Perfection Is an Imaginary Confection

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Readers seeking perfection can…look up “perfection” in a dictionary. Because they’re not going to get it from even the best authors.

Yes, once in a while the best authors are going to produce, say, B+ or B- novels instead of A+ or A- ones. That’s okay, and human. Maybe the novelists had stress in their personal lives when writing the less-than-fantastic books — including being ill or ultra-busy. Maybe the authors tackled a different genre or overdid the experimenting and things didn’t work as well as they had hoped. Maybe the authors were writing sequels and became a bit bored with the same characters they had depicted before. Maybe all the conditions were right, but great authors are not machines churning out one masterpiece after another without exception.

I thought about all this last week while reading Kristin’s Hannah’s Fly Away, the sequel to her novel Firefly Lane — which I had read the previous week. I was prepared to be wowed again after the brilliance of Firefly Lane and three other Hannah efforts I had read this year: The Nightingale, Home Front, and The Great Alone.

But Fly Away turned out to be good not great. I found it overly dramatic and super-depressing for the most part, and also felt it jumped around in time too much and featured several major characters who did obviously dumb things despite being smart people. Partly explained by the grief they were feeling after the death of the co-protagonist in Firefly Lane, but it seemed their behavior was more about getting some plot gears going.

Still, the book did have some powerfully affecting moments, and we learned how the mother of one of the main characters — a mother who was not there for her young daughter in Firefly Lane — became so emotionally damaged.

Now that I’m done with Fly Away, I’m still a big fan of Hannah and will be reading more of her other novels in the future — because, again, no writer is perfect. (Well, maybe late Fleetwood Mac songwriter Christine McVie was perfect, given that her maiden name was…Perfect.)

Sometimes, lesser efforts can be attributed to novels being earlier-in-career works written before the authors’ writing fully matured. For instance, after rereading Fyodor Dostoevsky’s iconic Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov a few years ago, I tried his novel The Insulted and the Injured. Quite good, but nowhere near the same level.

The flip side of that can be late-career or even final novels written when the authors’ abilities are past their peak, their health might be failing, and/or they’re almost out of interesting ideas. I love or like virtually all of Willa Cather’s work — including My Antonia and Death Comes for the Archbishop — but her last book Sapphira and the Slavegirl was cringe. Jack Finney’s final novel — a sequel to the transcendent Time and Again — was the mediocre From Time to Time.

I give John Steinbeck props for the high quirkiness quotient in Burning Bright, but it was hard to read compared to his top-notch novels such as The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden.

Among the major or relative disappointments by other authors I like a lot? A Daughter of the Snows by Jack London, Cell by Stephen King, Chances Are… by Richard Russo, and The Siberian Dilemma by Martin Cruz Smith.

Your thoughts on, and examples of, this topic?

My literary-trivia book is described and can be purchased here: Fascinating Facts About Famous Fiction Authors and the Greatest Novels of All Time.

In addition to this weekly blog, I write the 2003-started/award-winning “Montclairvoyant” topical-humor column for Baristanet.com every Thursday. The latest piece — about a controversial township manager situation and more — is here.

66 thoughts on “Perfection Is an Imaginary Confection”

  1. I’m unable to think of a reply.
    However, just for fun, I looked up perfection in my Roget’s Thesaurus.
    My head spinning with possibilities, I offer up that your blog is in mint condition.
    Better luck to me on next week’s topic!

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  2. Still writing at 90, Rumer Godden’s last book isn’t the mesmerising Black Narcissus (1939) – but worth reading – Cromartie versus The God Shiva Acting through the Government of India”
    1997
    Prefer Wives and Daughters to most of Elizabeth Gaskell’s earlier works.

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  3. Dashiell Hammett is among the foremost originators and early practitioners of hard boiled crime fiction.

    An old friend toiled away for decades in the bowels of academia as an American lit teacher, and he confessed himself to be so fond of “The Maltese Falcon” that he had memorized nearly all the dialog therein. Yep, a superfan.

