How to be a reader: Reader responsibility

When I visit elementary schools, I often have this kind of interaction with kids.
"Who here doesn't like to read?"
lots of raised hands
"Why not?"
Most common answer--books are boring.
"It's true, some books are boring. Let me ask you this, if a book is boring, whose fault is that--your fault or the book's fault?"
The book's fault!
"That's right! It shouldn't have been so boring. The good news is, there are precisely one billion gagillion and five books out there to choose from, so it's easy to find books that aren't boring for you."
Then we talk about how to find the right book for you.

I believe this. When you're starting out, first learning how to read and ready to fall in love with reading, negative reading experiences are in no way the reader's fault. But then we grow up, mature as readers, learn how to read a book, and gain more responsibility for our reading experience. Or we should.

I've watched a curious phenomenon recently unfold, as some passionate fans of the Twilight books read Breaking Dawn (the fourth book in that series, and a book that I adored) and blamed the author when they didn't like it. Not just blamed. It's turned into an online hatefest. I've never seen the like and it's been very disturbing to me. And it's gotten me thinking--is it the author's fault if you don't like one of her books?

There are some lazy writers out there. There are very poor writers who somehow get published. But for the most part, every novel in your bookstore was written by a passionate person who wrote the very best book she could and told the story the best way she could for herself. It's only natural that not everyone will like it. But I think it's safest to assume that any writer told the story she wanted to hear. I know I always do. I poured as much of myself, time, energy, skill, and anxiety into enna burning (my least popular book) as I did in princess academy (my most popular book). Of course not everyone will like them equally, but all I can do is write the stories I want to hear and then put them out there and see what other people think.

So, when you like one book by an author but not another, that's okay. But perhaps it's safest to assume she still did her best. Blaming her entirely for your bad experience is not only fruitless, it's just plain wrong. Why? Let's discuss.

Have you ever reread a book and had a completely different reaction to it than you did the first time? Love turning to hate, confusion to understanding, or disappointment to heart-stopping glee? Not one word of that book changed. You did. In high school I read The Stranger and felt as if my world had been turned upside-down. In college I reread it and found the story flat and uninteresting, and walked away untouched and baffled by my younger reaction. My understanding of the world, my fears, my needs had changed, and so the story changed. The words Camus wrote remained the same; nevertheless, the story completely changed in my mind. Camus didn't do that--I did that.

I've always believed that as an author, I do 50% of the work of storytelling, and the reader does the other 50%. There's no way I can control the story you tell yourself from my book. Your own experiences, preferences, prejudices, mood at the moment, current events in your life, needs and wants influence how you read my every word. I wish I could write a story that would appeal to everyone, but that is so impossible. I think most authors know we have to write a story to our own internal reader. We can please ourselves--that's the only control we have.

You are half of the story. But in order to participate, you need to give up some control. You can't force the characters do say different things, do different things, be different people--you can only control your own interpretation and reaction to them. You need to allow the author to tell the story she's trying to tell. It may not be a good story, it may not be your kind of story, but if you don't try to play along, you're not giving the story a chance. And in the end you might not like it--there are an infinite number of reasons why this might be. But the author didn't fail you--the author just wrote a story that didn't click with your internal reader at this point in your life. You are responsible for half of that story. So you go find the next book, the next author that works for you, and as a team, you and the author tell a new story together.

I think by understanding our responsibilities as readers, we can have more successful and interesting encounters with the books we read. When a story fails you, half of the responsibility is your own. And when a story sings to you, is beautiful, enchanting, exciting, life changing, inspiring--again, half of the praise is due to you.

You are powerful. Claim your power. Own it. And use it wisely.

EDIT: Sept. 1, 3:30pm
Whew! Well, did I open a can of worms? I have a feeling if I had left out those two words "Breaking Dawn" from this post, I'd have about 65 fewer comments. If you want to leave a comment, please observe our blog rules:

• Express your opinion whatever it may be, but do so respectfully and without insult to those who disagree. Squeetus will delete or edit comments that, in our opinion, cross that line.
• Refrain from mentioning any spoilers
• Please read the previous comments before making your own
• Do not attack any person, be she author, commenter, or yourself. Please remember that we are all human beings.

And again, this post is not about whether or not you liked Breaking Dawn or what faults or praise you found in it. There are many places on the web where you can discuss that to your heart's content. And  whatever you say, please be kind, you lovely people! We are all bound to disagree and often, so let's do it with aplomb, graciousness, and humanity.

Comments

[shannon]

Thank you for this entry. It voices my opinion in a manner that I could never accomplish. I have always believed that a reader's experience and even mood at the time of reading a book influences their enjoyment and opinion. I've many a time not been in the right frame of mind for a book, but come back to it later and totally changed my opinion. As far as Breaking Dawn is concerned, I feel like I'm able to appreciate the book because of where I am at in my life stage. SMeyer has said that she doesn't think her books aren't written for a certain aged audience, but I can see how the younger or less experienced audience may not have be able to appreciate certain dynamics of the story.

[Taiger]

I agree. :)

[Ida]

I have read many of the Amazon post against Breaking Dawn and I have read BD twice trying to find these HORRIBLE things they say the book has. Actually, a group of us get together once a week, like a book club, and we have been going over BD.
We have come to the conclusion that Breaking Dawn is a wonderful book, I understand that's just our humble opinion. [Shannon's note: Ida dear, I'm so sorry I deleted the rest of your post. It was sincere and thoughtful, but just crossed the line for me in terms of attacking instead of opining. To be fair, if I edit out comments that go too far on one side, I have to do the other. If you feel strongly about what you said, please do comment again! In a gentler way perhaps. -sh.]

