ha!
I find it so gross anytime I walk into Indigo (Canada) and in between the P section and the Q section there's a straight up James Patterson section all to itself. He's the Amazon of authors. I kind of feel this way about Stephen King when it comes to horror because he puts out so many dang books and the horror section is already tiny and it's like two thirds him and his kids, like how are other horror novelists supposed to get recognition like this??
I know what you mean about King, but at least his output is authentic, in that he is writing the books
@@CriminOllyBlog Yeah I think he's legitimately doing it for the love of horror, I just get annoyed so much good stuff is getting pushed out of the way for one author. I feel this way about anything though, I'm one of those annoying people who boycotts Nestle because they're horrible.
@@lyndaslittlelibrary agreed! They should have a private section for King that too have to ask to go into. Everyone would know it was there but it wouldn’t distract from other authors.
And yes, Nestle are wankers.
King’s vast population of books helped me during a weird time in my life when I was extremely checked out. I hated leaving the house, but I needed “reading material” to occupy my mind. When I needed to restock, I’d go to the local used book store 15 minutes before it closed (the late great Cliff’s Books in Pasadena, icyi), and pick up a copy of whatever novel for a dollar or two.
I had very bad sleep patterns at this time. I would read for an hour, fall asleep for an unknown time (around an hour but it varied), and wake up with my thumb in the book marking where I left off. As a result, I wasn’t voraciously plowing through the books (as I’ve also been known to do). The material was feeding my dreams. To be honest, I don’t know what I read and what I imagined. I suppose someday I’ll have to reread the King Cannon so I know what’s what.
But yeah, that was a weird time.
@@MarcosElMalo2 that does sound like it could be weird - glad the books helped you through
I used to read him, like in the 90s, early 2000s. I remember really liking Kiss the Girls. I do agree that he oversaturates the market! Feel like there is a new Patterson book like every other week lol
Patterson also "writes" a load of books aimed at middle graders. Which a cynical person might suggest is a gateway drug to get kids to grow up to be readers of the adult books under his brand.
Yeah I saw that after I'd filmed the video - agree it does seem like he's trying to hook people young
I remember when he started doing that and thinking why is the guy who writes serial killer novels making kids books and he start with YA fantasy.
I really liked reading James Paterson around the time that Kiss The Girls and Along Came a Spider came out, but after that I just kept feeling unsatisfied when reading his books. All the issues you described about his writing are the exact reasons I stopped reading him. I still have the two books I mentioned on my shelves but I'm done giving my money to James McDuck!!😂
You have expressed this in a way I would never have had the energy to. He doesn't have bad stories (if he actually wrote them) but his writing style is that of a hysterical woman after a car crash.
I feel the same way about Koontz.
Koontz is noted to have started writing horror when he saw King's book sale on his break through novel Carrie.
I don't have it on me, so I can't be certain, but I'm about 97% sure James Patterson is one of the authors that is included in the co-authored section of "Nabokov's Favourite Word is Mauve". The section looks at how much input each author in a writing team has based on a statistical analysis of the language and writing style. It's a really great book overall, very interesting and accessibly written (even for someone like me who can't do maths if my life depended on it).
That does sound interesting!
I totally agree with you. I get a bit annoyed when I’m at the book store and there’s about 20 new book releases by JP. His taking away from other authors creativity. The quality and the passion is missing. Enjoyed your vid! Thank you!
I’ve never read a James Patterson book and I don’t plan to. Seeing him flood the market with his books and even advertise them on TV, really turned me off. I just can’t see how books being written that quickly, can be any good. I do have a family member who reads him and like you said, yay for reading! She’s almost 80 so whatever she reads is fine with me. ❤
Ugh. Pattycakes. I work in a used bookstore (offering on books people bring in to trade) and he is the bane of my existence. The mobile phone game comparison is particularly apt! I’ve always felt a bit icky about those collaborations. They feel like opportunities to introduce new authors to readers, but I suspect it’s more a “James Patterson Presents” more than an actual coauthorship and that makes it particularly ghoulish in my opinion to market them as if it’s another James Patterson book… no one’s buying the collaborative efforts for the new author, they just see HIS name and that’s all that matters
Yeah completely agree - it's like the way you can by dozens of different Oreo things nowadays beyond the actual biscuits - donuts, ice cream, chocolate bars, etc
Love the way you temper “hate” with “am mildly irritated by”. Seems very British (also very Canadian 😉).
