Are You a City Cat or Country Cat When Reading?
Are you more of a city cat or a country cat when it comes to your selection of which novels you read? Or does the setting make any difference, at all? A cracking good story is a cracking good story, no matter where it might take place. Several large U.S. cities that have been used as settings make me think twice before I do any outlining for a new crime novel.
So many books I've read are set in NYC, for example. Now, I'll read any Matt Scudder title, even if it's cast in NYC, but that's because Lawrence Block can make me see something different about NYC. Boston also gets a pass from me. My wife's family is from Boston, and my sports hero Ted Williams played his baseball career there, so I love the city. I just can't write yet another novel placed there.
Lately, my crime novels have taken place in fictitious suburbs in Northern Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. I call them New Yvor City (the posh) and Old Yvor City (the gritty). There's something unique (to me, at least) about dwelling in a suburb. I just haven't been able to get a handle on what it is. Yet.
Happy reading to you and yours!
So many books I've read are set in NYC, for example. Now, I'll read any Matt Scudder title, even if it's cast in NYC, but that's because Lawrence Block can make me see something different about NYC. Boston also gets a pass from me. My wife's family is from Boston, and my sports hero Ted Williams played his baseball career there, so I love the city. I just can't write yet another novel placed there.
Lately, my crime novels have taken place in fictitious suburbs in Northern Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. I call them New Yvor City (the posh) and Old Yvor City (the gritty). There's something unique (to me, at least) about dwelling in a suburb. I just haven't been able to get a handle on what it is. Yet.
Happy reading to you and yours!
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Heather
(new)
May 01, 2012 09:05PM
I'm tired of New York and Boston belongs to the Robert B. Parker novels. For the most part I like small town settings. They have a close knit feel to them that can be "feel good" or creepy depending on the direction and genre of the story.
reply
|
flag
Heather wrote: "I'm tired of New York and Boston belongs to the Robert B. Parker novels. For the most part I like small town settings. They have a close knit feel to them that can be "feel good" or creepy dependin..."I haven't read a RBP Spenser novel in a while, but the Boston setting seems pretty embedded. I agree with the close-knit feel for small town settings. Thanks for the comments. Enjoyed them.
I like both. George Pelecanos makes DC and it's Maryland suburbs live and breathe so well it's like the city becomes a character itself. On the other hand I love reading about Daniel Woodrell's hard Ozark folk and James Lee Burke's lyrical New Iberia makes me miss home.
B wrote: "I like both. George Pelecanos makes DC and it's Maryland suburbs live and breathe so well it's like the city becomes a character itself. On the other hand I love reading about Daniel Woodrell's..."
Those three authors's settings work for me, too. Thanks for the good comments and reading Pelham, B. Much appreciated.
I like both, as well. There are certain stories that are more at home in the different settings. Of course, it's also fun to pull an urban storyline into a country setting or vice versa. I'm also a sucker for books set in places I know, be they small places or large.
Tania wrote: "I like both, as well. There are certain stories that are more at home in the different settings. Of course, it's also fun to pull an urban storyline into a country setting or vice versa. I'm als..."I like the idea of using both settings in a single novel. That provides a nice contrast between the two settings. Thanks for the idea and comments!
it's the story, not the setting. although sometimes the setting is the story or at least "colors" the story. but for me it's the plot, diaglogue and characters.
Michele wrote: "it's the story, not the setting. although sometimes the setting is the story or at least "colors" the story. but for me it's the plot, diaglogue and characters."Setting seems to take a back seat to the other items you list for me for a lot of books I read, too. Thanks.
Heather wrote: "I'm tired of New York and Boston belongs to the Robert B. Parker novels. For the most part I like small town settings. They have a close knit feel to them that can be "feel good" or creepy dependin..."You need to check out his Jessy Stone series
I agree with most of the above comments, new locals add to the interest. I like to learn something new about anything that I read for pleasure. I wont my author to educate me in some way,and new locals can help do that.
sarg wrote: "I agree with most of the above comments, new locals add to the interest. I like to learn something new about anything that I read for pleasure. I wont my author to educate me in some way,and new lo..."The local color to settings is a nice feature to a story. Absolutely.
Cracked Rearview Mirror
Enjoy reading my fiction? Subscribe to Ed Lynskey's Books Newsletter by notifying me of your interest at: e_lynskey@yahoo.com and I will add you to my newsletter list. Thank you.
...more
- Ed Lynskey's profile
- 2712 followers