[Melissa]

This is why I read all of your blog posts - you always say/write exactly the right thing.

I read Breaking Dawn and did not love it (but liked it.) I was so surprised by it because it was not what I expected. I mean, I had two years to think about how it would all end...

After a second reading, I liked it a lot more. The same thing happened with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Great post Shannon!!

[Elder]

The main problem alot of people have with breaking dawn is it is riddled with plot holes, contradictions, and things that shouldnt be in tween romance novels...

[Shannon's note: Elder, I deleted the rest of your comment. I hope you understand that this is a site where you can express your opinion freely, but if you want to attack a person, you need to do so respectfully and with evidence. Your post failed there for me. -sh.]

[Lauren]

In my opinion i thought "Breaking Dawn" was an AMAZING book!!! i also really enjoyed this post..it makes so much sense!! i dont see why people are blaming stephenie..she is the one person that she wrote the book for and no one else...we were just all lucky enough to experience it (and i am soooooo glad about that!!!) a thing i dont understand is why people thought that [EDIT: spoilers deleted] Any sorry for the long post but i ABSOLUTELY LOVED "BREAKING DAWN" AND ALL OF THE BOOKS IN THE SERIES!!!! [EDIT: spoilers deleted]

[Not anymore]

Let me tell you that you have lost a fan of yours.

[Maria]

I have to agree with your post and in a very mild way with Ida. Just in the way that I think the people that don't like Breaking Dawn are being very rude and childish. You have the right to dislike a book or an author. But, you don't have the right to ATTACK the author in such an evil way. You also attack the people that like Breaking Dawn, which out number you by far... We have right to disagree with us and we can agree to disagree, but I do agree with Ida and most of the people here. There has to be a better way to do things. [Shannon's Note: Sorry, Maria, I felt I had to delete some of the more attacking language here.] If you don't like the book, great! read something else, leave the people that love the book alone. Instead, you guys can't stay away... Its like a bad cold. I think that's why most of us think of you as childish, because of the fact that you say you hate it, yet you keep coming back to the fan sites, articles about it, etc. If you hate it, then stay away. Go read something else... and leave us alone to enjoy what we love.

[Cando]

First of all, I really enjoyed reading this post. It has a lot of truth to it. I was reading all of the comments to go along with the post and a lot of comments else where. All are valid opinions of the book.
I think that some people are missing a key point that I loved. People wanted to see Bella's character flourish and develop. I believe that she did. [EDIT: spoilers deleted--lovely and well-phrased thoughts, Cando! Sorry to delete. But out of respect to those who haven't read a book yet, we try to be entirely spoiler-free.] To me, it was just a different kind of love story. Some people don't think that is praiseworthy. I do. I think that it shows a little more of Stephenie Meyer's own character. Stephenie just wrote it in a different way. But since when has any of her stories been the basic love story?
As for the comments made about Breaking Dawn not being suitable for young adults, I think that should be left up to the parents to decide.
I just wanted to have that side of the book voiced. I haven't seen anyone comment on it anywhere else. I'm sure people will think it's stupid, which is okay too. I don't agree with a lot of the comments I've read, either.

[Isabel]

Amen to that Maria!!!!!

[Calliope1of9]

Lauren- watch your spoilers! I think there actually might be a few people in the world who haven't read it/ don't know the plot. Maybe.

So... if I could just share my two cents on Breaking Dawn... I'm not going to read it for several reasons, which I won't really go into, but I suppose the main one is I really loved Eclipse and it seems many many people found BD to be a dissapointment, so I don't want to be left with a bad taste in my mouth. I read a plot summation, and I was dissapointed with what I read, but I don't hate Stephenie Meyer or think she did anything wrong, because she didn't. There are just some things in this book that rub me the wrong way, and are against my views, but the fact that we all have different opinions and views is what makes the world such a diverse and interesting place. Also, it's an incredibly long book, and with all my schoolwork, I just don't have time! That said, I think it is completely out of line for people to say that they hate Ms. Meyer or that they hated the book. It's fine to not like a book, but you should have a reason, not just 'it was terrible.' The reviews on amazon.com are so rude, people just say that they 'hated' the book, which is incredibly impolite and also is unhelpful as a review. I also think it's important to remember that Meyer was sort of thrust into the spotlight; she wrote Twilight for fun one summer, and hey! it got published and went on to be incredibly popular. There were zillions of expectant readers all of a sudden, and the pressure she felt must have been unbelievable.
At the end of the day, before flaming a book, it's important to stop and remember that the author must have been very proud and satisfied with the book before sending it out into the world to live on its own and pick up readers along the way. I imagine Meyer is incredibly hurt by the intense critisism she's receiving, but more than that, the fans who've turned their backs on her with a simple "I hated it."

[Daisy]

I come from Mexico, so when I first got here, I didn't know how to speak English. I eventually learned, but I never liked reading. I thought ''Well, what's the point, if I can't understand it?'' I tried different books and though I knew how to understand English better, I could never find a book that reallygot me hooked, until I read Twilight last October, and fell completely in love with it, even though I'm just 12 years old. After I read the Twilight series, my whole perspective on reading changed. I then knew what kind of books would interest me, and now I can't stop reading. So I completely agree with you.
By the way, I'm reading Book of a Thousand Days right now and I completely LOVE it!!! :)

[Leigh Anne]

I just ordered a couple of your books from Amazon, and I know I'll be a new fan of your "young adult" books. I adored Austenland--which I read the day before Breaking Dawn's release.

Thank you for your thoughts on what has surely been the "great internet debate" of the past month. I appreciated the effort you took in explaining an author's viewpoint.

