Why do people dislike Richard Osman books?

[poppymango]

I've read a couple of the Thursday Murder Club books, and I did enjoy them, though I do think they are slightly overrated. Certainly not the worst novel I've ever read, though (that honour goes to Dawn O'Porter!)

I've seen a lot of people saying that his books are just awful, and I'm wondering why. I wouldn't call myself a prolific reader and I'm not educated beyond secondary school level so I thought perhaps I'm missing something other people can see... something in the structure, character, writing style, plot? I'm really curious to know what it is that bothers people so much. I thought they were fun but harmless - and sometimes that's what you want in a book - but would love a perspective on this from someone who knows more about literature than I do.

No style nor substance. Very basic storylines with backgrounds and plots stolen from other, more successful, authors. No plot twists and turns. Boring 2d characters. Lots of repetition. Far too woke. It’s as if he’s written the book by checklist.

I read the first Thursday Murder Club when it first came out. I had to suspend my disbelief over the policing aspects but found it an enjoyable read.

It probably helped that I read it very early before it became a best seller. When a book or series becomes a best seller, is overhyped and is absolutely everywhere then it rarely lives up to the hype and many readers are bound to be disappointed.

I lent my copy to my mum. She enjoyed the mystery but what stood out to her (as a widow) was the description of grief. She felt that Richard Osman really got it.

As pp said, the description of Stephen's dementia, his increasing cognitive decline as the series progresses and his relationship with Elizabeth (particularly in relation to his dementia) are all very well done.

Fwiw, since Richard Osman's books have been so successful, there does seem to be a glut of celebrity penned crime books. But when his book first came out, I read that crime writers were generally accepting of him as he was known to love good crime fiction, was a regular at relevant book festivals etc. I don't know if that's true but it seems plausible

Quintessential, middle-class, predictable English twee spring to mind. I have only read TTMC and that was more than enough.

Of course, he only got the initial publishing deal because of who he is, not because of any literary talent he may or may not have. I do find it irritating that ‘famous’ people seem to benefit from having a much lower bar than an unknown individuals trying to get published for the first time.

I thought his first book was very overrated, although I’d say his subsequent titles have slightly improved. I do generally find them a bit two dimensional and utterly unbelievable.

In fairness, I think he got his deal because of his nous as a producer of popular light entertainment as well as his existing public profile — it’s very clear from TTMC that this is someone who has thought an awful lot about what formats entertain people, how to capture and keep attention etc, what constitutes ‘likeability’ etc. An agent signing a book is only ever thinking ‘Can I sell this?’ An editor buying a book is thinking ‘Will this sell enough to recoup costs and make a healthy profit compared to our outlay in advance/ marketing/ publicity etc?’

I write novels, and several times an editor has loved something of mine, but not been able to get it past the finance people at an Acquisitions meeting. You can see why they’ll grab onto a predictably likeable sure thing.

Can't speak personally but my daughter read the first one and said it was just mediocre - nothing outstanding at all. She felt that if it had not been written by a "celebrity" then it would have struggled to find a publisher.
Sadly this seems to be the same with many books nowadays. I really feel sorry for genuine new authors trying to get a book deal.

I got half way through the first one but was bored to tears and gave up. He obviously has a great marketing team behind him but he's very over hyped in my view.

Yup

It’s just really disappointing.

Wasn't keen on the first TMC book but as a series, he has improved as a writer and they are easy, comforting reads. New series was more polarising.
But we always cut down our tall poppies in this country. Osman is clearly a smart bloke, who deserves his success. But there will always be inverted snobbery about his work, the same as Dan Brown, because they are deemed basic.

I listened to them on audiobook which made them very entertaining!

I like Richard Osman (although his refusal to criticise anyone on the rest is entertainment is getting a bit irritating) but barely got through the first 10% of We Solve Murders. It just became a bit annoying - cliched characters and too much tell and not enough show.

If you want a funny and lightweight crime caper you can’t beat Simon Brett. His Charles Paris books are great - funny and Charles Paris as a character is fab (washed up, semi-alcoholic actor). He also does the Fethering mysteries as well feature great female protagonists. They are not literally masterpieces but the original version of cosy crime.