I’ve profoundly disliked James Patterson as a publishing brand for aaaaaages and feel vindicated by this haha. I wrote a poem bellyaching about him that I’ll try to find at some point.
He represents the worst in populist fiction, I feel. It’s not even just the stable of writers churning out books with their names printed in smaller text than his. The wide margins make his books feel almost like a scam, like a butcher putting his thumb on the sausages to confuse the scale so that you think that you’re buying more to the pound than you are.
Another reason I find him so detestable though, and I’m going to have to put on my Helen Lovejoy hat here, is the preponderance of the rape and stalking and torture of girls and women in his early work. In Laymon, it’s one thing, but Laymon wasn’t also trying to dominate every inch of shelf space and sell himself as a writer for women in the way that Patterson has done with his Murder Club and similar books.
Yeah there is definitely something about the printing that makes the books seem longer than they are!
I always considered Patterson more of a vacation writer- books for people who don't usually have time to read, but I remember a Patterson book that I enjoyed decades ago called Cradle and All. (I had to look that up to be sure I was remember correctly that it was actually a Patterson novel.) Ex-nun turned private investigator and alleged virgin births. Now I want to read that again.
I'm a librarian and our patrons obviously love Patterson. Who would you recommend as an alternative to those looking for that kind of read?
I liked the early books in the Alex Cross series. But right now a metaphor I'd use is puppy mill.
That's a good metaphor!
I started reading the Alex Cross series when I was a kid, because I liked the Morgan Freeman movies. I used to never dnf a series, but the 21st book pissed me off so much I had to. I read 21 of them even though I only enjoy five of them (books 1, 2, 5, 8 and 12). He's now up to 30 of them.
I wasted so much time on that clown because I used to absolutely refuse to admit defeat.
Long crime series can be good I'm all caught up on the Harry Bosch series (24 books in the main series and a total of 34ish books in the Bosch universe) just mentioning it bc it's so much better.
I remember as a kid, picking up a book called maximum ride by James Patterson. I think I read two chapters before putting it down feeling...idk. confused? Exasperated? Angry?
It was the first time i had ever gotten a children's book version of "i think children are morons and won't notice I'm talking down to them" before. I had met plenty of real life adults who were like that, but i never experienced a book version of it before James Patterson
I think it's because most authors i had encountered before who wrote for kids specifically genuinely care for the well-being of children, and put a lot thought into it instead of just seeing it just as a product to be sold. It's why so many children's book feel so mature, even now a an adult, compared to many books actually written for adults.
I really did think at the time that Patterson must hate kids. I had to grow up and read some adult patterson and books by people similar to realize that oh!
I was wrong all this time. He didn't hate children in particular. He just wrote books for kids the same way he wrote to adults.
New challenge: read 179 Patterson novels before buying a new book.
Lol. That would be a violation of the Geneva Convention.
I was given the Dolly Parton-Patterson book as a Christmas gift. There is the sort of creaky James Patterson writing running up against passages and observations which are pretty wonderful about singing and the music business. Some of the dialogue is very good. The worst of it comes from Patterson writing into these better sections and completely not understanding any of it and ruining them with these weird aww-shucks kind of beats. The ego.
Such a shame that it wasn't just Dolly on her own!
I read this as Dolly Patterson...
I tried a JP book and dnf'd it. I think it was the first in the women's murder series. The writing was terrible. The charity shops near me are crammed with his books. It feels like a plague.
Thats a very fair video and review. I have never read one of his books, but I picked up a bunch of them for 50p each at teh Charity Shop today (the ones with cool 90s covers) as I see them all the time and want to give them a go at least. I will try some of these older ones and see what they are like. Hopefully I get some enjoyment out of them... if not, no harm done and I'll donate them back to the Charity Shop again for someone else to enjoy.