For the record...I adore the Twilight series and I loved Breaking Dawn, so much that I've read it three times. Haters, take your vitriol elsewhere, please.

[Lauren]

Shannon,
I loved this article. I wanted to say that because of the Twilight series I really started a love of reading. SM even suggested your works, which I have loved as well. It is sad to say that at thirty I have finally started to enjoy reading. Since I was introduced to Twilight by my daughter, that has also struggles with reading, I have read over fifty books in a six month time. I go to the library so much that they all know me.

Please tell Stephenie that she has changed my whole families outlook on reading. I am even crying as I write this because I can see how my children have improved in their love of books.

Thank you for sharing your stories, my favorite is the Book of a Thousand Days.

[Caitlin]

[Shannon's note: Sweet Caitlin, I'm sorry I felt I needed to delete some of your stronger language. Your opinion is valid--just some parts of the way you expressed it went a little too far for this site.]
You stop being this writer's fan -a very good writer, mind you- because she let's out her opinion? My opinion on that? It's terrible. Whenever a writer well, writes, they're continuously saying their opinion. If you were a fan, you obviously agreed with that opinion, but not that she says something you DON'T agree with, you automatically stop being a fan.

Same to some of the others, who seem to lose their trust in Stephenie just because you didn't like the last book. Or the people who say that they hated all four books. My question is, and it's a very common question, why continue reading them? It sounds so immature to ask that, but really, why?

What I'm really the most disappointed in is the huge rift that's grown in the Twilight Fandom. Come on guys. Can't we get over it and celebrate our love of at least the first three books? I personally loved BD, but maybe that'll change when I read it again. I've only read it once. Maybe I'm scared that I'll see why others disliked it, maybe my subconscious doesn't want me to read it, or maybe I'm just mourning that the series from Bella's eyes is over. Whatever the case may be, I'll always love the series.

[Lauren]

Caitlin i completely agree with you...just because they didnt like the last book of the series they all of a sudden hate Stephenie Meyer and the rest of them. It makes absolutely no sense!! I will always love everything about the series and i loved Breaking Dawn!!!!

[susan]

I loved Goose Girl.

About Breaking Dawn and the supposed "haters." Many of you are missing the point about the so-called haters.

People have a variety of reasons for not liking Breaking Dawn. The least is because it didn't end the way they wanted. That seems like a very childish way to dismiss someone else's viewpoint.

Some haters of BD didn't like what they perceived as a terrible message to young girls. Others thought that some of the scenes portrayed in the story were not YA. Others simply thought the book was poorly edited. Still some thought the author did a sort of bait and switch with her fictional, fantasy world, not sticking to the canon she created for her fictional world. And others have pointed out many, many plot holes in BD.

If you take the time to read some of the more serious discussion threads on Amazon, you'll see the great debate. You'll also get a better understanding of why some are so passionately hating the story. It isn't as simple as "they didn't get the ending they wanted."

Please keep in mind, no one read BD wanting to hate it. Why would someone spend their hard earned money, precious time and emotional investment in a story they wanted to hate?

Plus, there is a backlash against the author because of some of her comments in interviews. She used the "Rob Effect" analysis which was quite insulting to many readers.

In the end there is always two sides to everything. To just dismiss someone else's POV makes you as guilty as what you are accusing of the so-called "haters."

By the way, the haters are actually the lovers who are heart-broken. They don't need to be on medication or get a real life. What they need is a better written story...

[Shantilly]

I hated Breaking Dawn, and I'm going to attempt to explain why I feel that way. Obviously, I can't speak for everyone else that disliked it.

I HAD NO PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS ABOUT HOW THIS BOOK SHOULD END--ABSOLUTLEY ZERO EXPECTATIONS. [EDIT: Spoilers deleted]

I'd read and enjoyed the first three books in the series and then Breaking Dawn seemed to have been written by someone else entirely. It was out of sync with Stephenie's "voice", which I'd come to know and love. There were grammatical errors and typos galore, and the plot went from uncomfortable to bizarre. [EDIT: Spoilers deleted] The story itself was anticlimactic and was, generally speaking, a great disappointment. When I closed the book, I asked myself, "Was this even edited?"

I agree with you to a certain extent: a reader must give up control in order to get the most from the story. I did that. I finished the book. I focused on parts that I did enjoy and tried to understand the rest. However, days after I finished I still felt disappointed and confused.

I also agree that if you don't like a book there are plenty of others to read. The problem with this book is that it was the final installment of a MUCH BELOVED SERIES. So, naturally, the let down stings a bit more.

[Starbaby]

Ms. Hale, you have made a very valid point with your post. Reading is a 50/50 exchange. But I also believe that bad writing can sometimes give readers less to go on when they are trying to make up for their portion of that 50%. ‘Bad’ being such a relative term, it would seem close to impossible to allocate blame for a person’s poor opinion of a book. That being the case, I feel that those people who did not like Breaking Dawn have just as much right to voice their displeasure as those people who liked it. We are our own experiences; therefore, it stands to reason that we will not always like the same things. Or if we do like the same things, we may not always like them in the same way or for the same reasons. Such is life.

However, I believe that the negative reaction to Breaking Dawn is a problem culminated by a number of possible issues. First, maybe there really were parts of the book where the characters (and for some people, plot) seemed lacking. I, for one missed Edward in BD. Even though he was there physically, he did not really say or do much. He became a side character in my eyes. The same thing happened to Alice and a few other characters. But by the end of BD, I could also understand that the absence of my favorite characters had more to do with the introduction of new ones and less to do with any major lapse in story telling on SM’s end. Simply put, with all the goings on in BD, I’m amazed that SM was able to find an outlet for dialogue of any type let alone give me a multitude of swoon worthy quotes from Edward. A book so focused on events and new characters and new themes is bound to fall a little short on the tried and true. But the thing is, while I did notice some of this; none of it was enough to make me hate the book. To the contrary, I liked BD a lot.

