Appointment with Disappointment: When Great Authors Misfire

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Once in a while we’re surprised to read a not-great book by a great novelist.

My latest experience with this: Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty. The Australian writer is one of my favorite living authors (along with Margaret Atwood, Lee Child, John Grisham, Kristin Hannah, Elin Hilderbrand, Barbara Kingsolver, Val McDermid, Walter Mosley, Kate Quinn, and J.K. Rowling, to name a few). I loved Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, Apples Never Fall, The Husband’s Secret, and The Hypnotist’s Love Story — all A+ or A novels “in my book.” 🙂 Then came 2024’s Here One Moment, which I finished a few days ago.

Or, rather, struggled to finish. Here One Moment features an off-putting premise — a woman having a “mental episode” walks down the aisle of a packed in-flight plane telling passengers and crew members when and how they’re going to die. (Among the recipients of these unwanted predictions are children and 20-something adults informed that their lives will end in a few months or a few years — especially alarming news for young people.) Then, as the novel goes on, some of the seeming prophecies start to come true.

Another reason I wasn’t a huge fan of Here One Moment is that it jumps around to focus on quite a few characters, so it’s hard to get invested in them. Ambitious fiction, but scattered fiction. The only person who gets the full treatment is the supposed psychic, who has had a difficult life. So this repressed, not particularly likable woman is “humanized” more than the rest of the book’s cast.

Still, Here One Moment is very well-written, has some compelling sections, offers a “live life to the fullest because you never know when it might end” message, and does get better as it goes on. Also, I have to give some props to Moriarty for coming up with such a wild story line.

Despite the negatives, I’ll read the next Moriarty book when it’s published. No author writes a masterpiece each time; inspiration can come and go, life events can interfere, etc. And I should add that other readers might of course have different feelings about a novel; Here One Moment has a pretty high average of 4.3 stars (out of 5) on Amazon. Some of the 1- and 2-star reviewers who didn’t like the book sounded rather incredulous about all the positive ratings. 🙂

As I’ve mentioned in a couple of years-ago posts, there are other examples of past and present authors I love who’ve written what I consider not-great novels. Among them (with their disappointing books in parentheses) are Willa Cather (Sapphira and the Slave Girl), Wilkie Collins (A Rogue’s Life), James Fenimore Cooper (The Spy), the aforementioned John Grisham (Skipping Christmas), Stephen King (Cell), Jack London (A Daughter of the Snows), Carson McCullers (The Member of the Wedding), Herman Melville (Mardi), Richard Russo (Chances Are…), Erich Maria Remarque (Shadows in Paradise), Martin Cruz Smith (The Siberian Dilemma), and Edith Wharton (The Touchstone).

Sometimes the misfire is a debut novel as the author is trying to gain their creative footing. Sometimes it’s a final novel when the author is in ill health or perhaps low on ideas. Sometimes a disappointing novel happens in mid-career. And, again, people might differ and be fans of books others don’t like so much.

Any novels, written by favorite authors, that you weren’t thrilled about?

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113 thoughts on “Appointment with Disappointment: When Great Authors Misfire”

  6. Hi Dave! Liane M already lost me with Apples Never Fall, I’m afraid, even though I loved others of her books. And Barbara Kingsolver lost me with Poisonwood Bible, only to get me back again with Demon Copperhead (which made me read an earlier book, Unsheltered, which was excellent, too.) I suppose with authors whose earlier books I’ve loved, I should always read the first fifty pages of their new books to see if I discover another winner, even when they’ve already produced what, for me, are several losers in a row. The reasons we take to a book or reject it are so complicated. They can have almost as much to do with our pasts, what’s going on in our lives, and how we’re feeling as with the quality of the book!

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    • Thank you, Kim! I struggled to like “Apples Never Fall” for a while, but it grew on me and I ended up feeling it was quite good by the time I finished it. I guess I’m more a fan of “The Poisonwood Bible” than you were, but totally agree that “Unsheltered” and “Demon Copperhead” are both excellent.

