SLCLS Genre Study discussion

What makes a mystery book gory? How many bodies? How much gore can you take before you put the book down?

I think my gore tolerance is actually higher in books than in movies or on TV. Maybe because I can sort of skip over it or just not visualize it. But if it has to do with animals- especially dogs or cats- then I'm done.

Cruelty towards animals or children is really hard to take, but one of the worst books I read recently began with a description of the murder of a young girl being tortured and killed from the victim's viewpoint. I won't be reading anymore of that series!

Like Jen, my tolerance is higher in a book than on the screen, but if it involves children -- I'm done.

I think it also depends on where it comes in the book. If it's right at the first, my tolerance is lower, but if I've already invested hours of reading time in the book I'm a little more willing to overlook it.

Also, I think the tone makes a difference. I wasn't really bothered by The Hunger Games at all, though I know people who were, maybe because I felt the violence was moralized?

I like to listen to bcds and I find that I can tolerate more gore reading than I can listening. Did anyone read/listen to our last Reader's Choice book "Graveminder"? Listening to the description of a dead zombie girl eat her very alive mother made my stomach turn. Had to return that one unfinished.

For me the gore tolerance is in the placement of the and the voice. I don't like it when the story get very violent in the first chapter with a step by step reenactment of the deed.

Until recently, I thought violence in books barely bothered me at all (although there are some things I can't quite stomach). I was reading a pretty gory series and felt like I hardly noticed the violence. And then suddenly, I started having horribly violent dreams. I still finished the series,though.

I can handle it in written form better than in audio, for the same reason that others have stated- I can skip it. If it's too unrelenting, though, I can't do it. I got about 10 pages into No Country for Old Men and had to quit. I'm kind of a wuss.

I guess for me it depends but I don't like the clinical descriptions in some mysteries, tried a Tess Gerritsen and got very uncomfortable with the autopsy details and had to stop. Yet I managed to get through the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series even though there were graphic descriptions of abuse, perhaps it was like others related above, listening is different than reading on the page.

I agree that print is better than audio for me. Something about hearing it makes the gore/detailed descriptions seem worse somehow. Print doesn't seem so bad, as though it is more removed.

Any violence with animals and kids ruins the story for me. I remember reading a mystery/horror/supernatural that described the sacrifice of a cat, and I was done.

I have to agree with the general consensus; I can handle more gore in print than I can in audio or visual formats. This totally confuses my family as I have the weakest stomach in the world, but there is something about the context of the gore that alters whether it bothers me or not.

Totally agree about the violence toward children and animals. If it’s mentioned in passing I can get through it—it still bothers me— but details have me putting the book down, or skipping to the end to make sure the “bad guy” gets his/her just rewards, but you can be sure I won’t be picking another book up by that author again.

Natalie wrote: "I like to listen to bcds and I find that I can tolerate more gore reading than I can listening. Did anyone read/listen to our last Reader's Choice book "Graveminder"? Listening to the description..."

I listened to that one. But since I don't particularly remember the part you're bringing up, I guess it didn't bother me! If you are a Melissa Marr fan because of her Wicked Lovely series, don't feel bad putting it down. I wasn't that enamored with it either.

I've never put down a book because of too much gore, so I'm not sure where my limit would be. I would guess the children thing would be hard. I saw Lovely Bones in the theater, and refuse to read the book because of the child-torture angle.

Heather wrote: "Natalie wrote: "I like to listen to bcds and I find that I can tolerate more gore reading than I can listening. Did anyone read/listen to our last Reader's Choice book "Graveminder"? Listening to..."

I was reading Lovely Bones when I was living in the Avenues and Elizabeth Smart had just been kidnapped. That was disturbing.

I can take more gore also in reading than in viewing something in a movie. But some gore is too revolting to even read.

