Don’t Judge a Book By Its Concept (and Other Lessons I’ve Learned From Recent Reading)
By Kristan Hoffman | October 30, 2023 |
For nearly a decade, I read 40-60 books a year. Then I had kids. Suddenly I was lucky if I could hit double digits by winter. Then there was a global pandemic, and I was lucky if I could hit double digits at all! Not that the number matters, of course. Nobody was counting (except my annual GoodReads Challenge tracker) and anyways, I firmly believe in quality over quantity.
That being said, there is no question that I am a happier person and better version of myself when I am reading. I imagine that is probably true for many of us writerly people, no? So this past summer, with the pandemic being “over” and my kids being marginally more self-sufficient, I was finally able to shake off my slump — and it felt like coming up for air after nearly drowning.
Whereas I had been going weeks between books, now I was flowing from one to the next in fairly quick succession, and in doing so, I found that my brain couldn’t help but carry on its internal conversation from Novel A to Novel B to Novel C… My mind kept sparking on connections between them, comparing and contrasting, finding patterns and through-threads, even though they didn’t necessarily seem related at first, and even though the order in which I read them was fairly random.
(I have many, many, many piles of books all over my house, and no plan or system for how to choose from amongst them. Again, probably true for most of us?)
Today I want to share a few of the observations I made from a handful of recent reads. These things may not be new or revolutionary, but they struck me nonetheless.
1. Concept is only a starting point.
“High concept” is a popular buzzword in entertainment. But it’s also kind of a trap. Because it encourages us to glorify the idea of a good idea, when the truth is, good ideas are just the beginning.
Three, arguably four, of these novels could have sprouted from the same basic seed: “celebrity romance.” But they are all totally different.
In Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here by Elissa R. Sloan, a former child actress recounts her life story to her daughters in order to convince them to help her escape an oppressive conservatorship. I wouldn’t actually call this book a romance, and yet the ups and downs of Hayley’s love life play a pivotal role in how her story unfolds.
In Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, a staff writer for a popular, nationally televised sketch comedy show finds herself courted by a pop music heartthrob. This book does lean into its name, but it also carries a slight political streak, as well as reveling in the joys (and frustrations) of a professionally creative life.
The most clear-cut “celebrity romance” book in this set is The Reunion by Kayla Olson, in which a new script brings together two former costars after a decade apart, and their old feelings quickly resurface. Sweet and simple, this novel is a good example of satisfying reader’s expectations in a genre.
Last but not least, in Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert, the daughter of famous influencers struggles with her family’s fame, and the price of maintaining something she never actually signed up for. I think a lot of people would not expect a Young Adult novel to tackle the terrain that this story dares to cover. Questions of loyalty, identity, faith, and most of all, authenticity.
Yes, all this and more, can sprout from the seed of “celebrity romance.” And while that is an incredibly oversimplified prompt, nevertheless, as a writer I find it reassuring to be reminded that the idea, no matter how good it might be, is not what really makes your story sing. The song comes from you, your unique take, your voice, your hours at the keyboard, all your experiences and obsessions passed through the prism of your mind and refracted, synthesized onto the page.
2. A well-written story can override distaste or disinterest.
I don’t particularly like tomatoes, but I love a fresh Caprese salad. I’m terrible at committing to exercise, but I happily took my dog for walks through the neighborhood every day. I used to think Korean pop was overly manufactured and shallow, but then I discovered BTS’s incredibly deep, personal, and varied discography.
If I hadn’t read Kelly Loy Gilbert previously, a book about influencers would have had zero appeal to me. But because I knew firsthand how strong and compelling her writing is, I trusted her to take me into that world — and she didn’t let me down.
Similarly, Gabrielle Zevin has said that no one (including herself) expected a long, quirky novel about three friends who create computer games to make much of a splash. But Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow spent many months on many bestseller lists, and sold more than a million copies globally.
“Interest” is all about context, and quality. The right story can open a reader’s mind to something that they might otherwise dismiss.
