# Ever started a good book, and 100 pages in, it takes a turn for the worse? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2003, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947 "2003-08-27T11:33:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/61 "2003-09-02T22:35:27Z")
OH MY SWEET FREAKIN LORD! I will SOOOO second _Gorky Park_. I actually cried when I realized this was going to one of those global impact, everyone’s in on the conspiracy except the hero kind of book. I was so disappointed. **BwanaBob** perhaps you should go BACK to CK’s post and read for CONTEXT. He said he read the whole thing. And it does appear that **rjung** had read it as well. Opinions vary but your charge that the word “racist” was used by people who didn’t have the info to back the charge up appears to be rather vacuous to say the least. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/62 "2003-09-03T02:42:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BwanaBob \* > \*\*Oh yes. > > One of the last Robert Heinlein novels (I think it was “The Cat Who Walked Through Walls”). > > Started out decently and then a character arrived on the scene that made the whole thing a piece of shit. > > I won’t name the character in case some poor soul is about to read this book. > > \*\* Yeah, that was an odd book. I later found out that the first half - the interesting half - was written in the 40s, but put on hold for a long time. It wasn’t until the 70s or 80s that he finished the book up, way, way past his prime. As such, it seemed like some sort of odd 400 page random name dropping with characters from books of his I’d never read. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/63 "2003-09-03T03:23:01Z")
I wonder if anyone feels this way about _Huckleberry Finn_? If I recall correctly, Mark Twain abandoned the book for a while after writing perhaps the first third, and then resumed writing during a much more bitter and pessimistic period of his life. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/64 "2003-09-03T07:47:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Super Gnat \* > \*\*Yeah, that’s a good point. SomethingAwful does tend to find the… extremists, and I can wrap my mind around the existance of non-creepy versions of Gor roleplaying. \*\* [continues hijack] Wrap your mind around [this](http://www.pantheus.com/forum) if you’re interested. It boasts a very low percentage of kooks and nuts, and plenty of people who take a Gor-based _lifestyle_ - not merely part-time role-playing - very seriously. I’m not a practitioner myself, but I have been interested in what these people have had to say since I first stumbled across the site while trying to find out whatever had become of John Norman. See if you can guess what I am known as there 😉 [/hijack] The criticism of the books, btw, is valid. If you like an enjoyable Barsoom knock-off then the first five in the series, up to _Assassin of Gor_, will provide it - and _Assassin_ in particular is a terrific read IMHO. After that, the author got a little preoccupied with his philosophical hobby-horse, although lifestylers such as those mentioned above are more interested in the philosophy than the adventure stories. Reference the thread, I’ll pop _Dragonflight_ on the list. A good beginning with a fine sense of the mysterious, and then later on in the book she paints the characters into a corner and has to use time travel to get them out of it. A shame. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/65 "2003-09-03T10:07:18Z")
Not once, not twice but three times have a been sorely misled by authors I’d put my trust in. One was David Brin The Postman was wonderful. I bought Glory Season with great anticipation the moment it came out. That was 1993 there’s still a bookmark on page 135. Clive barker had never let me down… then came Galilee… Joan Collins couldn’t have sunk to such drivel, there the bookmanr is on 137. Then Tad Williams, ah, Tad lad, how could you do such a sad thing? After Tail Chasers Song, and the epic fantasy, whose name escapes me at the moment, Otherworld. I tried, God knows I tried 119 as far as I could manage. The Matrix not withstanding, it just wasn’t interesting. Anyone want 'em? ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/66 "2003-09-03T23:06:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by picunurse \* > Then Tad Williams, ah, Tad lad, how could you do such a sad thing? After Tail Chasers Song, and the **epic fantasy, whose name escapes me at the moment** , Otherworld. I tried, God knows I tried 119 as far as I could manage. The Matrix not withstanding, it just wasn’t interesting. > > _(emphasis mine)_ You wouldn’t be referring to the _Momory, Sorrow, and Thorn_ series (AKA _The Dragonbone Chair_ series), would you? Some people have had real trouble reading this series, as it started out so _sslllloooooowww_… I finished them, but it took some dogged pereverence to get past the first two books. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2003, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/67 "2003-09-03T23:07:47Z")
That would be _perseverance_, actually… ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/68 "2003-09-04T00:59:55Z")
I think **picnunurse** is talking about Otherland, not Memory/Sorrow/Thorn. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/69 "2003-09-04T01:35:00Z")
Ah! Right. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/70 "2003-09-04T01:41:07Z")
_Momory, Sorrow, and Thorn series (AKA The Dragonbone Chair series), would you?_\* Indeed, I would be, the one that slipped my mind, that is. Thanks for the refresher. **GMRyujin** Otherland is the one stranded on page 119. The series I thoroughly enjoyed. I guess that’s why they make vanilla _and_ chocolate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/71 "2003-09-04T02:57:48Z")