It does make me laugh that people hate him because he is so successful though! lol... If you're doing it right, then keep doing it I'd say! ;)
Yeah you can’t go far wrong for 50p. Hope you enjoy them!
@@CriminOllyBlog Thats my thinking too! - Well time will tell. I'll give 1 or 2 a go and see. Cheers :)
I only own one James Patterson novel, and I have only read two. Way back in 2006, I read "Mary, Mary," and I enjoyed it at the time, but mostly because my wife bought it for me, so I was determined to like it. The one book that I do now currently own is "Merry Christmas, Alex Cross," and I actually like it because I find it to be a genuine Christmas novel and not just a novel set at Christmas. So far, I've read "Merry Christmas, Alex Cross" two Christmases in a row. I may not read it again next Christmas, but I have no doubt that if I am alive for a decent amount of future Christmases that I will read it again. I can feel the cold of the snow, and the warmth of Alex's family when I read that book. I don't know, but you can call me sentimental if you like. Personally, my favorite subgenre of science fiction (my favorite genre) is time travel, especially unofficial sequels to H.G. Wells "The Time Machine." I own almost 30 novels in that very specific category. After science fiction, my favorite kind of novel is the Christmas novel.
Heh, I was about to write "The man or the brand?" but then that's what you talked about!🤣
LOL
I read his Maximum Ride series when I was a teenager, and I remember initially really liking them, but then they just got weirder and weirder. Just like you said it felt like he was dragging things out so you'd have to keep reading. And then suddenly the whole thing turned into a massive rant about climate change? Which, I'm all for ranting about climate change, I do it all the time, but it was SUCH a sudden and jarring switch from a fairly straightforward fantasy/conspiracy series into something completely different.
Anyway. Totally agree on Patterson and his eleventy million books. Highly doubt he's writing any of them anymore, or at least not the vast majority of them, and it just feels very disingenuous to me. Like, people buy these books because they see his name and recognize him as a person whose books they like, and then they're not even written by him.
Which makes me think about ghost writing in general, and I've come to the conclusion that it's not the same thing. Because I absolutely think it's reasonable to use ghost writers when it comes to memoirs and stuff like that; just because you've had an interesting and/or difficult life that people want to know about doesn't necessarily make you a good writer and I think most people understand that. In those cases I see it as a way of helping those people tell their stories. Using ghost writers for fiction writing is different in my mind, because it makes no sense except as a cash grab. And especially for someone who is already an established author! Jimmy P COULD write one book a year or every other year like most other established authors do (and which is literally his job btw), he just chooses not to, because I assume having other people write ten books a year for him and then just slapping his name on them makes him more money.
Sorry for the novel I (unlike James Patterson) just wrote here, I just get really worked up about this stuff.
That's a very interesting point about the difference between ghost writing for memoirs and fiction. And yes I think even the Alex Cross books are co-authored now, so he really is writing nothing
I can’t lie but I have read his Alex Cross books. I have also read his Women’s Murder Club books. I loved his Maximum Ride series.
I didn't ever try Maximum Ride - I think my son got a free copy of it somehow
@@CriminOllyBlog I read just about all of them.
Fundamentally, what academic term may assist with describing what James Patterson has effectively done? Answer: Did he capitalized/benefited from controlling/influencing the production and distribution of Economic Rent? Modus Operandi of this control/influence may likely be the copyright of outlines. Note: By his description, outlines are "Book Shots".
Reference time code 23minutes38seconds for a brief description of Economic Rent.
A Summary of the Trilogy book project "#WeAreRent" authored by Fred Harrison
ruclips.net/video/4-FCr-e62kA/видео.html
Reference time code 01minutes22seconds for his description of "Book Shots".
From the pencil of James Patterson
ruclips.net/video/b-91hoy6S_s/видео.html
I agree 💯 and have noticed the same thing with Patterson. Also, he works with trends. If Pittacus Lore releases I Am Number Four and it’s successful, Patterson will release Daniel X. If Diary of the Wimpy Kid gets successful then Patterson will release his Middle Grade books. It’s all about what’s hot and trending not necessarily about his passion for telling stories.