    Me, I am but a fan, or at least I am too lazy to commit myself to a task of memorization so large. But I love that novel, and even more, I love “Red Harvest”, mostly because of one little scene involving a shoot-out which always reads to me as perfect and spare action writing.

    And who among us can resist the well-oiled charm of “The Thin Man?” Not me, for one. I am also fond of “The Glass Key”, a nifty political machine caper and murder mystery.

    But I actively loathe “The Dain Curse”, an uneven and tricky crime drama which relies too much on who dun it, red herrings by the bucket, and clumsy misdirection.

    3 out of 4 ain’t bad. But 1 out of 4 is.

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    • Thank you, jhNY! “3 out of 4 ain’t bad. But 1 out of 4 is” — GREAT line. Amazing that “The Dain Curse” was so bad when several other works by Dashiell Hammett were so good.

      And a very nice overview of that quartet of Hammett novels (two of which of course became very well-known movies or movie series).

      Memorization of an entire book? Doesn’t seem worth the effort. 🙂

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      • Agreed re memorization– but love makes folks do things.

        The other day, I had occasion to realize that of all the things in school I committed to (a most temporary) memory, the only one that stuck whole and entire came out of the 8th grade: “In Flanders Field”. God knows why, not me.

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  4. Hi Dave, what you have said here is very true. Everyone has first novels and everyone has lessor books. No writer can produce a To Kill a Mockingbird every time (that was demonstrated by the recently published related book). Hemmingway had great books and lessor ones as did King (already discussed). I liked the first Anne of Green Gables best. The others were good but just not quite as unique and interesting as the first book. I stopped reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand because I didn’t like the direction the story took with the weird romance. I really enjoyed Anthem. I DNFd Far From the Madding Crowd but I love Tess of the D’Urbervilles.

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    • Thank you, Robbie! Many excellent examples of authors and their lesser books and “bestest” books! I definitely agree about King, Hemingway, etc., and the “Anne of Green Gables” novels. I was happy that perhaps three or four of the “Anne” sequels were strong A-‘s or B+’s. 🙂 I thought L.M. Montgomery again entered “A” territory with her “The Blue Castle” and the “Emily” trilogy.

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  5. I agree, Dave. No such thing as perfection. Remember the catch phrase,ad nauseum, people would say, “perfect?” Was always, to me,a both bothersome and phony retort. If one sets themselves up for “perfection” they will disappoint themselves, in my opinion.
    As you mentioned Kristin Hannah, I also thought ” The Nightengale ” was a superb book. The other book I read by this prolific author was about the dust bowl. The “Four Winds.” Didn’t think the book was anywhere near as engaging as “The Nightengale. ” The later book not easy to put down and I cried at the end. “Four Winds” I was anxious for book to end, longer to read.

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    • Thank you, Michele! You’re absolutely right about perfection being impossible.

      I guess I was very lucky with my first four Kristin Hannah reads (two recommended, two chosen randomly). I agree about “The Nightingale” — superb! And sorry you didn’t like “Four Winds” nearly as much.

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  6. Well Dave, you have prompted me to digress. I agree, books can sometimes be disappointing, however, it is worth considering the perspective of writers on having disappointing readers. I have tossed off excellent books and writers simply because I was a disappointing reader. I didn’t take the time to go deeper into the narrative. When I returned to the book, just to confirm my initial assessment, I was chagrined to find that I wrong (it is difficult for me to admit this, but there is it….)

    So the question comes to mind: Are writers disappointed in their readers?

    Becoming better readers requires effort to understand the thought process behind a story or narrative. Merely criticizing is easy, but delving into the complexities of a writer’s mind is more challenging.