I’m with you, \*\* picunurse\*\* I loved the _Dragonbone Chair_, but couldn’t get past the first few chapters of _Otherland_ ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/72 "2003-09-04T03:20:56Z")
I liked **The Descent** too. It was pretty much what I expected from reading the dust jacket, and I thought it was a great read. I wanted a bit more apocalyptic stuff happening topside, but that’s a minor nitpick. I’m almost ashamed to say this but the last book I put down half-read was **Jane Eyre**. I know that’s a favorite of many people, but I lost interest shortly after she started living at Rochester’s place. Seemed like she lost her spunk. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/73 "2003-09-04T06:48:07Z")
**AuntiePam** You’ve just let out the dirty little secret every intellectual has. We only BUY classics, no one really reads them! 🙂 _I’m kidding, don’t have me arrested, please._ ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Alex\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_B)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/74 "2003-09-04T10:55:14Z")
I really enjoyed the first third or so of _Days of Rice and Salt_ by Kim Stanley Robinson, but it began to go off and the end was really a damp squib. \*\*VAGUE SPOILERS AHEAD. KINDA. \*\* I just didn’t find Robinson’s history convincing after a while, and I found the reincarnation bits tiresome. It would have been much more interesting if the parallels between characters in different times had only been suggested, rather than made explicit. \*\*NOT REALLY SPOILERS AT ALL THEN. \*\* Alex B ---
**Author:** ![Somnambulist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Somnambulist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somnambulist)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/75 "2003-09-04T13:36:34Z")
Celestine Prophecy – the premise (ancient scrolls from a lost civilisation holding the keys to truth, peace and goodwill on earth) was interesting enough to get me to pick up the book and parts of it remain thought-provoking. The book sets us off with no lesser intent than unlocking the secrets of life, the universe and everything - I eagerly turned the pages as the central character starts to discover that odd coincidences may not be coincidences at all and he embarks on a voyage of discovery and revelation…. Unfortunately the book then develops an annoyingly repetitive format (as though the author was really labouring in the ideas department), full of cardboard characters in unlikely scenarios and it descends into implausible and virtually unreadable fantasy. I persevered to the end, so that I could find out what nuggets of wisdom the final great insights might hold, only to disappointedly come away thinking it was utter bollocks. ---
**Author:** ![Shortie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Shortie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shortie)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/76 "2003-09-04T13:51:41Z")
I picked up _Fata Morgana_ by Leo Frankowski the other day. It started out quite fun, nothing brilliant but interesting. Then the two heroes have this multi-page rant about how women should know their place, it’s not their fault their tiny brains make them irrational, I blame those perverted lesbians who run women’s lib, blah blah blah, blah blah blah… What bugged me most was how they managed to contradict their own arguments twenty-odd pages later when talking about something else. Now, it could be that the author’s working to something later, but I really don’t think so. I’m stalled. ---
**Author:** ![nisosbar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@nisosbar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nisosbar)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/77 "2003-09-05T10:59:19Z")
Somnambulist - oh, yes, Celestine Prophecy was another one. :rolleyes: I think I donated my copy… ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/78 "2003-09-05T12:20:15Z")
_Red Tent_ by Anita Diamant (fictionalized account of the Jacob’s daughter Dinah from the OT) started out incredibly good. And then…it just kind of fell apart. I highly recommend the first half. 🙂 _The Horse Whisperer_ started out good, too. And then the author got lazy and sabotaged himself by ending it with an improbable, ridiculous ending. ---
**Author:** ![Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Krisfer\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Krisfer_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/79 "2003-09-05T15:46:07Z")
**PunditLisa** , I am so glad that someone else feels the same about _The Red Tent._ It was a total page turner up to the part about the Prince. I read about 10 more pages and said ummmm no I dont think so. Those of you tht got through _Tailchaser’s Song_ have my admiration… or pity. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947/80 "2003-09-05T17:10:13Z")
Can any sequel be more of a disappointment than _The Ringworld Throne_? The first two of Niven’s novels were so good that I was eagerly awaiting the third. I actually plodded all the way through it, despite the fact that it was boring and confusing. I just kept expecting it to get better, and maybe, you know, come back to the protagonist, Louis Wu. Instead it was just about a bunch of dull Ringworld natives constantly engaging in rishathra, capped by an impossible-to-follow Pak free for all. I wish I **had** given up by page 100 and saved myself a lot of grief. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ever-started-a-good-book-and-100-pages-in-it-takes-a-turn-for-the-worse/197947.md?page=5)