Which leads me to my next point: The conclusion to this series was years in the making (or waiting). That is a long time for people to hypothesize, theorize and develop their very own wish list of wants for BD. People have been so anxious for this series that many turned to fanfiction to get there fix. And in my opinion, fanfiction is just a watered down version of the original addicting elixir . . . or the real thing, if you will. With so much time and so many alternate story lines to visit during the wait, it’s little wonder why some people had such a hard time swallowing the real thing when finally presented with it. Contrarily, I have never read fanfic, and in never allowing myself to hope for one thing over another, I had no real expectations for the story itself. Thereby making it that much more palatable to me than it was for others. I do not think that makes me a better reader. I simply believe that it makes me a lucky one. Lucky enough not to have allowed outside influences and my own rampant imagination to deprive me of what I ultimately enjoyed reading.

Which brings me to my last point. Even with the multitude of diverse reactions to BD, I have never witnessed a more calculated and persistent assault on a work of fiction before. Someone said before that the haters seem to bully, and I would have to agree. Because I see the same named posters making the same overwhelmingly negative generalized comments about SM and the fans who like her work. I have witnessed what it is like for something not to be received well. But I have never seen such an organized movement to spread dislike the way I have seen it for BD and even for SM as an author. Add to that the fact that normally the easiest and most effective solution to not liking a book is to simply refrain from rereading it and/or avoiding future purchases from the same author, and I begin to wonder what it is about THIS book and THIS author that makes such time consuming efforts to discredit and hate seem so . . . necessary. I can understand belonging to a group that feels similarly and voicing and re-voicing your opinions to said group . . . but to visit different fan sites, personal blogs, and other forums strictly for the purpose of spreading the same message is simply unfathomable to me. It is THAT, which makes this BD phenomenon seem so personally motivated and mean spirited. And it is THAT which makes the bloggers who pounce the moment something positive is posted about the book seem so much more like grade yard bullies than anything else.

Which brings me to my final ‘thought’ (not point): How difficult must it be for authors to have their imaginations criticized and torn apart on such a visible and socially acceptable medium as the World Wide Web? Ms. Hale, I do not envy authors like you and Stephenie Meyers. Something like this must drive a serious wedge between ones desire to write and ones duty to publish. You ladies have my congratulations as well as my sympathy. I commend you on the bravery you exhibit almost daily by simply deciding to place pen to paper.

[Marie]

[Shannon's note: Dear Marie, sorry to delete so much of your post. While you were expressing valid opinions, your comments were phrased a little too harshly for me. To sum up, Marie is disappointed in the general criticisms of BD and SM and hasn't seen any proof to back up the common complaints. -sh]

Did you know Nicholas Sparks new book is coming out Sept. 30?? my friend's Mom likes him. Maybe he's more for old people???? Maybe you guys that don't like Breaking Dawn should buy his book and leave us alone. In the Twilight Saga I didn't like book 2. In the Harry Potter books I didn't like book 2 and I hated the ending of book Deathly Hallows. I just hope new books will come that I will like much better.

[Jenni]

Thank you so much for your words! I think your logical is very sound and it makes complete sense to me.

[camille]

Enna Burning was my favorite of the series, I loved it. Thank you for the wonderful books that you have put out there.

[Speed Reader]

I didn't read all the comments, so forgive me if this is a repeated sentiment.

It seems like many people are missing the point of this point. Shannon is arguing that 50% of book is the author's job and 50% is the reader's job.

If a reader has a problem with a book, all the blame cannot and should not be placed at the feet of the author. At least half of the blame must be placed on the reader.

I've never thought of my reading experience this way, but it definitely makes sense to me. Why else would I love books others find boring; why would I not be able to get past the 2nd chapter of a book that the rest of the world seems to love and praise up and down?

Cut author's some slack. If you're going to play the blame game, make sure you spreading the blame around evenly to everyone involved in your awful reading experience -- especially yourself!

Good post, Shannon! You make a great point with this post!

btw, LOVE *all* of your books!

Speed Reader
www.myfavoriteauthor.blogspot.com

[Twilighter]

THANK YOU SO MUCH ! ...THERE'S SO MANY TWILIGHT FANS STILL OUT THERE !!! [Shannon's note: Twilighter, I edited your comments to avoid insults.]

AND YES I TOO LOVED BREAKING DAWN !!!!

[myrna]

I haven't read BD (I thought Bella was annoying. But I thought Jane Austen's Emma was annoying too, and I love the rest of Austen's books), but I agree that obsession with a series and disappointment over its ending don't justify hurting SM. You've vented. Let it go. Find another story to fall in love with. There are so many good books out there, especially in the YA section. And if you want to return books you don't like, check them out at the library first. Of course, they'll want you too return the good ones too.

[serena]

Ms. Hale,

While I commend and appreciate your attempt to "stick up" for a dear friend, I think personal feelings are coloring your perceptions of the "hate filled" commentary.

Have people crossed the line re: a book that shall not be named? You bet. BOTH sides of the fence have gone too far. Personal commentary about an author is absolutely unnecessary. I have been on several sites, both fan sites and alleged hater sites, and there is a great deal of candid discussion about the failing of publishers for their apparent inability to spell check, proofread and edit. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the author and the editor to create the most cohesive text for an audience. This was not the case regarding the book that shall not be named.