The only thing I disagree with in the video, is that I don't think he even writes his own books any more. Like Dumas I think he has a team of writers writing for him.
I think you may well be right!
I read a Paterson book once -- one I got from my old work. I didn't finish it, so I think he's not for me either. I knew he was popular but had no idea there were so many books by him.
Although I'm not one of them really, there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way you feel about paterson, but about Stephen King. I'm a bit ambivalent about his work myself but I certainly enjoy some of it, and he just seems like a pretty cool person who does always recommend other writers' work, new and old. But, the sentiment is definitely out there and I have a few friends who won't read anything by him because they think it's ridiculous that he's dominated the market the way he has.
Yeah I do get why people feel like that about King, but I think the difference is that Patterson has artificially dominated, whereas King just writes a lot of books
I’ve been curious about this for some time! 😂 I don’t think I’ve ever read James Patterson before, though I ALMOST picked up a book by him last year (The Horsewoman). I read the first couple of pages on my Kindle and decided it wasn’t for me.
I really love my Kindle, but I think I read more samples on it than actual books. I hoard books on there though, those daily deals are dangerous. lol
I blame the people who lap this stuff up.
I've never read any Patterson books though I did see the two Morgan Freeman-starring adaptations of Alex Cross. I have noticed that in any bookstore selling new books, there's always piles of books with his name crowding the crime/thriller shelves. It does look like a bid to monopolise the market and stifle any competition.
I have an early book by Michael Ledwidge (The Narrowback) from when he was a promising new crime author in the 90s, but in the past couple of decades I've only seen his name as co-author on Patterson books. Probably a lot more lucrative, but it's the opposite of a launchpad for new writers when they just get stuck in the Patterson fiction factory.
If we industrialize the writing process, man is machine. Is the business of an author's writing career... profit over cost? Who defies the market? How does an author defy the market? Why would an author defy the market? Does the market want authors to defy supply and demand? Does it matter what the market wants? Be all you can be. For another day, way more to say.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, you’re our only hope.
New Earth Army - 2nd Battalion "With pen on paper, we travel."
I feel compelled to defend James Patterson. Nah you absolutely right his output is a real pain. I am tempted to buy the Dolly Parton collaboration just for the fun of it.
Yeah I am kinda tempted to read that one too
I thought that but there was no fun to be had.
I wouldn’t give him money. Your public library probably has it.
I got one of his coauthor books in my recent Abominable box, called Murder House. It's abit long but I'm enjoying it and it's made me want to read more from him. When I go to the library next, I will pick one that is just written by him.
I read a James Patterson book once... Once.
More than enough!
Thanks for this Olly. I’ve never had an interest in Patterson, and I only recently heard about his writing team method. It just feels so backward to me. I liked hearing your perspective on it.
Read a few of the Alex Cross novels which were ok. But then on a long car trip I listened to an audiobook about children with wings. I lost a few IQ points.
I used to read James Patterson, did end up getting bored. I feel like I read his son was a reluctant reader so he tried to create a book series for kids who don't like to read which I respect if it's true. The mobile phone game analogy is great but I feel that way about his genre in general, they are books you pick up at the airport because you don't care if you lose them overseas😁😁. I was wondering how you feel about authors who die but then then books get published under their name but by a lesser known author who does not get the credit on the cover. I feel like those authors could have trouble making a name for themselves like the ones you mention who pair up with Patterson. I believe this happened with the estate of Virginia Andrews. Not that her books are my thing really.
There are lots of new Western novels being released under a famous writer's name even though they've been dead for years.
I totally agree with you. I quit reading him years ago. I just could noy keep up with a new book coming out what seemed like every month.
Yeah he is insanely prolific (or his factory of writers is anyway)
If the random book from the shelf was a James Peterson book, I would have fallen off my chair! 🤣 I enjoyed the first 3 Alex Crosses, but never read anymore of his stuff.
I did used to have loads!
A good gag would be to gradually replace all the bookshelf books with James Patterson ones, like they're an infestation.