      And, yes, the reasons we might not like a novel a lot can sometimes lie not with the book itself but with our mood and such. Great point!

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  7. She’s one of my favorites too, Dave, so your ‘review’ is interesting. I loved all the books of hers that you mentioned, but because of this depressing story line, I’ll probably pass. Reality has enough scary stuff in it, so I’m focusing on lighter stories and poetry for now. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

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  8. A very interesting post Dave! The trend I seem to notice is that I prefer the earlier work of my favourite authors such as Val McDermid or Martina Cole! Or it could be just me! How I loved the point you made in last week’s post about looking forward to having a read before an appointment and then you actually get called in on time!!! So funny and true! Thanks Dave, have a great week! Sharon

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    • Thank you, Sharon! Sometimes the earlier work of authors is indeed best — they’re not repeating themes, for one thing. But I find I also like the later work of authors in a number of cases — more “mature,” accomplished writing. Re Val McDermid, I love novels from all parts of her career, including her recent Karen Pirie series.

      Glad you liked that part of my previous post! I actually have a doctor’s appointment this morning that I’ll bring a book to. Will see how much reading I get in before being seen. 🙂

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      • Thank you for your reply Dave! You make some interesting points! You have mentioned Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie series before. I have not read any! Dave, where is a good place to start?
        I hope your doctor’s appointment is a little delayed, so you can sneak in a little beloved reading!!! But not too delayed! Thanks once again, with best wishes, Sharon. Ps: how is your toe now? Better I hope.

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  9. I think we occasionally get that disappointing book because the parts the writer edited out in their first great book were the ones they really wanted to include. It’s like films, what if that scene was not cut? There’s got to still be a longing to include those parts. It’s like an unrequited love thing.

    “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

    Unfortunately, some darlings won’t stay dead. I can’t think of any book I’ve been disappointed in. But there are books I most definitely wanted to change.

    Nice theme Dave. Susi

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    • Thank you, Susi! Very interesting point! I can see how some writers, once they achieve a level of fame, have the clout not to be edited as much and might include stuff in a later book that they love but readers might not.

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  10. I can’t really say, as I have only read a bunch of books, by a few authors.

    Joy’s books and Nancy Drew (collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene.) lots of Tennessee Williams (plays). Some stories are better than others, but I like them all.

    It’s not fair to say this and that book were disappointments if I only read that one or 2 by an author.

    It’s like an Agatha Christie novel:

    Appointment with Disappointment

    Ten novels are all sitting around an Art Deco salon. A Dashiell Hammett novel, The Maltese Falcon, paces prodigiously about the room, turns and waves an accusing hand about.

    “One of you has disappointed!”

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  11. I definitely agree with you that ‘no author writes a masterpiece each time ‘. It’s like football where some of the greatest stars mishoot, miscore. Ironically, this case reminds the not-so high grade I got in a course that I had aced during the whole module! Not easy to explain! I like your review too much. By the way, please, direct me to some rhetorical and argumentative works (on diversity, diversity management,…) to help improve my writing skills. Best regards, Ahmadou.

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    • Thank you, Ahmadou! Excellent analogy — even the greatest athletes are not going to be great every time.

      Sorry about that not-so-high grade that should have been a high grade.

      Rhetorical and argumentative works with diversity themes? Unfortunately, I read very few nonfiction books. (I have to focus on novels to “feed” this blog. 🙂 ) If you’re looking for novels with diversity themes, one that comes to mind is Zadie Smith’s excellent “White Teeth.”

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      • You’re most welcome and, yes, I do love reading novels. So, thank you indeed. I look forward to further diversity novels whenever possible. Renewed gratitude, Ahmadou.

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        • I also find that many John Grisham and Walter Mosley novels have excellent diversity elements.

          Grisham: A Time to Kill, The Racketeer, The Confession, The Judge’s List, A Painted House, Sooley, etc.

          Mosley: Devil in a Blue Dress, A Red Death, Down the River unto the Sea, Every Man a King, Always Outnumbered Always Outgunned, etc.

