From Devonshire tea to twinkly-eyed servants, here's a list of irritating errors, phrases and words that all serve to put me off a book. What are your bugbears?
Keep it simple … Crime writer Elmore Leonard stuck to 'said' or 'says'. Photograph: Carlos Osorio/AP
Of course we all make mistakes (and by the way, any errors in this blogpost are IRONIC), but I can't be the only avid reader who has a mental list of red flags when I'm reading a new book or writer. There are warning signs that tell me I am not going to enjoy this; things that make me go "hmmm". I've divided them into categories, and asked other people for their ideas (so don't blame me for all of them):
Spelling – I am astonished by how often minuscule, supersede and longueurs are misspelled, but it's a helpful alarm signal that this author isn't too careful. Confusing uninterested and disinterested is a giveaway, too.
Misquoting poetry – how hard is it? It is "they shall grow not old as we that are left grow old' NOT 'they shall not grow old …" and the rhythm of the line should tell you that. (A proper book from a proper publisher got this one wrong recently, but put it right for paperback.)
Putting the dialogue of some characters in supposedly phonetic dialect – RP isn't phonetic, so why do authors start dropping h's and g's when it is a working-class character?
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Spelling – I am astonished by how often minuscule, supersede and longueurs are misspelled, but it's a helpful alarm signal that this author isn't too careful. Confusing uninterested and disinterested is a giveaway, too.
Misquoting poetry – how hard is it? It is "they shall grow not old as we that are left grow old' NOT 'they shall not grow old …" and the rhythm of the line should tell you that. (A proper book from a proper publisher got this one wrong recently, but put it right for paperback.)
Putting the dialogue of some characters in supposedly phonetic dialect – RP isn't phonetic, so why do authors start dropping h's and g's when it is a working-class character?
More
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