Couldn't agree more, Olly. You've summed up exactly how I feel. The Alex Cross books were one of the series that were passed around my teenage peer group, so I have some fondness for them from that. But the Patterson machine leaves a really bad taste in my mouth.
I haven’t read any James Patterson since the first few Alex Cross books and I hadn’t really noticed how much he was dominating the market until I saw that he’d gone into children’s books as well. I suspect a lot of people who read his books don’t read much, maybe just pick up a book or two for summer holiday beach reading and they go for him because he’s a safe well known “brand” rather than risk getting something they might not enjoy (a bit like my grandparents ordering omelette and chips from the Chinese takeaway back in the 70s 😂). Having said that I do like Dolly Parton and if I find a copy of Run Rose Run in a charity shop I’ll most likely buy it.
You are spot on with this one .
Thank you!
Im glad someone said out loud what I think and feel regarding this/Him
Glad I’m not the only one!
Read the first 4 of Alex Cross years ago because those are the ones without a co author. He then went into releasing two series at a time weeks apart and I knew he wasnt doing it himself.
Yeah it's the sheer volume that I found most frustrating
I'm a huge fan of the Alex Cross books but I pretty much share the same stance as you on James Patterson.
Great vid. Keep up the good work!👍
Thank you!
@@CriminOllyBlog You're welcome 😎
I’ve read two of his books. They were absolutely terrible. He makes Dean Koontz read like Shakespeare.
New blurb on Dean Koontz books:
"Reads like Shakespeare" Michael K Vaughan
Yes, I gave up on Patterson a long time ago.
I want to hear your thoughts on the “Eruption” book where Patterson teams up with Michael Crichton!
I see those who disagree in comments, and that's cool. Patterson wouldn't sell the way he does if his books weren't loved by many.
But I'm not interested in Patterson books, partly because of the reasons outlined here.
I'm turned off by the bookshelves overcrowded with Patterson, and I just find that his books feel like cheap beach reads, or something one wants to purchase before their flight. And that's fine, they're quite readable, with 110 chapters in a 350 page book... but just not for me.
I didn't always dislike James Patterson. I read his books when I was younger. The Jester is still a favorite of mine, but I gave up read his books years ago. Something about his writing style and short chapters just irks me now. And the fact that he has so many co-authors, it just feels lazy to me. I work in a bookstore and he has a new book on the bestsellers list every few months at least. He always has at least one there.
Yeah it's that domination of the market that particularly gets to me
Don't think I've read a Patterson but I was in the bookshop at Waverley Station (Edinburgh) earlier in the week and the stands were a lot of him.
Yeah his work seems to spread when you're not looking
Interesting to hear your thoughts. I’ve never read James Patterson but I have several on my shelf. 😊💙
I'll be interested to hear what you think if you ever get to him
Your assessment of James Patterson is exactly right. I completely agree. I am glad this has been said again. My friends and I have noticed this nonsense for years now. Nice video!
Thanks for this video. Seeing him everywhere has been confusing to me. And the set up of the book of his I opened up. I feel like I kinda see what his set up is about. I agree with most of what you said. I think you've got a good *read* on him. Haha.
ha ha, very good!
Eruption by Michael Crichton released yesterday was coauthored by James Patterson. As I was happy to read another Crichton I find it feeling more like a Patterson. Imagine my disappointment. I'm halfway through but wondering if I should continue.....
Feel sort of similar about Virginia Andrews' ghostwriter who uses a lot of the original secrets (relationship switches, evil grandparents, incestuous attractions) and turns it up to 11. Andrews herself only wrote maybe 8 or 9 but he wrote seemingly hundreds.
Tho tbf it's always her name, not his, on the cover.
Yeah I do wonder how much more money Neiderman has made from pretending to be Andrews than writing his own books
I agree with you to a great extent, I find Patterson uncomfortable in the way he publishes books. I generally just read the women’s murder club, Michael Bennett, and Alex cross books, which I generally pay for. I enjoy them I like to know what’s happening with the characters et cetera. As all the others I read what they’re about, and if I want to get a copy I borrow them from the library. I don’t want to pay for this sweatshop publishing that he seems to do.