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  12. As usual a great topic, Dave, although I struggle to find any texts that fit. I’ll admit that I’ve found some classics by the great authors not too good, but that’s usually because by some strange process I end up reading their debut novels last – and of course, they were still learning their craft then, so more often than not the work doesn’t come up to the standard of their later, more practised and polished, work. I’ll admit too that I didn’t even bother to read the later books of the late, great Fay Weldon–she seemed to have written everything she could about women’s situations and turned to lightweight historical fiction, which doesn’t interest me. That said, her ‘Death of a She-Devil’ wasn’t up to the standard of ‘The Life and Loves of a She-Devil’, and I got the impression she wrote it out a sense of getting a bit more mileage from the topic before she turned to the aforementioned historical fiction. I did have a difficult time recently getting into ‘Ordinary Decent Criminals’ by my latest favourite, Lionel Shriver, but decided that my head wasn’t in the right place and put it aside for another day. I’ve seen friends disappointed by bad or sloppy novels from their favourite authors – a book from Harlen Coben springs to mind, with my friend awarding it zero stars on account of plot holes and other issues. Other than that, however, I’m usually pretty satisfied with the offerings of my favourites. Thanks for another great exercise of the little grey cells, and have a good week. 🙂

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    • Thank you, Laura! I’ve also often read the early novels of great authors after reading what are considered their best books, and the debuts can be a bit disappointing. But there are of course some transcendent first novels — such as “Wuthering Heights” and “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

      I’ve read only one Fay Weldon novel — “The Bulgari Connection” — and could take it or leave it. Yes, when an author tries too hard to replicate a popular success, things don’t always work out.

      Lionel Shriver? I’ve also enjoyed several of her books, but was rather appalled by the enormous plot twist at the end of her otherwise excellent “Big Brother.”

      Have a good week, too!

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  13. I have read (and enjoyed) six or seven of JoJo Moyes books (with Me Before You and the Giver of Stars) my favorites. I recently read Peacock Emporium, though, and was disappointed. I have liked some of Harlan Coben’s books better than others and am mostly disappointed with inaccuracies that an editor should have caught. Kristen Hannah is one of my favorite authors (The Nightingale and The Women being my favorites); I was disappointed in The Four Winds (I thought it would have benefitted from editing). I keep reading authors I like, even when one book disappoints. (I am loyal that way.)

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    • Thank you, Madeline! I agree that favorite authors should always be given another chance (or two). 🙂

      “The Four Winds”? Perhaps it could have been tightened a little, and it might have been influenced a bit too much by “The Grapes of Wrath,” but I did like it. 🙂

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  14. I enjoyed this post and, as always, the discussion, Dave. I don’t have any books that I’d consider a disappointment. Of course I don’t enjoy every book by every author to the same degree, but I tend to cut most authors a little slack.

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  15. I don’t recall any specific favorite author/book. But, it happens. I haven’t always connected with the premise of a story by one of my favorite authors. But, as you’ve mentioned, that doesn’t mean that I’ll stop reading their work. Then again, we differ as readers in what stories move us or turn us off.

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    • Thank you, Rosaliene! Great points!

      Yes, favorite authors rarely satisfy every reader every time. I can think of very few novelists I love who didn’t disappoint at least once; for instance, there was one Kristin Hannah novel (“Firefly Lane” sequel “Fly Away”) I felt wasn’t that good.

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  16. Another stellar post, Dave! I’m looking forward to the follow up discussion on this one. You’ve captured it so well—there’s no single point in a writer’s life where misfires are immune. Debuts can be wobbly with ambition, endings can be clouded by fatigue or illness, and even mid-career novels sometimes lose their way. That unpredictability is part of what makes literature feel so human.

    In my own experience, I’ve found quite a few misfires in nonfiction too—books that felt scattered, repetitive, or out of balance. But even then, I usually come away with something—a line, an idea, or a small shift in perspective. Sometimes the value isn’t in the whole, but in what it reveals along the edges.