When an author must rely on "it's fiction" and an "I can do it if I want to" attitude, there is a break down of personal responsibility. As an author, you must follow your own canon as well as the basic canon of English literature.

I majored in English in college- I'm currently working to obtain my Master's degree in the same field. Criticism is a fact of life within the literary field. If an author cannot and will not accept that there are both negative and positive aspects of criticism, perhaps writing is not the field for them (and no, this is not in reference only to the author-who-shall-not-be-named-- I can think of three major authors who have thrown fits when their fandom has turned tide). However, acknowledging criticism is necessary to grow as an author. My apologies, but this must be said: fluffing off a large portion of an audience by saying "you didn't get the characters", or referring to the anger as the "Rob effect" and "it's fiction- none of this could happen" is offensive to the audience as well as the author's purpose.

As a prolific reader, I've read classics, "great" works, YA works, basically the entire gambit. I'm not looking for Shakespeare when I read... but I do appreciate an author who has enough pride in his or her own work to say "Whoa... this is not what my readership wants." By the time the first paycheck is signed, the author is no longer just writing for her/himself, therefore, it's imperative to at least follow your own canon and when you choose to break canon, you don't lambast your audience for their alleged failings.

[Lia]

Wow! You know, I don't really keep up on what other people are saying about books I like, but I was so surprised to learn from Shannon's post that Enna Burning was her least popular book, and Princess Academy her most popular. I love *all* her books, but if I had to rank them, Enna Burning is my *most* favorite. Enna was such a real character with realistic problems. The story dealt with friendship, abuse, love, addiction, and so much more -- and the supporting characters (Finn, Isi, the bad guy) were wonderfully believable. I read this book over and over. This just goes to prove Shannon's point -- everybody likes different books for different reasons.

Seriously though -- Enna Burning is her finest moment, I really think.

[serena]

I wanted to clarify a comment that I just posted (my husband interupted to ask what I wanted for dinner and I typed as I was speaking, d'oh!):

Re: "Whoa... this is not what my readership wants." It's not the concept of what the readership "wants" as in "oh, my readers want a happily ever after with so-and-so, so even though she's been with Erik for ten years, she's now going to be with Gene." I'm referring to the expectations that a reader has to at least follow the formula (to an extent- I'm fine with plot twists)- that is initially set out.

Frankly, an author has license to write what comes to them- but the reader also has the right and responsibility (!!) to comment, exchange, dissect and dissemble said work. A responsible reader will hold accountable their own mood, if they like a genre, etc while a responsible writer will acknowledge that their fans deserve the respect of a tightly written, cohesively edited/written/bound work. I have worked in several industries that require that I critique works in genres that I am not particularly fond of- I take my own distaste for that genre into consideration when I proofread, edit or critique the work.

[jessieann]

Shannon's comments reminded me of my favorite book of literary criticism, C.S. Lewis's "An Experiment in Critism." Lewis opines that perhaps we should think more in terms of good and bad readers than in terms of good and bad books. He considers the idea that any work that can inspire great passion has SOMETHING in it worth considering, worth looking at a second time. That doesn't mean we will like every book.

For example, the one book I have tried multiple times to read but have been unable to overcome it's soporific effect on me is "Moby Dick." The reason I have tried more than once is that my dad and my brother both loved this book. While they were reading it, they could barely talk or think about any thing else. Exactly the way I am with my favorite books. A month of dinner conversations about the details of whales and whales as symbol, etc. This happened twice because they did not read it at the same time.

If it were not for this, I would cheerfully be prepared to swear on my life that "Moby Dick" was the most boring book ever written. However, the fact the people I respect and admire got such great joy from this book mitigates my opinion. "Moby Dick" is not a badly written book. I am a bad reader of it.

I truly believe that a purely badly written book does not have the ability to raise powerful emotions, negative and positive. It is evidence that something is worth reading and that there will be readers who are changed by the experience when it inspires such a vehement debate.

[Sasha]

Dear Ms. Hale

Thank you for writing such a wonderful post about reading. I love to read and read almost every single genre. I think a lot of what you said is true about author and reader symbiosis. It is a two way relationship which can and does change as the needs or desires of both parties change.

I recently came to the Twilight Saga. It took two attempts for me to be able to read Twilight (I gave up around page 100 the first time, which is retrospect seems insane on my part). I love the series. Including Breaking Dawn.

One issue that I have seen in many series I have read is a lack of change in the main characters. While I want to 'know' the characters I fall in love with, ultimately I don't just want to read the characters doing and thinking and saying the same things. If that was what I wanted, I would just read the first book I fell in love with in a series instead of continuing to read the story.

While I understand some people felt Bella and Edward changed too much in Breaking Dawn, I actually felt that the changes we saw were not only in keeping with the characters we met and grew with in the first three books, but absolutely essential to the story that Stephenie Meyer brought us in BD.

One of the reasons I love the Twilight Saga is how Stephenie Meyer explores how the love between her two main character grows and what each will do and endure to keep that love. With the plot points within BD (I am going to do my best to not inadvertently give any spoilers, my apologies in advance if I fail in this) - Stephenie isn't exploring the relationship between Edward and Bella within the prism that existed in the first three books. They move beyond the stage of the love that initially brought them together and into a love that is more complex and deeper (in many ways). This book was a romance of two equals growing together as adults - not one of teenage love. The focus and ways that mature adults show their love can and often is much different than the displays of love when you first fall in love, or first deal with heart ache or deal with the first compromises within that love. That is why I think the books is so powerful to me.