    Writers invest time, effort, and creativity into their work, hoping to connect with and engage their audience. When readers fail to appreciate or understand the writer’s message, it can be disheartening for the writer. This disappointment may stem from a lack of engagement, misinterpretation of the writer’s intentions, or a failure to recognize the writer’s skill and effort. Ultimately, writers desire their work to be understood, appreciated, and valued by their readers

    Another excellent discussion, Dave. I will be coming back for more comments. Many thanks for generating great ideas. I love when you prompt me to digress.

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    • Thank you, Rebecca! A superb angle on this discussion — meaning I LOVED your digression! Writers can indeed put out a wonderful product that isn’t appreciated by all readers — disappointing indeed for the novelists. Very well argued and explained; a brilliant mini-essay by you!

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    • HI Rebecca, thank you for adding this interesting perspective to the conversation. I agree that it is possible for readers to disappoint a writer. I have experienced this with my own writing. One reviewer of While the Bombs Fell said that he was expecting a ‘proper’ war book based on the title and that he felt I should have included an introduction in the front to say that the book was about civilians and from the perspective of a child. Ahem, this is the blurb on the back cover: What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2? Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden. Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia. Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes. I don’t usually mind what people say in reviews but this one really annoyed me!

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  8. Hi Dave. As a lifelong Stephen King fan, I have to say I was disappointed with Fairy Tale by him. I liked the beginning but found most of it boring after that. Tbh, I’m not much of a fantasy fan, but I did like practically all of his other novels.

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  9. I believe that Dickens’ “Hard Times” and Tolstoy’s late novel “Resurrection” (both of which I read) are not considered among their best works.

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  11. There are a number of mystery writers who’ve written 10 or more books; my favorite of all police procedural writers, Michael Connelly, has written 37, and I’ve read all of them. Like you, Dave, if I really like one book by an author, I read more of their work, and I accept that some will be better than others. Not every one of Michael Connelly’s books is equally good, but overall I think he’s brilliant. Sometimes, though, I get bowled over by how much I dislike something by a writer whose other books I’ve loved. That was the case for me when Barbara Kingsolver published “The Poisonwood Bible,” which many considered her best book until “Demon Copperhead” came out. I disliked “Poisonwood Bible” so much that I couldn’t finish it, even after I’d read several hundred pages! I even skipped her next book because of it. But “Demon Copperhead” is funny, deeply moving, and brilliantly written and makes up for everything. Perhaps when we can’t stand only one of a favorite writer’s many books, it’s because something about that particular book resonates badly with something inside us. Not the book’s fault and not our fault, just an impossible, undigestible combination.

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    • Thank you, Kim! So true that we can react unfavorably to certain books that are widely popular. We all have different tastes (which is a good thing 🙂 ) and of course our age, our personalities, our mood, and other factors that have nothing to do with the book and author can kick in. I’ve liked everything Barbara Kingsolver wrote, but I’ve also had instances where I’ve disliked a novel by other authors that MANY other people loved.

      I’ve read just one Michael Connelly novel — “The Lincoln Lawyer” — and enjoyed it very much.

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  12. I read several books of Kristin Hannah and I don’t remember most of them now. I don’t like Cell too. I love Nadia Hashimi’s books. Try one you’ll be surprised. There were years I got hook on Leon Uris and Robin Cook too.

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    • Thank you, Arlene! I put Nadia Hashimi on my list. 🙂

      “Cell” was definitely the clunkiest Stephen King novel I’ve read of the 15 or so of his books I’ve gotten to. I like a number of his novels a lot. 🙂 He’s amazing at building tension, among other things.

      I finally read Leon Uris a couple months ago — his Holocaust novel “Mila 18.” Horrific and riveting.

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  14. Hi Dave,

    Interesting question. I think so much of this depends on the reader. When I was about thirteen or fourteen I started reading Stephen King and in my opinion he could do no wrong. I just gobbled up every book I could find and never thought to question whether they were actually good. As I get older, I realise there’s more to writing a good novel than just making it fun. I recently re-read Stephen King’s “Rage” and found it to be quite immature and more than a little sexist which wasn’t the case last time. I haven’t read many of the books published this century, but I haven’t loved any of the ones I have read. Having said that, maybe some of the disappointment is because I go in with huge expectations, which is obviously a compliment to one of the world’s best known writers. I do very much want to re-read some more of the older books and see if they’re as good as I remember. Except “IT”. I have never understood the popularity of that book. But again, maybe it was just me.