    And you’re right—one person’s misfire might be another’s quiet favorite. That’s the beautiful subjectivity of reading. Always a great conversation when I stop by your place. And as always, I found a great quote to go with this discussion.

    “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” René Descartes

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    • Thank you, Rebecca! “Debuts can be wobbly with ambition” — GREAT line. Sometimes authors understandably try too hard with their first novels. And, yes, nonfiction by excellent writers might also be disappointing on occasion; for one thing, biographies can be affected by how interesting or not interesting the subject of the biography is. But, as you say, readers can take away something valuable from almost any book.

      I agree that the conversation about this topic has already been terrific — as is that Descartes quote!

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  17. Hi, Dave (it’s Ada, aka Introverted Bookworm here); not sure if I’m back to my Anonymous state or not, so thought I’d drop that in before commenting! Sorry to hear about Here One Moment. It can be disappointing when this happens. My partner is a massive fan of Grisham’s books, and occasionally doesn’t like one of them. However, he keeps buying them, in the hope they’ll live up to his past favorites! 😊

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    • Thank you, Ada! John Grisham IS, for the most part, a remarkably consistent author. I’ve read maybe 20 of his novels, and the only one I thought was so-so was the “Skipping Christmas” one mentioned in my post. Also, his “Calico Joe” was somewhat of a disappointment. But I found the rest of his novels very compelling; I can understand why your partner is a fan! 🙂

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  18. I’m often disappointed in well-reviewed or recommended books. “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn is a prime example. “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen. I would not go near another book by either author, those books so irritated me. Yet I know I’m in a small small minority there. (K)

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    • Thank you, Kerfe! I totally hear you! When a novel is rapturously reviewed and/or becomes a mega-bestseller, I can get a bit suspicious. 🙂 That said, while I haven’t read “Gone Girl” I did read “Freedom” and thought it was pretty good while not living up to “The Great American Novel” hype. I did really like Jonathan Franzen’s earlier “The Corrections.”

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      • I can’t remember exactly what it was about Franzen that irritated me. But I tend not to like those kinds of upper middle class family angst books. My friends are always recommending them to me so clearly I’m out of touch with what most people want to read.

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        • I also don’t always like “upper middle class family angst books” (well put!). The characters in them too often have “first world problems,” as the saying goes. That’s one of the reasons why Franzen, while admittedly a talented writer, is not among my favorite novelists.

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  19. Thank you for sharing this review, dear Dave!Even though you say the novel is well written, has some gripping parts, and offers a valid message, I think your disappointment will not motivate me to read “Here One Moment”

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  20. My most recent disappointment was Abraham Verghese’s “Cutting for Stone.” I’d read “The Covenant of Water” of his first and loved it, but Cutting had too much medical stuff in it and not enough emotion. I couldn’t bring myself to finish it, which is rare.

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    • Thank you, Marie! Yes, when a book has too much detail about a certain something and too little emotion, that’s a recipe for disappointment. And it’s interesting how a skilled author can be at the top of her or his game with one book and not as compelling with another.

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  21. Thank you for this post, Dave.
    Like Liz I can’t think of a book that’s been a disappointment recently, but I appreciate the detail you’ve provided about how and why Moriarty’s “Here One Moment” missed the mark for you – and examples of how/why “misfires” happen. 😊

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  22. I can’t think of any off the top of my head. The closest I can come is reading William Faulkner’s complete collected stories from cover to cover. I could tell the stories that had been written because he needed money and the ones he wrote art’s sake. I wasn’t disappointed; I just thought it was interesting.

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  23. The third of Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast books, Titus Alone, was a real disappointment. Titus isn’t a particularly likeable character, for one thing. It’s Gormenghast castle and its inhabitants that’s the real “character” of the books.

    I think ill health may have been a factor. Peake’s widow apparently tried to write a sequel, but I don’t know how that worked out.

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    • Thank you, Audrey! I haven’t read that series, but it sounds like an excellent example of this topic. Series, trilogies, etc., can definitely contain great and less-great books. For instance, I thought the third of “The Hunger Games” trilogy wasn’t that great after finding the first two books very compelling.

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