It's not a mystery, but one of my favorite books is The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey and it is one of the bloodiest, most disgusting books I've ever read. The gore makes me wince, but I am always excited to see a new one come out in the series. I wonder what it is about that book that makes me overcome my usual unwillingness to read something really bloody.

Jennifer wrote: "It's not a mystery, but one of my favorite books is The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey and it is one of the bloodiest, most disgusting books I've ever read. The gore makes me wince, but I am alway..."

Guess I'll have to read it and see if I can help you shed some light....

Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan books have lots and lots of bodies and disturbing plot lines. I also picked up Chelsea Cain's Heartsick at the recommendation of a fellow librarian.

I used to lead a "Murder and Mayhem" book group at a local bookstore and in addition to run of the mill gutsy mysteries, we read quite a few true crime books. It was a little weird knowing that for the most part, these stories actually happened and were not from someone's imagination.

It doesn't bother me to have blood and guts in a book if it is a necessary part of the plot. But some authors include it for no reason other than shock value and to me that takes away from the story rather than adding to it.

For me it depends on how good the story is and if it feels like the writer is just trying for ick value. One year I read The Hundredth Man and Whiskey Sour for Readers Choice committee. They were both about serial killers. I loved The Hundredth Man and Whiskey Sour turned my stomach. Go figure.

I have become pretty good at skimming over any really gory scenes--I guess I could be missing clues, but it doesn't usually keep me from ultimately enjoying a good mystery.

I read and watch a lot of horror and I tend to drift to the more gory and graphic. I love splatterpunk fiction and slasher movies but like others in the group have mentioned, I have a hard time if it involves children or animals.

Angie wrote: "Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan books have lots and lots of bodies and disturbing plot lines. I also picked up Chelsea Cain's Heartsick at the recommendation of a fellow librarian.

I used to lead..."

What did you think of Heartsick? I remember reading that one years ago and being slightly disappointed that it wasn't as graphic as I was told by others. It was an interesting concept though. I thought it was interesting that the male protagonist was still so obsessed with the killer despite the torture she had put him through.

Steph wrote: "Angie wrote: "Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan books have lots and lots of bodies and disturbing plot lines. I also picked up Chelsea Cain's Heartsick at the recommendation of a fellow librarian.

..."

I liked it, but it wasn't my favorite. I agree, not nearly as graphic as I was led to believe, but for me, that's a good thing. I may pick up the next book but I guess it will depend on my mood.

We've talked a bit about violence and gore, but what about language? Sometimes it bothers me, sometimes it doesn't. What do you think?

For me it's the same as with the gore. I don't like reading it, and it's easier to skip over with my eyes than with my ears. So I try to avoid audiobooks where I know there will be a lot of it, but I don't necessarily avoid it altogether.

I don't have a problem with strong language. The majority of the movies I watch and the type of music I listen to are riddled with bad language so I feel I have become desensitized to it. It does make it tricky to recommend books to people who are bothered by strong language though.

Yes- whenever I'm reading I try to be aware of language for long enough to figure out if I can recommend the book as a gentle read, and as soon as I decide I can't, I relax and just enjoy the book.

I just got through with Lisa Gardner's new book. It is called TOUCH AND GO. Tiny, tiny bit of language from the bad guys. The book had many twists and turns and was very enjoyable. I did figure out who the main bad guy was before the end but it didn't matter. I liked the book anyway.

For me, it sort of depends on why the strong language is there. If it is gratuitous, I won't read the book. That's why I stopped reading Tom Clancy. However, if the language fits into the story and serves a purpose, I can generally overlook it and enjoy the rest of the book. Either way, it's nice to be able to know what to tell people when doing reader's advisory.

I agree with Leslie. If it serves a purpose, I'm okay with it. If it's non-fiction and that's the way the author talks, okay fine.

I also noticed I may be the weird one here, but I can watch more gore than I can read. Go figure. I watch mysteries, but don't read them. Sherlock Holmes was about as detailed as I could stand with a murder scene. I am okay with violence in non fiction too.