As for plot and/or canon inconsistencies - I do not see those that people continually bring up. In fact, if spoilers were allowed here I would love to have a conversation that addressed each of the big canon inconsistency arguments I have seen, and what exists in the 4 books that some readers might have missed that naturally leads to every event in book 4. However, that seems to be a conversation that will not take place here (understably, as you have a site where pleasant and civil discourse is always maintained as well as no spoilers, which I wholeheartedly support).

I have never read any of you books, but I have to admit I have a bit of a fangirl crush on you after reading this post. I have put holds on your books at my local library and cannot wait to read each of them after the acclamations I have. Squee! I am hoping I just found a new favorite author!

Thank you for providing a forum for civil and in-depth discussion regarding BD. It is a fascinating book on so many different levels and I am actually working on an academic paper regarding some of the themes that I think Stephenie Meyer broke new ground on in her books. She (in my opinion) is brilliant, and amazing, and a little bit more subversive than I would have believed an author in YA could be.

[hwalk]

My comment is sort of buried down here, but a note to Shannon, if you ever find it:

You have officially, fundamentally changed the way I think about reading forever. You saved me from disliking books and kept me loving books for myself. You kept me reading throughout college by giving me permission to read what I wanted to.

You have made me a perpetual, lifelong reader and kept the love of reading strong.

[Anna]

Props, Shannon. Seriously, very good points. That's all kind of what I'd been thinking subconciously, if that makes sense. Now that you've written it out for the world, my mind screams, yes, that's what I've been saying!!

(By the way, I have a several things against Breaking Dawn, but somehow it's my favorite of the series. Steph did an amazing job with it, in any case.)

Oh, and I have absolutely no idea why Enna Burning is your lease popular. It's my favorite by FAR. I'll have to reread it, now... You know, see if I still love it the same. And catch up on everything else you've been working on, as well.

[Jer]

Ms. Hale,
Thank you for voicing a perspective I have always intuitively believed myself without ever having put into my own words.

The comments to this post have been interesting to read. BD has certainly touched a nerve for whatever reason. I do believe that criticism is an inevitable and necessary component in the literary world, however I always cringe when that criticism extends to the author as a human being. I love the idea that reading is a partnership between the reader and writer, and that the reader must take some responsibility for how they read the book and their own reactions to it.

On another note,I love your books! I hope I never let myself get too old to read YA Fiction.

[Laini Taylor]

Hi Shannon! Very interesting post -- and responses. While I haven't read Breaking Dawn, I have observed with a kind of dropped jaw. My own opinion as an author is: how wonderful to inspire such a depth of feeling, such a feeling of investment by so many readers. It is a marvelous phenomenon. I haven't seen fans of a YA author turn mean before like this -- in comics, the message boards are filled with nastiness. A lot of comic fanboys seem to just be waiting to unleash their pent-up anger on some poor writer or illustrator.

I agree whole-heartedly with you that a writer must write the story that they want to tell, and if it doesn't turn out to be the story readers want to hear, well, so be it. It is when an author is lazy, when there are logic problems that feel like they should have been edited, that is when I have a problem, and feel disrespected as a reader, as if the writer has violated a contract: they will write the best book they can, and I will believe it was the best book they could write, and like or not like it, but not be cruel or nasty if I don't.

Cheers!

[Laini Taylor]

Skimming my comment above, I did not mean to imply that it is a wonderful phenomenon that fans have turned mean. Not at all!

[Megan M.]

Ms. Hale,

I agree with you wholeheartedly. To think that anyone, critic or mere mortal, can read a book without viewing the text through a lens that is uniquely the reader’s own is unreasonable. As a result, I rarely reread a book that I have enjoyed. I find that I am rarely in the same mindset as I was the first time around, and have ruined books for myself after attempting to reread them (The Great Gatsby, The Robber Bride). I also never force myself to finish a book that I am not enjoying. While I admit shamelessly that this is often because I will never get back the hours I spent reading something I didn’t like and I am stingy with my time, I find that many books I don’t gel with initially I come to enjoy later on when I am in a different mood or place in my life (Oryx and Crake, The Shopaholic series). In fact, I keep a stack of books that I’ve abandoned around because I realize that while the book won’t change, I may.

I understand that many of the previously obsessed and devoted teen readers are hating on BD. I am not sure that these young adult readers are old enough or experienced enough to have disliked BD so much and not allow this dislike to cloud their view of the previous three novels and even Ms. Meyer, herself. Unfortunately for all our teenage selves, teens are prone to having extreme feelings and reactions, so I am going to excuse these young ladies from reacting in an age appropriate way. This is not to say that I am giving them a free pass to spew hatred at Ms. Meyer, only that I understand how their failure to enjoy one book could ruin an entire series for them. That said, I am having a really difficult time with the BD backlash from Ms. Meyer’s adult readers. I have read too many reviews and comments about Ms. Meyer’s work that come across as an angry, embittered, and just down right mean. These statements cite a host of justifications for the venomous tone (pun fully intended) of what inevitably becomes an attack of her person. The most ironic of these justifications is the argument that Ms. Meyer’s books are anti-feminist. Not only do I vehemently disagree with this argument (I have long been a subscriber to the brand of feminism laid out in the Breaking Dawn FAQ on Ms. Meyer’s website), I find it deeply disappointing that so many women are using feminism as a excuse to tear a female author to shreds. Clearly these women’s ideals about what a female protagonist should be have colored their experience with Bella and her story (So, Bella’s not your kind of gal. That’s cool, I get it. Now move on.). I feel that rather than owning their dislike for the books this group has taken the easy way out and blamed the author for not being exactly what they wanted her to be and not writing exactly the character they wish to read about. To me, this rings of hypocrisy and makes very, very sad.

