# Mechanisms in books you usually hate- but there was this one time... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 12, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanisms-in-books-you-usually-hate-but-there-was-this-one-time/631242 "2012-08-12T04:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanisms-in-books-you-usually-hate-but-there-was-this-one-time/631242/1 "2012-08-12T04:09:30Z")
[Inspired by this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=659634), especially this post (slightly snipped for brevity): > [@Mechanisms in books you hate](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanisms-in-books-you-hate/629239/86): > > Here’s one I’ve noticed lately. It’s the practice of imparting important plot information to the protagonist by means of some vaguely supernatural, poorly characterized force. … **Like many entries here, when it’s done properly, it can add to an atmosphere of mystery.** Stephen King does this a lot, and he often manages to do it right. However, it can just as easily be the result of lazy, lazy writing. A lot of times, it’s “I can’t be bothered to figure out a logical way for my character to learn something important, so I’ll just say that they know it ‘somehow’”. There are some plot devices that are pretty easy to do well, as long as you’re not terrible. And then there are some plot devices that should only be touched, if ever, by a really good writer. So, what are some mechanism that usually ruin the book for you, but occasionally someone does them very well? (And tell us the name of the gifted author who did so). ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanisms-in-books-you-usually-hate-but-there-was-this-one-time/631242/2 "2012-08-12T04:18:17Z")
\*\*Posting from the view of a dead person. \*\* The only time I’ve ever tolerated this was in in _The Poisonwood Bible_, and only because it was minimal. Alice Sebold does it well enough in _The Lovely Bones_, I guess, what with it being a best-seller and all. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mechanisms-in-books-you-usually-hate-but-there-was-this-one-time/631242/3 "2012-08-13T17:54:07Z")
> [@Farmer\_Jane](#): > > \*\*Posting from the view of a dead person. \*\* > > The only time I’ve ever tolerated this was in in _The Poisonwood Bible_, and only because it was minimal. I don’t remember anyone posting from the view of a dead person in _The Poisonwood Bible_, but I believe you. Who was the dead person?