lol at this thread.
I wonder if non-parents have quite so much vitriol for shite authors? I suspect not. I hate it when mediochre authors intrude on my precious reading time. It makes me feel used and cheap.
But anyway. I dislike lots of the authors names here but am not mystified by their success. T Hardy was a victorian, Hemmingway may be a mysoginistic alcoholic, but his prose is great, J K Rowling hit a real nerve I think, and possibly got lucky too.
But then I haven't actually read any Alice Sebold/marian keyes/jodi picoult books. perhaps I should keep it that way.
I am quite mystified by Dan Brown's success though. there are so many authors who've written similar, but less patronising novels.