It probably could go without saying that I loved all four of the Twilight books. I just began reading them in late July of this year and I’ve got to say, they have brought me countless hours of pure joy. I’ve become quite the fangirl, I am chagrined to admit. Not only have I loved every minute of reading the actual text, I have spent literal hours discussing the books, backlash and other related topics not just with an already dear friend, but also with my sister-in-law, who until Twilight, I loved with every fiber of my being but couldn’t have related to if my life depended on it. Our post Twilight relationship is something that I will be forever grateful to Stephenie Meyer for having helped cultivate.

I so loved Ms. Meyer’s vampires, that I have been unable to engross myself in another work of fiction as I am just not ready to move on to other characters. When I am ready to open my heart to another set of characters, I will definitely be opening it to yours. Thank you for this wonderful post

[Kathryn]

Thank you for posting this! It's wonderful to get perspective from another author. I don't think people quite understand what writing a book really is, unless they are writing one themselves. This is a nice insight into what an author puts into a book and expects out of it. Of course they want people to like it, but in the end writing is a very personal experience, and in order for it to be a wonderful one for the writer, they have to write what comes, and they can't try and please each reader. Pieces of writing would be so discombabulated that way.

[Nikki]

I really enjoyed your blog. I'm glad I haven't been to Amazon.com and seen some of the HATE. Maybe you should send a copy of this blog to them.
I personally LOVE to read. I am a huge Stephenie Meyer fan, not just Twilight, but The Host too. I think what some of these so called "fans" are saying is horrible and hurtful. Stephenie has described these books as being like her babies. Imagine saying that stuff about someones babies...I'm sure you wouldn't. People need to remember that Stephenie wrote these books from a dream she had. She didn't originally set out to write them for the public, but for herself. Imagine writing in your journal and people read it and critcize what you write. These are Stephenie's thoughts and I personally don't think anybody has a write to publicly criticize anybody else.
Shannon...I'm very sorry, but I haven't read any of your books. But, after reading all of these posts, I am definitely going to start reading your books. From what everybody is saying, they're wonderful books. Yeah, more to read. Did I mention I LOVE to read?
Thanks for the blog. I agree completely.
BTW, I LOVED Breaking Dawn...all four times I read it.

[Alison]

I just wanted to say I love your books!

[Blue Liz]

I'm just left wondering why my comment from yesterday isn't posted at all.

[shannon hale]

I don't know, Blue Liz. We've had to delete some altogether but I don't remember one from you. You're welcome to post again, and please observe our house rules.

Lots of really interesting thoughts here, thanks! (and thank you, hwalk). And while I don't personally agree with all the opinions and sentiments expressed here, I'm grateful to those of you who are willing to opine with respect to others. It's much easier to hear your thoughts when they're expressed without animosity or judgment.

[Lyra]

Very interesting read! Some of it I agree with, some of it I don't. I'm going to try my best to point out both in generic terms, without referencing any authors, as I have found this problem with several authors, not just one.

I agree with you that dislike (or even hate) for a book should not boil over to hate for the person writing the book. There is a fine distinction there and one that is all too often forgotten.

HOWEVER, I also believe that love of a book should not become love for the person writing it. It is, after all, only fair. If someone cannot hate a person based solely on what they created, one also cannot love a person solely for what they created. It's that simple.

I have followed the phenomenon that shall not be named with interest. As a participant in other fandoms, I've never seen such strong bipolar reactions before (not even in a certain other popular YA series). However, I do not believe the fault lies only to one side of the fandom.

I have seen reviews for these books that have been thoughtful and well-written, that very carefully stated both what they liked and disliked about these books. These reviews were fair, never attacking the author, merely pointing out where things were stylistically not up to par, or what the reviewer simply didn't like about the book. However, these reviews have been INUNDATED with hate from fans who believed these reviews to be singular attacks on the author. The vitriol spewed in these reviews of the BOOK attack the reviewer in much the same way anti-fans attack the author. This isn't fair either, and should not be tolerated just because these fans are "on the right side," so to speak.

Furthermore, Ms. Hale, I am curious to hear what you believe the author's responsibility to be.

You've gone into quite some detail about what the reader should be bringing to the party, but I'm feeling a distinct lack of reciprocity here. What do you believe to be the author's responsibility?

Personally, I hold all my authors responsible for the following:

1) Consistency - This is especially true of series, but also true of standalone novels. If the first book is meticulously researched, I expect all the others to be as well. If the first book is tightly paced, I expect the others to be as well.

2) Quality - Now, quality is a very subjective word nowadays, so excuse me for a second to expound on what I mean by "quality." If I pick up a book, I am going to be investing some combination of time, money, and emotion into it. I expect that the author (and publisher) would also have invested some time, money, and emotion into it. I expect that the book will have been edited (both for grammar and style). I expect that the book will have been researched (this goes for novels taking place in the here-and-now as much as in the past or future). I expect the book to have certain basic requirements of a novel: characters, plot, rising action, climax, etc. In short, I expect the author to treat me as a rational, intelligent human being by writing a book that a rational, intelligent human being would recognize as a book. It's just common courtesy, you know?

3) Professionalism - This is an interesting one. I expect my authors (and those professionally affiliated with the author, including webmasters, presidents of official fan clubs, etc) to behave themselves in public. I expect my authors to be courteous to their fans. I expect the people working for the author to be courteous to the author's fans. As a reader, I agree that I shouldn't attack the author for disliking his/her books. Similarly, I believe an author should not attack his/her READERS for not liking a book. It is here that I feel I should make a very strong point:
Feeling something is one thing.
Putting it out in public is another (and the internet is VERY public).

