Things in books that annoy you

[GrannyGrump]

Try and
instead of
Try to
(peace, ya'll -- I know this is now an accepted usage, but you cannot try it and do it. If you can do it, you don't have to try.)

[Bilbo1967]

American authors who set scenes in the UK and don't understand that it isn't the same as America;

- Multiple examples I've read of characters walking a number of "blocks" in British towns - even British characters giving directions based on the number of blocks (British towns just aren't structured that way and nobody here would use the term "block")
- One memorable description of a driver turning right to take the off-ramp on a motorway (we drive on the left!)

I'm sure that there are equally stupid mistakes that UK writers make about the US as well;I just wouldn't necessarily notice those!

[Barbara1955]

Originally Posted by rcentros

I like the way Dean Koontz doesn't use that word, but let's you know the thugs in his book do. He's makes it comical.

WRONG AUTHOR No I not a Prude! I read books with cuss words BUT Not Every Sentence by the Main Person....

[doubleshuffle]

When English language writers have one of their characters say something in German (and I guess it's the same for other languages, but I don't know), they ALWAYS get the grammar wrong. And I'm not only talking about pulp novels. It's the same in literary and historical fiction, in authors that give off the impression that they did some research. So why can't they (or their editor) spend five or ten minutes on getting one or two German sentences right?

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

So why can't they (or their editor) spend five or ten minutes on getting one or two German sentences right?

Yeah, I've wondered about that one myself. Bothers me too.

[doubleshuffle]

Originally Posted by mbovenka

Yeah, I've wondered about that one myself. Bothers me too.

Is it the same for Dutch?

[MikeB1972]

Unreadable gibberish.

Just taking this opportunity to bring up Finnegans Wake again

[mbovenka]

Originally Posted by doubleshuffle

Is it the same for Dutch?

Yes. Same thing. And like you, I don't get it either. How hard can it be to check those few lines?

[Philippe D.]

It's, I believe, the same with about every other language - even, probably, British English. At least, it's usually true with French.

[Blas]

Well talking about the physical things. I hate when the book has white sheets, it looks weird but I can't get used to it. Another thing is when the book is paperback and it doesn't have a back cover(the thing that has the author bio and photo). The books that have this back cover are more resistant.

[icallaci]

Originally Posted by theducks

1) Homophones used Grrr: Brake vs Break, lose vs loose
2) Technical errors: Spark plugs in a Diesel
3) Planet based terms in space (SF) Ground floor of a Space ship
4) Vulgarity for Vulgarity's sake. Does nothing to define the character or move the story forward (ex Navy here, I do not have tender ears )

All of these, plus: punctuation that is italicized when it shouldn't be, as in "Have you read this morning's New York Times?" where the question mark is italicized. The name of the paper is New York Times, not New York Times?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

American authors who set scenes in the UK and don't understand that it isn't the same as America;

- Multiple examples I've read of characters walking a number of "blocks" in British towns - even British characters giving directions based on the number of blocks (British towns just aren't structured that way and nobody here would use the term "block")
- One memorable description of a driver turning right to take the off-ramp on a motorway (we drive on the left!)

I'm sure that there are equally stupid mistakes that UK writers make about the US as well;I just wouldn't necessarily notice those!

I'm an American and I wouldn't even try to set a story anywhere north of Oklahoma.

The stupidest map error I ever saw was the "author" thought that in the US, the bigger the number, the more people would be on that road. The main character in the book needed to hitchhike from Amarillo to El Paso but avoid New Mexico. The quickest way to do this would have been south to Odessa then hit the interstate west.
The way the guy went was southeast to Snyder then another little road southeast to Abilene. Then instead of getting on the interstate he then went southwest towards San Angelo then headed back north to Odessa and finally caught the only road to El Paso.
Note, that detour added so many miles, he couldn't have done it in the 8 hours alloted.
Second note: you might could now but when the book was written, the short way would have been 10 hours. Speed limit is now 80 out in rural west Texas.

[Deskisamess]

Obvious padding. I don't need to be told every time that "Joshua, in his broadcloth pants and straw hat, walked to the barn to start his morning chores."

I read part of one book where the author described the characters clothing in every scene. It was Amish fiction...the men and women's clothes don't change from day to day. The book should have been a 70 page novella.

Obvious lack of research, especially medical. A recent book had a doctor in 1899 giving antibiotic injections. This book was also Amish fiction, and a married couple in the book agree out to go against their Bishop, and continue to see their daughter who had left the Amish life. While current day this would happen, it would not have happened in 1899.

Herky jerky writing. "I am sorry for your loss. If you need me please send your grandfather to my office. I will come to you. I will step out now so Becca can help you change."

Changes in POV and tense that is not part of the overall book setting. Stealth religious proselytizing. I read Christian fiction, and expect, in those books, to hear about beliefs. But when a book isn't classified as such, and you're half-way through, and all of a sudden you're being preached at.

On the same hand, stealth erotica. Books in the Religious Fiction category that turn in to erotica a third of the way in.

Re-releasing a book under a new title.

[pwalker8]

Originally Posted by Philippe D.

It's, I believe, the same with about every other language - even, probably, British English. At least, it's usually true with French.

Happens in the movies as well. In the Bridge over the River Kwai, most of the extras cast as Japanese didn't speak Japanese so they said the phrase "I tie you shoe, you tie my tie. you tie my shoe, I tie you tie" to simulate Japanese. (or at least that's one of the behind the scenes stories. One of these days I need to get my copy and listen to it closely).

[4691mls]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I'm an American and I wouldn't even try to set a story anywhere north of Oklahoma.

The stupidest map error I ever saw was the "author" thought that in the US, the bigger the number, the more people would be on that road. The main character in the book needed to hitchhike from Amarillo to El Paso but avoid New Mexico. The quickest way to do this would have been south to Odessa then hit the interstate west.
The way the guy went was southeast to Snyder then another little road southeast to Abilene. Then instead of getting on the interstate he then went southwest towards San Angelo then headed back north to Odessa and finally caught the only road to El Paso.
Note, that detour added so many miles, he couldn't have done it in the 8 hours alloted.
Second note: you might could now but when the book was written, the short way would have been 10 hours. Speed limit is now 80 out in rural west Texas.

I once read a book set in the area where I live and the author described the distance from point A to point B as being a few miles, but in actuality it's less than a mile. This book was written in recent times - the author could have just checked an online map to get the correct distance.

Plot devices I hate tend to do with timelines, such as:

1. First chapter starts in the middle of some exciting event; then you find out that this is actually something late in the story - you are thrown back to the actual beginning of the story in chapter two.

2. Story bounces back and forth between past and present. Just when I start to get into the story in one time period it switches to the other.

3. First half of the book is full of heavy hints about some Big Incident (accident, illness, death of family member, etc.) that happened to one of the characters in the past and is influencing his/her current life - but you have to wait until at least halfway through the book to find out what it was. I'd rather just have a prologue about the incident.