To wish Kate Atkinson would stop writing "S/he puzzled"

[JesusInTheCabbageVan]

On the off-chance that she's on here.

I love KA, have enjoyed every single book of hers I've read, but THIS is cropping up increasingly frequently and it's driving me mad. Yes, it's technically a verb, but people DON'T 'puzzle' in real life. It breaks the spell, and makes me think of muzzles/nuzzling. In Transcription, which I'm reading atm, someone has a 'puzzle' every few pages and it annoys me so much I can't concentrate on the next bit.

To make matters worse, people are puzzling over things they wouldn't HAVE to puzzle over if they actually paid attention and applied a tiny bit of common sense. Example:

"Whenever I hear that song, "I know where I'm going" I always think, "Do I?" said Daisy.
"Do you what?" puzzled Juliet.

Disclaimer: lighthearted, obviously. But stop it anyway Kate.

YABU
She can do no wrong. I love every one of her books so far. Am half way through Transcription so avoided the spoiler alert post about the Annoying Thing.

Don’t listen to the fucking audiobook to “started early took my dog”. Took me until the tenth pronunciation of “nee-am-huh” before I realised the narrator was trying to read “Niamh”

Yes! Ruined the book for me, I was waiting tensely for every incorrect pronunciation.

I really didn't like Jackson Brodie, but I love all her other stuff.

"Other books and authors are available!"

So you have to read something completely uncritically, or not at all? What a weird stance to take.

Awww you see it never was an issue for me but now it is.

Also - Time After Time and God in Ruins are 2 of my favourite books. I have NEVER cried to a book as much as I did to God in Ruins. I literally had to put it down and have a full on 10 minute sob. My partner then came in and asked me why I was crying and I burst into tears again telling him the plot (no fear of him ever reading it).

Also yes totally agree with those that don’t like JB. And I love a detective novel normally. Too weird.

By the time nee-am-huh was mentioned I was overly invested in the book. Deffo not KA reading, but I also couldn’t understand why no one else on the team corrected.

I dread her ever being mentioned again, but not the same narrator for the next book so gritting my teeth!

Love her books but get annoyed by her habit of using commas instead of full stops.

I just finished Transcription the other day. I didn't notice any unnecessary puzzling but I agree with captain's spoiler-alerted comment.

Loves a bracket too does our Kate

Most audio books annoy the shit out of me. And loads of crime ones seem to be narrated by the same person. So guy who I can’t stand. It’s very odd

Absolutely love KA. Behind the Scenes at the Museum and Life After Life are two of my favourite books. I went to a talk she gave at a local library when LAL was released and it was snowing. She read a passage from the beginning of the book which was very evocative.

She can do no wrong in my eyes.

@alibongo5 those are my two favourites as well. She's got something really special to her writing.

I have NEVER cried to a book as much as I did to God in Ruins. I literally had to put it down and have a full on 10 minute sob it was tragic. I think I shouted Nooooo out loud.

I can't bear reverie
Or "myriad of" ...

Not Kate Atkinson but I find a lot of words that writers use instead of ‘said’ annoying. This happens a lot in children’s books. Eg ‘smiled’. I know they’re trying to make it more interesting but ‘said’ is so much easier to read and you can concentrate on what they’re actually saying and keep things moving on.

I’m going to have to read god in ruins now.

I’m going to have to read god in ruins now. You must read Life after Life first or it won't make sense especially the ending.

I blame editors, shouldn't they suggest alternative words if one is used too much? One Irish author uses 'gunned the accelerator' way too much...I can't remember which one!
I plan to reread all my Kate Atkinsons.

It will only get worse with the National Curriculum. When my grandson was in primary school he said Roald Dahl wasn't a very good writer because he used the word 'bad' instead of a Wow word.

Wow words ffs. Disclaimer - I was a primary teacher and my daughter is one now.

@CaptainmyCaptain
Thanks! I will

If you are fans of Jackson Brodie, have you the adaptation with Jason Isaacs?

Loved Life after Life but hated the first Jackson Brodie. Didn't notice any puzzling. Voted YANBU anyway.

KA is a literary genius. Even better, she understands dogs. She can do no wrong.

Don't ever read any Peter James will you? The amount of times Roy Grace eyes up and describes the breasts of any female he comes across is unbelievable

Spieluhr god I hate padding as well.

Love KA and haven't read Trancription yet, but will definitely notice the puzzling now.

My pet peeve is the word sanguine. It is almost always used incorrectly. Lisa Jewell uses it (incorrectly) at least once in every book and it winds me up.