Isn’t it just like lots of other things - music , clothes, art, TV - some people love, some hate and others re in the middle?

it’s nothing really to do with education and literary knowledge although that can change how you see books I guess and may make you better able to spot a book that will have impact through the decades or to read beyond the story into some deeper understanding of the time , politics or human state of being

i sometimes think some people are a little snobby about fun and harness entertainment ? But many a time in life ( mostly ) I need the book to be an escape not another “learning opportunity to challenge my thinking and broaden my mind” as it were

I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t a book I couldn’t put down, quite the opposite in fact. I had to push myself to read it so I could get it finished. This took me 18 months 😂

I've never got round to reading the Charles Paris books but I love the BBC dramatisations with Bill Nighy. They're one of my favourite comfort listens.

This one increasingly unloved copy of the first one was knocking around my hospital ward for the whole time I was there. Five weeks. Not one of us actually read it. It just sat there and various people picked it up and gave up after a few minutes! Don't know who they're aimed at but my ward mates were exclusively women aged 70-90 and they all thought it was boring.

Difficult to say. I have tried three times with the Thursday Murder Club and just didn’t get hooked.I’m normally ‘I’ve started so I’ll finish’ sort of person (which is why I tried three times). I watched the Netflix adaptation and enjoyed it but then was annoyed that everyone said it wasn’t true to the book which is when I tried the third time but, no, couldn’t get in to it.

Having said that I think there can be a lot of snobbery about books and some people are determined not to like a popular book no matter what.

I've read the first Thursday Murder Club as it was a gift but I like my crime fiction rather meatier than this was so haven't bothered with any other of his books.

Currently struggling with a Jeffrey Archer book, probably won't read another. 😂

It’s just personal preference. He’s sold shedloads of books so clearly is doing something right. Thursday Murder Club wasn’t for me, but DH is reading and enjoying We Solve Murders.

I think even people who didn't much care for the novel thought it was several hundred percent better than the film adaptation which was a bit paint-by-numbers, deleted any complexities and made some very odd casting decisions (Pierce 'Smoothie' Brosnan as a hotheaded retired union leader, geezer and rabblerouser who was obviously invented to be played by Ray Winstone or someone from EastEnders?)

People are so funny, ‘I didn’t enjoy this so it must be for dull and unintelligent people’.

I’m very possibly dull, not at all unintelligent, pretty well read and multiple degrees, and liked them just fine. Comfort reads/ listens. I’ve looked for similar when I’ve been in the mood for similar, and tried other cosy crime but it hasn’t worked for me.

They're not great works of literature but they’re entertaining enough, I quite often enjoy having an undemanding audiobook on the go for when I struggle sleeping and they fit the bill - that sounds sneery and it’s not meant to be because I’ve honestly enjoyed them all, they get silly and stretch credulity at times but I can live with that.

People say they dislike them because they wrongly think that it’s clever and sophisticated to say you dislike things which are popular. You see it a lot on here. Same goes for pretending you have never heard of famous people. Deeply tedious.

Well, he must be doing something right. I bought the first two or three in the TMC series in a charity shop, and I did read them, but I re-donated because I couldn't see myself either reading them again or getting any more. They weren't really my cup of tea. I expect he's fine with that.

I agree Brett's books are very much better if you want cosy type mysteries/crime. His characters are three dimensional and engaging which is what you need in a genre which tends to stretch credibility for murders per square metre. He is a very good observer of human behaviour and its frailties.

If Osman had been Mary Smith trying to get published I doubt they would be published. I think pp who said they read like a setting/proposition for a TV series is write. The concept of the retirement setting could work well but the characters get less believable rather than more over time. The dementia storyline was well done.

It doesn't surprise me if they have done well in the US - he would have the best promo slots from his publisher and presents well very on the media. Its also a setting much more familiar to a US audience.

My general beef with all the celebs descending on this genre is that genre fiction writers are disproportionately female and they struggle to get published. Every time a celeb takes one of the publishing slots for the genre it means less opportunity for new writers. Publishers know that a celeb name on a book is likely to give a big sales boost even if the books are never read. Its even more annoying when the celebs use ghost writers.

Thanks for the Simon Brett recommendation, i am between books at the moment and just downloaded one of his. I do think there is a bit of book snobbery around certain authors but its not surprising that people like different things. I read and enjoy a lot of classics but I also enjoy TMC when I want something light. Different strokes and all that.