James Patterson - Page 2 - Writers Forum

Stewart · 07-14-2006, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amour

It [Maximum Ride] seemed like it was geared towards 10 - 14 year olds, but from what I can tell, he is a formula brand name, looking for the easiest way to make a fortune.

It was written for a younger market. Patterson polls book groups to find out what sort of books they want to read and then, typically, he jots down a storyline and passes it along to someone else to write.

Amour · 07-14-2006, 05:15 PM

--Double post :-\
Deleted--

Sorry,
-Amour

Amour · 07-14-2006, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stewart

It was written for a younger market. Patterson polls book groups to find out what sort of books they want to read and then, typically, he jots down a storyline and passes it along to someone else to write.

Good to know that I'm not going crazy.

Sounds fairly accurate. Patterson is a hack. But, alas, how could he possibly be expected to write something... He is far to busy spending his hard earned cash, and drinking with his publishers.

It's sad to see this trash flooding our bookstores when there are thousands of very talented writers that would kill to be published once, and will never even be considered, due to "writers" like this.

Bob Loblaw · 07-18-2006, 07:05 PM

My sister and me share the same shelf, and she has a lot of James Patterson's books among other things. As a rule of thumb, I try not to let my books touch hers, it might turn into crap too. I call it the Midas Effect.

But really, I love James Patterson...as much as I love staring at oatmeal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amour

It's sad to see this trash flooding our bookstores when there are thousands of very talented writers that would kill to be published once, and will never even be considered, due to "writers" like this.

Amen!

DragonTheif · 01-10-2008, 02:56 PM

he's amazing he's go a different style all he's a chapters are really short i'm reading the first in the maximum ride series at the moment got it as a xmas present

FMK · 01-10-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amour

I (unfortunately) got Maximum Ride for a Christmas gift this year. I tossed it on my bookshelf, uninterested. A few months ago, I ran out of books, and picked it up. I read the first 3 chapters, slammed the cover, and drove down to the bookstore to return it.

I know this isn't 'supposed' to be his best "book", and it seemed like it was geared towards 10 - 14 year olds, but from what I can tell, he is a formula brand name, looking for the easiest way to make a fortune. I haven't read anything else by James Patterson (nor do I plan to), so I can't rip him apart to hard.

I too found myself editing the writing on the first page. The best part of the book was the 20$ store credit I got for returning it. :p Horrible stuff, in my opinion.

You only read the first three chapters? Pity. The beginning is easily the worst part of the book.

jesterscourt · 01-11-2008, 12:37 AM

I met him at an event where he took Q&A for over an hour, and many of my questions were answered, as well as getting the latest Alex Cross novel signed.

Now, from what I understand, up until 2006/2007, he wrote all the books that had his name on them, unless it stated someone else in the byline. In a more recent interview, he said that he has too many ideas, and not enough time in the world to push them all out, so he has whored the plotlines out for others to finish. As long as HE continues with the Cross novels (and shutup I'm still like 2 behind) I'll be fine. I didn't like the Maximum Ride books or the book that spawned them, Where The Wind Blows or whatever. The only non-Cross book of his that I liked was The Jester, which admitedly I listened to on tape while driving. And his first book, about the Munich olympics (that was him, wasn't it?)

Oh getting back to the Q&A, it was fascinating to hear him explain how he came up with Cross, how he nailed the whole African American slant, being a middle-aged rich white man, and how he felt about the movies (he wanted Denzel not Morgan Freeman, if memory serves, and it makes sense because Alex Cross is in his late 30s to mid 40s I think for most of the series.)

Oh yeah, and my favorite part of the Q&A is when someone asked him what it's like to see your work being made into a movie, and he told this story of how when Kiss the Girls was being filmed, and he was flown in to watch the dailies, and he asked "Who is that?" In a scene when Cross was speaking to a younger woman, because at that specific point he didn't have a love interest. "Oh, that's Cross's sister" the director explained. "Oh," Patterson said, "I didn't know Alex had a sister."

heh.

But yeah, I can see why people both love and hate him, I liked the Cross novels, for whatever reason, and he does have an uncanny ability to pull off the whole 4 page or less chapters.

smilinghelps · 01-11-2008, 02:35 PM

I love James Patterson books for a quick get-away read. I can sink right into Alex Cross' shoes and hunt down whoever the bad guy of the day is. My trouble is that the formula becomes predictable and I get bored. I have to mix it up. Overall I love his character development and the depth he takes Cross to. Denzel IS Cross as far as I'm concerned--and Michael Clark Duncan is Sampson, for that matter.

I can't get into his non-Cross books, although I did read a few of the Women's Murder Club - or whatever they were called and they were OK.

Great for flights, the beach or Sunday-nap book.

Jebus · 01-11-2008, 03:54 PM

I've only read the Maximum Ride series by Patterson. I enjoyed reading maybe the first chapter, I finished the book, and eventually the series, because I have to finish anything I start, book series included.

I don't believe I'll read anything else by him though. I wasn't impressed with his writing.

grartx · 01-16-2008, 01:08 PM

i haven't read him yet, though i plan to. he's actually pretty popular. his books get checked out at the library a lot, and i have heard people say they liked his works. i'm interested in reading his Mary Mary.

kidstaple · 01-16-2008, 04:31 PM

The only book that I've read by him is 'The Jester'. Amazing. That'll probably be the last book that I ever read by him, now that I know he whores his books out. Cheap, lazy bastard. Anyways, I bought the book for a dollar in hardback a few years back at one of those wharehouse-book-sale-thingies. It was worth it.

Small-town_Wright · 01-31-2008, 05:25 PM

I only read the Maximum Ride ones, and the other ones he wrote about birdkids... I lost interest in anything else by him after I realized just how much he stole the plot from his own *&#% books!

jesterscourt · 01-31-2008, 09:11 PM

To be clear, I am not trying to down Mr. Patterson. As I stated before, I rather like the Cross series. and the Jester book, which after looking at my name, teehee. Totally unrelated though.

As for him "whoring out his books"... From what I understand, he write the Cross books still, he writes the Women's mystery books, and most likely the Maximum Ride. Anything that has someone else's name on it with his as a byline though... yeah, he just provided the basic in the way of plot and characters.

LordValuemart · 01-31-2008, 11:37 PM

I quite like the Maximum Ride series

Small-town_Wright · 02-01-2008, 11:52 PM

Max and they others are awesome, and I'll try not to let thisget in the way of my enjoyment of the 3rd Maximum Ride book...

It might prove hard to do...