I tried reading a couple Alex Cross books because I loved the Morgan Freeman movies but I couldn't get through them.
Yeah the movies weren't bad
My dad who was a writer and enjoyed literature with flowery prose and well written thrillers and crime novels, really had no respect for people like Paterson and Clancy. He really felt that nothing cheapened writing like having a factory of writers reproducing somebody else’s voice.
I have a bunch of his books, but he has definitely become an author I read when I want to read and not think.
That's a good way of putting it!
I tried to read one of his books the Thomas berryman number the way he compared the patient in the mental hospital to a psych and a snake i made it 18 pages in before having to stop reading it because it just bothered me a lot considering i have my own issues with mental health
That does sound like a clumsy and deeply unhelpful way to talk about mental illness
I think I read five or six of his books in the 90s, but found them too formulaic for my tastes.
I detest lazy writers. Formula writers are one type. Lazy researcher writers are another. I got really turned off by Michael Connelly by some of his “Southern California flavor details” that were just wrong. Stupid mistakes that could have been corrected by either a visit to a location or a 15-minute conversation with a subject matter expert. So I’m just meh on Patterson and Connelly.
Yeah poor detail can really lift you out of a book.
Being a faithful mystery reader, I have read a few of the James Patterson Alex cross books back in the day. But every time I see his name, it annoys me that he is cornering the market so to speak. He’s a monopoly of A certain sub genre of mysteries and I agree it doesn’t feel right. But I don’t read him so I’m not funding his lifestyle or retirement😊Although I don’t think he can retire. Aloha
Glad I'm not the only one he annoys! Thanks Marilyn!
I do enjoy james Patterson books and my first book was Ambush which I enjoyed. I get what u are saying tht he writes with other people.
And tht way he publish alot of books.
If I ever publish a book I most likely publish one every year or two
I read JPs YA series, Witch and Wizard, many years ago but they are the only books I've read by him alone. I have read his collaborations with JD Barker but that's only because I like JD Barker. He has had quite a few successful books in his own right
Make a video about Michael Crichton!
I ought to do that! I’ve read most of them
I think I’ve read one JP in the past and it was *fine*
At least he does *try* to give back by way of financial grants/ awards to School libraries and Indie Bookstores.
I feel for the lesser known writers trying to break out - contractually speaking, it must be an absolute nightmare. I bet he has a noncompete clause in there somewhere. Great vid, Olly. 😊 - 📚MJ
I tried finding out more about his charitable stuff and couldn't find much. One thing I know he has done over here is give free books to schools. Which is great, except they're his books
@@CriminOllyBlog U G H - Conflict of Interest?
I remember someone (I think in my mystery book group) that noted he is one of those writers that put shocking things in his novels just for shock. Personally I only read Kiss The Girls which was alright but nothing to wrote Nome about. Ther
It also should be noted that he might have started his writing career on jumping on the hype train because unless he wrote something he started with his Cross series which were mostly serial killer thrillers/mysteries.just about the time Silence of Lamb became a big hit.
I read his book based on the radio program “The Shadow”. The premise itself enticed me to purchase the book. I like Old Time Radio. It was very disappointing. The characters felt under-developed and superficial. Even the ending felt bland.
Yeah that's the most recent book by him I've read and it was HORRIBLE
100% Agree! I've never read James Patterson and have no interst in doing so. I always get him confused with Harlen Coben. I probably would have read him when I taught n Kenya (and books of any kind were hard to come by). I think my non-native English speaking colleagues would have enjoyed him because of the relative easy digestability of the prose (and action and SEX!). Whenever I had a chance to visit Nairobi, I would bring back a stack of Robert Ludlum and John Gresham novels (two authors whom I hold in higher esteem than Patterson/Coben). My colleagues were always appreciative. I was also reading Tom Jones at the time. One of my friends asked to borrow it - he gave up after a chapter. Poor guy!