3. Content and form go hand in hand.
As I mentioned earlier, Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here uses the narrative framework of the protagonist talking to her teenage daughters. And it is not accidental irony that a book about a woman being silenced is told so strongly through her direct, first-person voice. In The Reunion, chapters are interspersed with the kind of quick, clickbait-y articles we commonly see online, which feels very apropos for a story about two movie stars who live in the public eye and are beholden to the media for their reputations. Romantic Comedy is divided into three parts, one of which is entirely told through a months-long email exchange. It was unexpected and delightful, and well-suited to the historical context, since that section took place during the covid pandemic. And the most experimental formats for storytelling came from Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, which was not totally linear, at one point switched into second-person narration, and even featured an extended portion set within an online game.
I loved how these books allowed the content of their stories to organically suggest their forms.
Sort of related to that…
4. Sometimes stories have stories have stories.
The protagonists of both Hayley Aldridge Is Still Here and The Reunion starred in many shows and movies over the course of their careers — which means their authors (Elissa Sloan and Kayla Olson, respectively) had to come up with all of those titles and storylines. Kelly Loy Gilbert had to envision a lot of different “content” for each member of the Lo family to produce and market to their distinct audiences in Everyone Wants to Know. For Romantic Comedy, Curtis Sittenfeld had to develop dozens of skit ideas for the main character to pitch on her job, and also had to write lyrics for the love interest to sing in his career as a pop star. And Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is full of fake games that I would love to play in real life.
What a thing we writers do, making worlds within worlds. It’s layers upon layers upon layers of creation. And I think to readers, if it’s done well, it feels something like magic.
Am I romanticizing all of this? Sorry, I can’t help the sense of wonder I get from reading. And didn’t I mention, I’m my best, happiest self when I’m devouring books this way. So please pardon the starry-eyed view. Or maybe you feel it too?
Have you read any good books lately? And what did they make you notice?
Originally from Houston, TX, Kristan Hoffman studied creative writing at Carnegie Mellon University and later attended the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop. Now she lives with her husband and two children in Cincinnati, OH, where she writes both fiction and nonfiction with a focus on feminist, multicultural stories. Her words have appeared in the New York Times, Switchback, and the Citron Review, among others. She is currently at work on a Young Adult novel. For more, please visit her website.
[coffee]
Yes, I am always reading. You might say, reading is my life. Then after reading a book, I write a review, publish it on my blog. Then I go back to my own work. Books I have read recently: Tom Lake, Ann Patchett; Horse, Geraldine Brooks; Hunger, Roxane Gay; When Robins Appear, Densie Webb, Olive Kitteridge (second read) and because I love medicine, This Is Going To Hurt, Adam Kay…yes you laugh out loud. Thanks for your post.
Ooohh, several friends have loved Tom Lake recently, so I added it to my list!
And it’s been years, but I remember loving Olive Kitteridge too.
I am also always reading. Romantic Comedy sent me on a Sittenfeld binge, and I loved Tomorrow. I just downloaded first chapters of the other three, so thank you.
Happy reading! I’ve had a couple other Sittenfeld books on my list for a while, and may go back to them at some point. And The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, also by Gabrielle Zevin (author of TomorrowX3), was strongly recommended to me years ago by a friend who thought I would love it.
Kristan, I haven’t seen you here forever. I love your bio and that photo!
I’m always reading but of late, I’m working on clearing up my physical TBR pile so I can clear off some shelves. Turns out there’s a reason I haven’t chosen to read these books earlier, so many will be passed on to GoodWill, where hopefully they will reach a more enraptured reader. My most recent five-star reads were Robin LaFevers’s Grave Mercy (a keeper from the TBR pile) and Bonnie Garmus’s Lessons in Chemistry.
Haha yes, it’s been a while! The first half of my year was… busy, and not with happy reading stuff. But I’m back now, and hoping to continue on this more pleasant streak.
Lessons in Chemistry is on my TBR list!
I too have sent some books to find “a more enraptured reader” (love that haha). Thankfully there are a ton of Little Free Libraries in my neighborhood! Convenient and fun!
Kristan, I used to read aloud from my books when my kiddos were babies, but they rebelled once they got a bit older, so I had to switch to picture books. And I’m still reading them.
