Which authors' success is a complete mystery to you?

[emkana]

Tony Parsons

Jodi Picoult

Or even ones I'd forgotten...

Also, controversial I know, but Margaret Atwood, Jeanette Williams, and the woman who died a while ago - did fairy story type things - think they are all of a mass - you like them all or hate them.

That's true about the M in Iain Banks redadmiral. Although not sure about "arty".

I'll concede to Banks fans that the plots are good and twisty.

But the dialogue! The women!

Angela Carter!

Yes, Iorek. Very teenage guy mentality - bit like that ex, come to think about it...

I loved Angela Carter. One of my uni lecturers was quite impressed I'd read her.

Iain M Banks is responsible for arguably the very worst science-fiction I have ever read. Shallow, predictable, stereotyped, boring, with no foresight or vision. If he writes better stuff without the 'M', maybe he has a split personality who is actually a good writer.

Ian McEwan is good, though. I can't believe his name shows on this thread.

Ah, but Bookwormmum, do you you like the others in the set and therefore prove my theory, or do you think that Jeanette Winterson drivels on???

J K Rowling all the way.

Oh twinklemegan, oh, just oh!

Oh she's well overrated. If a child can read a whole one of those books in a day there isn't much merit to them IMO.

shakespeare

I haven't read any Jeanette Winterson, I may have read some of Margaret Atwood.

If I like one book by an author, I tend to hunt down the rest. Equally if one book puts me off, that's it as far as the rest of their work goes.

Only read 5 of the 11 pages but:

Sebastian Faulks. I'm really, really hoping for better from Engleby, but Birdsong and Charlotte Gray (yes, I was stupid enough to read a second, and sounds like I'm going to try a third too) I found totally implausible. And the last third of each was like trying to swim through treacle. euuuuch.

I want to come to the defence of Marian Keyes: I've only read one of her novels, which I thought was so-so, but really pretty good of its kind - but her journalism (Under the Duvet and Further Under the Duvet) is screamingly funny. I laughed until they had to pass me the oxygen (though that also might have had something to do with me being in labour).

@SenoraParnsip: "I hate it when mediochre authors intrude on my precious reading time. It makes me feel used and cheap.". I am so with you on this.

And Dan Brown is bollocks but that is surely obvious. The National Review got it spot on.

Kate Atkinson has written a few 'magic realism' books which I enjoyed but they're not to everyone's taste.

Sebastian Foulks - NO! - I read Charlotte Grey and actually found myself shedding real tears at the end re the young Jewish boys.

and in Birdsong there is a HOT sex scene,,,

Marianne Keyes?? Fluffy shit. IMVHO.

Does anyone else think that Fay Weldon is a massively underrated writer? (Have had a bee in my bonnet about this for years... )

Pan!!! have you read Rachel's Holiday?
it is not fluffy shit. it is interesting.

I've bookmarked that page to read later - thanks Flossie.

Believe it or not there are people trying to write in the style of Dan Brown - similar themes about big cover-ups at the Vatican, Church scandals going back centuries.

Mary Wesley - I struggled through the Camomile Lawn.

@Pan - BUT how can you believe that they fall in love in the first place?? It is SO contrived and I just couldn't get past that. yuck. Ditto Charlotte Gray. There may be good writing in there, but he could never get me to believe in the central pairing even one iota, therefore the rest of the book suffered.

Still going to give Engleby a go though, it sounds less annoying.

And have you read any of the Marian Keyes pieces? Yes, very fluffy (all from Vogue/New Woman/insert name of glossy mag that I never buy here) but honestly, the pieces are funny. I'm not trying to claim they are great literature though. In any sense.

about Ian McEwan. I really loved Atonement, but am now tempted to go back to The Go-Between (read when I was clearly to young to appreciate it) to disillusion myself.

Actually, yes, Kate Atkinson has done some books which veer from the completely believable (usually an important requirement for me), but I think most of her books are great. Have you read 'Emotionally Weird'?

Christ yes I'd forgotten Mary Wesley. Thought Camomile Lawn was not too bad but then tried Second Fiddle - big mistake.

[quiet voice] Does noone agree with me about Ms Weldon?

Terry Pratchett for me. I just don't get the attraction. DH reads them over and over but I can't get past the first few pages without being bored.