I don't expect my authors to be bulletproof. Criticism hurts, we all know it. BUT, I expect my authors to distinguish between the proper venue for venting such hurts; privately among friends is good, publicly in an open Letter to the Internet, not so good.

Again, Ms. Hale, what are your thoughts on this subject? What do you (as an author) feel to be your responsibility to your readers?

[Sissy]

Thank you! You've said exactly what I've been thinking ever since the 'hatefest' started. And by the way, I could read Goose Girl again and again, and it will always be on my favorites list. =)
I could also write a very long and detailed an opinioned and respectful post, as I have on other sites, and as many others have too, but I'm leaving that to Shannon Hale today. You've summed it up it what I feel the best way possible.

[Liesolotte]

I believe, Lyra, that Shannon was attempting to define the reader's side of the contract because reader's are often oblivious to their 50% share in literary enjoyment. I'm sure I've condemned many a book without making the distinction between the author's intention, the book's 'quality', and my own discriminating tastes. For example, I dislike almost all Science Fiction. When the author sets out to write a SF work, they are not trying to please me, and I must accept that. I also must make a distinction between the presence of spaceships and laser guns and the feel of the story.

Another distinction we need to make is between book and author. Take the anonymous poster above, who has relinquished his or her enjoyment of Shannon's works for no good reason except a difference of opinion. I don't deny that the thoughts and feelings of the author are irreversably incorporated in their works, nor that my own enjoyment of any work of art is bolstered by my love for the artist. In an ideal situation, every work would be evaluated on merit alone, but in our imperfect literary world, there is always a real person behind a book, and that can't help but affect our opinions. It shouldn't, but it does. Even so, we shouldn't attack the author for 'failing' us when it was really we who failed to enjoy their book. I think that this is what Shannon is saying, in a much better way than I can.

I don't feel that I can comment on Breaking Dawn, because even though I've read all the Twilight books and enjoyed them immensely, I came upon them rather recently and am not as emotionally invested in Bella's story as many other readers. But I know that the author of any popular series is held responsible by the fandom. It's an unfair situation, especially since they have rarely tried or wanted to place themselves in that position. I am of the mind that they have a responsibility (and I guess this would be an specialized version of the author side of the contract) to keep their fans interested by feeding them information (and, yes, occasional spoilers) but, especially if their books take the form of a series, they should never write to please the fandom. Anything a vast number of people are emotionally invested in and have been speculating about is subject to risk. Fans are fickle. But they need to remember why they loved these books in the first place- because the author melded his/her vision with characters which they have have learned to love.

Last, I have to say that Enna Burning is wonderful. Goose Girl is probably my favorite because I identify most with Ani as a character. But that is not because Enna is any less developed- it is simply because of my own personality. That said, I think Enna Burning is probably the most well composed of all your books.

[Lyra]

Liesolotte, I understand what Ms. Hale is trying to say about reader responsibility. However, I am hoping that she will ALSO address the flip side of the question shortly. It is that hope I am addressing by asking.

Too often I have heard authors go on about what they want from their fans, and what fans want from their authors, but I have yet to find too many thoughts from the authors on what they believe to be their responsibility to their fans.

Lastly, while I think Ms. Hale's points on readers' responsibility is quite well written, there are also points where I think not enough accountability is being placed on the author, and I don't believe I can debate that point until I have some more information on what Ms. Hale believes to be an author's responsibilities to her readers.

So, in short, I was asking for a little more clarification so I could comment better on a couple of things I disagree with in as clear a manner as possible.

[allison]

Great post, Shannon! I love that you acknowledge that not every book is for every reader. I think it must be so depressing for reluctant readers to have books shoved at them and to be told that they should like it. Ugh! As a librarian, I approach reluctant readers in much the same way you describe- acknowledge that some books just aren't going to be their cup of tea, and that's OKAY- and then try to help them find at least one that is!

By the way, it seems a shame that you should have a "least" popular book, though statistically, I guess there has to be one. Hmph, statistics are so unfair. Enna Burning is a wonderful read!

[Shelley]

Many of us adult fans of Stephenie Meyer's work have been so disappointed at the negativity she has had thrown at her recently. While everyone can certainly have their own opinion about a book, to personally attack the author is just not acceptable. A couple of us started a blog site specifically for the adult fans to post their support (www.dontmesswithsteph.blogspot.com). Many of us from the Lexicon and other fan sites have become close friends across the miles, thanks to Stephenie, and we want her to know that we truly appreciate all of her hard work!

[Katherine]

Well said, Ms. Hale. And just for the record, Enna Burning was my favorite of all your books. It has a depth of darkness that I love. I also loved Breaking Dawn and reallyreally dislike the whole "this is a bad author! wahh!" thing.

[Blue Liz]

I'm not trying to start a firestorm of comments or a hatefest in the comments. I am one of the people who hates Breaking Dawn. I do not hate Stephanie Meyer.

[EDIT: Huge spoilers deleted. Please respect our no spoiler policy!]

I just wanted to clarify why we are upset over Breaking Dawn. And we do not hate Stephanie Meyer. We've just lost respect for her as a writer.

[Jenc]

Not that this is a brilliantly new comment, but GO SHANNON! As a person who is passionate about reading and writing all kinds of books I have found myself bewildered by all the hoo-rah around Breaking Dawn and similar bashing of other popular books like Harry Potter. Yeah, Breaking Dawn wasn't my favorite book of Meyer's, but so what? Most of the time I read a book, and like it or not, I'm able to have a civil discussion with other reader friends and move on, but this won't die and it's driving me a little nuts. There are a million books in the universe, thanks for the perspective, Shannon.