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    • Thank you, Susan! A GREAT point that we can react differently to the same book at different ages. And, yes, sexism (and racism, homophobia, etc.) can definitely put a damper on a novel, though some are of course worth reading despite that. Excellent observation about expectations, too; expectations can really affect our reaction to a novel. (I’ll refrain from making a joke about “Great Expectations.” 🙂 )

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    • Hi Susan, your comments are interesting because I have been disappointed by all of King’s later novels. Interestingly enough though, I loved IT. One of my three favourites of his earlier books with the other two being The Shining and The Stand. I didn’t think the ending was as good as it could be been because the giant spider was distracting. But if you allow yourself to read beyond that spider, the actual alien spirit itself was impressive and clever.

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      • I loved “The Shining”, and “The Stand” is one of my favourite books ever. I’m hoping to re-read it this year. I think my favourite part of “It” was probably the bad guy. I also liked the tying together of the two time lines, but I just did not care about that group of main characters. And it drove me crazy that every time the only female character was mentioned, it came with a description of what she was wearing. And that sex scene really bothered me. Somehow I never read “It” when I was a teenager and only read it for the first time a couple of years ago. Maybe I would have had a different reaction if I’d read it as a fourteen year old, but somehow I don’t think so. I really don’t understand the love for this one. Though I’m fully ready to accept that I’m in the minority.

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        • HI Susan, I never really noticed those descriptions about Beverly. I did enjoy the child characters but I read this book when I was about 12 so that may have been why I connected to the children strongly. I liked the back story on Mike Hanlon’s father and the inclusion of Dick Halloran who is a favourite character of mine from The Shining. That sex scene was a bit weird, you are right, but King does like to shock.

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  15. Gulp. “Disappointing” is the reaction no author wants to hear from readers.

    I can think of three examples off the top of my head. In each case, I loved the debut novel but was disappointed in the next book of theirs I read.

    Alice McDermott’s That Night affected me deeply. I was disappointed in the next book of hers I read, but I don’t remember which one it was.

    I loved Brett Lott’s The Man Who Sold Vermont. Then I read Jewel, which just fell flat.

    I l also was very taken with Larry’s McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show, but I found the sequel, Texasville, lacking in any nuance or depth. The difference between the two novels was striking because the prose in Texasville was so much more polished than that of The Last Picture Show, but I no longer cared about any of the characters.

    The other example I can think of is William Faulkner’s Collected Stories. I read the book straight through, and I could tell which stories had been written ’cause baby needed a new pair of shoes.

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  16. Always topnotch writing, Dave, on any subject.

    Stephen King is one of those who seemed to write way below a level I would have expected from such a great name. Grisham is also disappointing, considering the slew of TV and movies he’s spawned.

    In Dubious Battle, John Steinbeck’s lesser known work, on the other hand, was good despite the obviously intended anti- (or was it pro?) Communist propagandizing. Like one of those films they made in the 40s raising the flag against the Nazis. Judging from that, I have a hard time imagining I wouldn’t like anything he wrote. That’s due to his prose style. Unless you were to include The Log from the Sea of Cortez in the mix.

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    • Thank you, Pablo! I’m a fan of Stephen King and John Grisham, but it’s true that some of their novels could be better. Still, they’re both so prolific that they’ve produced a huge amount of excellent writing amid the occasional missteps.

      “In Dubious Battle” should indeed be better known. I guess Steinbeck’s better-known novels overshadow some of his other work. I also think that author’s relatively obscure “The Moon Is Down” is a gem. And, yes, hard to truly dislike anything by Steinbeck.

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