I really enjoyed your insights and isn’t it surprising when you think you might not care for something, but the author has written so beautifully, you are amazed at how you were drawn into the story. This happened with Alicia Butchard’s Pride’s Children trilogy of which I read the Purgatory and Netherworld. Alicia’s writing the third book. And talk about stories inside of stories–given the three main characters, one who’s a novelist, the other two actors, she had to make up the stories they were working on. And the cherry on top: literary fiction. I also loved Abraham Verghese’s Covenant of Water (spanning nearly a century in a small community in South India) and James Runcie’s The Passion (Bach world–heaven!).
I’m always reading something and it is fascinating how the ideas in very different books rub against each other in my head and can coalesce into something more. All those connections. I really need to write up my reviews of these and other really good books! Thanks for your lovely essay.
Thanks for the mention, Vijaya – and glad you’re enjoying them.
I checked – the five books profiled here are all major traditional publishers.
We SPAs write things a little differently – that can be a good thing.
Pardon my ignorance (and I did try googling it, but there were too many unrelated results) what is SPA in this context?
Edit: Oh I just had a guess! Self published author?
You got it! Writer Unboxed has been welcoming for many different kinds of writers and their publishers. Forgive my shortcut.
Alicia, I’m so embarrassed to get your name wrong–I did the Sanskrit thing–sandhi–joining your middle and last name. Should’ve checked, should’ve checked. And yes, SP gives you complete creative control.
Please don’t worry! What’s important is your lovely endorsement.
The books can still be found – which helps finding readers. Search engines do a marvelous job these days.
Some sites have editing abilities for comments; they’ve saved me many a time. I’ve been known to edit a Facebook post weeks after because someone responded, and I see a typo in what I wrote.
Ohh, yes, I remember hearing great things about Abraham Verghese’s writing. I think Cutting for Stone was hugely popular? But yes, Covenant of Water had good buzz too.
“how the ideas in very different books rub against each other in my head and can coalesce into something more” — Yes, exactly! I’m so glad you get it. 🥰
This is a very good post, because 1) It makes me realize how snobbish I am. I would never have considered any of these books based on their cover blurbs. I am going to look particularly at “Romantic Comedy” and “Tomorrow, etc.” 2) you’ve started me thinking about shaping a character who is himself (or herself) doing something “creative.” In my own work I have had one zookeeper and a pile of journalists who are either unemployed or retired. And 3), I’m sure Sittenfeld isn’t the only one to come up with an “emails” section, but some variation is a great idea. Bram Stoker did it, so why can’t we?
I don’t think it makes you snobbish! But sometimes we do each fall into certain grooves with the media we seek out, and sometimes it’s good to look outside of our usual comfort zone, is all!
I’ve always thought a zookeeper could be a fascinating character!
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Kristan, thank you for giving me a look at your reading likes and schedule. I tend to read historical fiction, books by Kristin Hannah and Adrianna Trigiani. I’m writing a sequel that includes the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement and Woodstock 1969. The characters experiences living through them. The latest book has been helpful for history of a personal experience getting to Vietnam as a civilian, The Greatest Beer Run Ever. It helps to know what was happening there in 1968. And the possibilities that could have happened in 1969. 📚🎶 Christine
My husband loved The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah!
And thanks for reading and commenting. The time period you’re covering is so compelling!
I recently finished Greenwood Gone: Henry’s Story, by Sioux Roslawski, about the Tulsa Race Massacre Tragedy as told through a fictional boy’s eyes. Even though I don’t usually read fiction these days I learned so much from this book, but also have questions. I still haven’t figured out how she brought me into a book about a subject I knew very little about and didn’t think I’d like. But wow, I felt what that boy was going through, the fear, confusion, fatigue toward the end, and more confusion. Unfortunately I was in a waiting room during the most pressing climax I’d ever felt – and believe me, I felt it. I almost told the nurse I couldn’t go back with her until I’d finished that section. But then I pulled myself into reality. This is a fantastic book!
Lol what a great story! I love when books have you in their grips like that.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting. ❤️
Reading constantly as a child is what led me to becoming a writer at 12 years old. I’m now 48 and I’ve never stopped reading OR writing. I love it when a story sweeps me completely into its world and I can escape. Even better? Creating and writing my OWN world – which is easier said than done!
So true, so true! Thanks for reading and commenting!