I won't name any names, but there's currently a movement afoot in self-publishing where you have many "authors" doing the same thing as Patterson. They even cite him as an inspiration and you can see them all over the Kindle bestsellers lists to the detriment of any truly independent author trying to gain a foothold. What's worse is these solely money-focused "writers" are constantly holding conventions and flooding social media to teach one another how to be even more 'Patterson', and dominate more and more. Every time I see their junk food titles all over the Kindle Store, I cringe.
Really? Wow I didn't know that
@@CriminOllyBlog Yes, they're in multiple genres now in the Kindle Store, and through their constant teaching 'best practices', and collaborating with one another on mailing lists, and other methods, they have the marketing muscle now to place their titles en masse in the store along side the big names from the traditional houses. They're essentially business-first opportunists, for which art and storytelling are secondary concerns or perhaps seen as means to an end. Harsh as it is to say, I see them as parasites who've determined the James Pattersons of the world are on to something, and they've seized upon self-publishing the way other opportunists seized upon other industries. The Kindle Store is saturated, and they're a big reason why. Nothing wrong with wanting to make a living as an author, but they've taken that idea way too far, in my opinion. Apologies for the diatribe, it's a subject which raises my hackles.
@@kenward1310 no apology needed!
This reminds me of an interview with Piers Anthony back in the 80s at the height of his popularity. He was asked why he put out 4 books per year and didn't that hurt the quality? Anthony responded by saying he needed to simply pay his bills, between a mortgage and two kids he couldn't afford the luxury of being a temperamental artist; this was his day job and if he failed at it or took more time, he didn't get paid and he would let his family down.
Another of Patterson’s gimmicks that I found very irritating was his “bookshots”. These are novella length stories sold for about $5US. On the surface, these might seem good if they encourage more people to read but they *felt* like just another way for him to flood the shelves with his name. 🤮
I feel like maybe I've read a couple of his books to see what the fuss is about, but they weren't memorable (which is fine, I like consuming books, even if they don't linger long). I think there are a few of these big names out there doing a similar thing, but as you say Patterson just seems to be about the money, whereas you get Rick Riordan Presents, where you know he's not writing the books, but using his name/brand to lift up authors from other cultures and countries (though, Disney, ack, and their issues around writers).
Commenting for one specific purpose. As I was listening to this, I scrolled down on my video feed and about 3 down was a James Patterson audio book 🤭
Ha ha ha - that's kind of brilliant
It doesn’t stop there he is also a multi media mogul which lots of credits as producer and writer of moving pictures.
I mean look at IMDb!
I'm a Never Patterson gal myself
It's a good way to be!
I have read a number of his books including some of the very early stuff from the 70s and 80s before the Alex Cross series and I have also read a few of the Alex Cross books. I agree with you that I have mostly found the books entertaining but was not enamored with them. I am not a huge fan of reading series, especially big series as a completionist I feel I need to read every book in the series. In the case of Patterson though I don’t feel that way since I don’t find the books amazing and there are just too many of them, but I try to read the most popular ones. If I find a nice copy at Goodwill I will probably pick it up.
I don't think I knew he's published things before the Alex Cross books - I'll have to look those up
Yeah, he started publishing in the late 70s. A few that I recall are “Season of the Machete”, “See How They Run”, “Virgin” (later re-worked in the early 00s as “Cradle and All”) and many others
@@tyler2610 Well I'm not sure I can resist a book called Season of the Machete
@@CriminOllyBlog That one was so so, I would say See How They Run was my favorite of the older titles I’ve read. I have a copy of Cradle and All that I want to read.
After a recent spell in hospital, where all they offered regarding reading material was James Patterson, I returned home and bought some. I'm an avid reader but not of junk. I couldn't put my finger quite on why I had such an insatiable appetite for his books suddenly. It's simple. They are not actually voluminous. The way they're written makes it seem like a thick book you're paying for but with chapters every two pages and chapter headings taking up a page or two, it's probably a novella. I can read one in hours. Then I began to link the format he uses. Every book has the same format regardless of subject matter. Basically, if you've read one you have read them all. They are addictive and junk food for the mind. I don't actually feel like I've read a book. I certainly wouldn't tell anyone, that I read them either. In regards to the monopoly he is building or built. Since reading some of his novels I have noticed them everywhere. Supermarkets, all bookstores have numerous as he's prolific because he is using co authors as a ghost writer. He can churn out a book a month and those junk food book addicts who are hooked like a drug user have to buy them for their next fix. He's making millions and decent authors are being cast aside, as it's all about profit and sales, nothing about it being fodder. Anyway, it was lovely to find your post. I completely agree but sadly most cannot see the wood for the trees.
Awwwwww yh! *takes out popcorn*
LOL
I read his book cowritten about John Lennon’s last days. It was interesting and I do recommend it. I then read the book What Really Stays in Vegas. It was a big advertisement for Vegas. Like an extended brochure to make Vegas look like a great place to vacation. I’m guessing the publisher got a huge kickback from Vegas tourism. Or they should have. I give the book 2 out of 5 stars because it was 10% stories about Vegas that I wanted to read. Not recommended.
patterson is same as i feel about children's author david walliams the tesco's blue and white stripe version of the great roald dahl.....cheap but tasteless
Yeah I read some of his to my son and did not enjoy them
Sound a like an echo of how I feel about Patterson's books. I almost get an 'icky' feeling when I'm in the section with his books.
Pattersons first few books are really good. I started with Kiss the Girls, and Along Came a Spider. The movies were good also back in the day. I suspect now he writes very little and leaves the heavy lifting to the co-writers. I blame the publishers for pushing all of these “collaborations”. It just sounds like an idea they would dream up rather than a writer would. As writers usually prefer working alone.
They are a bit sugary in places, and he comes across as uncomfortable composing the requisite “sexy” sections. Including recipes is by the novelist’s handbook.
I’ll read any paperback that is displayed at the supermarket checkout stand. I can’t help it. The latest Nora Roberts book was so terrible that I only shop the Farmers Markets now. I’ll try Patterson just to be fair. I won’t get my hopes up. Good point on his marketing. It’s getting a bit greedy.
I’m a Alex Cross fan, I don’t really read a lot of his other books
I did like the Cross books I read back in the 90s/00s
while i might disagree to a certain extent, I still respect the way you articulated this and made great points.
Thank you!
I think I probably read one or two James Patterson books way back in my 20s when I was less picky. I did enjoy a couple of the movies based on his books as others have mentioned here kiss the girls and along came a spider. But I feel a lot of books like that, like Stephen King books, often make better movies than books. I agree with you that He’s not of the same caliber, because he’s not writing all of his own books anymore. I took his master class in writing, and while he did have some useful things to say, his class certainly wasn’t of the same standards as the classes I took from Joyce Carol Oates and Margaret Atwood. He did mention the books he cowrites, and said that he spends a lot of time on the phone with his co-writers, as they will call him with ideas and things that they want to do in the book and discuss it with him and then they go and write it. I find that very offputting. Those people should be writing their own books. They are just piggybacking on his name to get published.
Do you hate the Ludlum, Cussler, and Clancy estates too?
Not to the same degree. My particular problem with Patterson is that unlike the others he is very happy to go outside his normal genres - he publishes YA and Middle Grade books as well as the thrillers that made his name, He seems to want to cover every part of the market.
Hear, hear! I couldn't agree with you more, Olly! Patterson is a money grubbing so-and-so. (BTW, I am quite enjoying reading How to Sell a Haunted House after your cool review . . . thanks!)
Thank you! And glad you're enjoying How to Sell a Haunted House
Well, not everyone can have the high water mark of literary quality as Don Pendeleton’s The Executioner.
Sadly true
In the beginning his books were enjoyable...Kiss the Girls. Along Came a Spider, Cat and Mouse...really liked them. Then, he jumped the shark and put books out left and right, co authored and counting on readers to think it's going to be as good as his earlier ones. I would read the newer ones and think" Well, maybe it's just a bad book." Until they all became meh. I no longer read his books. Too many other authors to choose from. I'm not putting his writing down, he's just not in my wheelhouse now.
I wonder about the staying power of James Patterson’s novels. Like in 50-100 years is anyone going to know who he is or even be interested in his books?