James Patterson

tough__cookie

Somebody gave me a James Patterson book a few months ago and ever since i can't read anything but his books. At the moment im trying to get through all the Alex Cross novels. They are really addictive! Any other fans out there?

Denerick

Doesn't he have a 'team' of writers to 'help' him?

blue_steel

He reminds me of those novel writing machines in Brave New World. Absolute pap.

Graceland

tough__cookie wrote: »

Somebody gave me a James Patterson book a few months ago and ever since i can't read anything but his books. At the moment im trying to get through all the Alex Cross novels. They are really addictive! Any other fans out there?

I absolutely love James Patterson. I'm about half way through the Alex Cross books. I find them brilliant to read. On the womens murder club, I'm up to number 6. I just love his books

tough__cookie

Graceland wrote: »

I absolutely love James Patterson. I'm about half way through the Alex Cross books. I find them brilliant to read. On the womens murder club, I'm up to number 6. I just love his books

I'm as far as Roses are Red in the Alex Cross books. I love them. I have a lot of the womens murder club books collected but have yet to get to them. Have you seen the movie Along Came a Spider? I was very disappointed with that.

Graceland

I seen that film ages ago. I thought it was decent enough but nothing compared to the book. In most cases I think the books are far better and more exciting.

tough__cookie

You just can't beat the books. I hear they are making a new movie, Cross, seen it on the Patterson site, i'm really looking forward to getting to that book. There was a poll on who people think should play Cross in the movie, most people seem to go for Denzel, I think Morgan Freeman might be a bit too old for this one.

Zxc

I read a lot of James Patterson books over the years. I found them quick and easy but then very formulaic, the same thing over and over.
I also didn't like the way he wrote about women in his books. That really bugged me and put me off.
I needed a change and to read more challenging books. I can see the attraction but now I leave the Patterson books to others.

chenguin

Denerick wrote: »

Doesn't he have a 'team' of writers to 'help' him?

Yes, I have read this before.

Zxc

chenguin wrote: »

Yes, I have read this before.

I think it was after some law changed that it was required to credit the additional writer of the book on the cover.
That's why now there's two writers credited on Patterson latest books.

Callan57

Zxc wrote: »

I think it was after some law changed that it was required to credit the additional writer of the book on the cover.
That's why now there's two writers credited on Patterson latest books.

Ah that explains it .... I'm reading 'You've Been Warned' at the moment & was wondering what Howard Roughan was doing on the cover.
I like James Patterson for light escapist reading. His books are usually very quick reads & somewhat predictable. I intensly dislike the Alex Cross character & because I love Morgan Freeman I hope he doesn't get that part.

Zxc

Callan57 wrote: »

I like James Patterson for light escapist reading. His books are usually very quick reads & somewhat predictable. I intensly dislike the Alex Cross character & because I love Morgan Freeman I hope he doesn't get that part.

I dont know if I'm remembering wrongly but I dont think Alex Cross, as written, is black? Can anyone confirm this?
Anyway, Morgan Freeman has already played Alex Cross in a couple of films, Kiss The Girls and Along Came A Spider.

Eoin

Zxc wrote: »

I dont know if I'm remembering wrongly but I dont think Alex Cross, as written, is black? Can anyone confirm this?
Anyway, Morgan Freeman has already played Alex Cross in a couple of films, Kiss The Girls and Along Came A Spider.

He's black in the books. Not mad on the books any more; I get tired of the flawless hero characters quite quickly.

Zxc

eoin wrote: »

He's black in the books. Not mad on the books any more; I get tired of the flawless hero characters quite quickly.

Thanks Eoin. I should have taken a moment to check that out.
It's a long time since I read an Alex Cross book.
I do remember finding Cross's home life very irritating!

Eoin

Yeah, there's an element of "all things to all men" to him.

Dades

Zxc wrote: »

I dont know if I'm remembering wrongly but I dont think Alex Cross, as written, is black? Can anyone confirm this?

Maybe you're mixing it up with Morgan Freeman playing an Irishman called Red in The Shawshank Redemption! :pac:

Zxc

Dades wrote: »

Maybe you're mixing it up with Morgan Freeman playing an Irishman called Red in The Shawshank Redemption! :pac:

Good point, Dades! Maybe that was it!

Mellor

Denerick wrote: »

Doesn't he have a 'team' of writers to 'help' him?

Zxc wrote: »

I think it was after some law changed that it was required to credit the additional writer of the book on the cover.
That's why now there's two writers credited on Patterson latest books.

I think you are getting mixed up here.
Alot of Patterson's books are colaborations, and have two authors on the cover, but only one was an part of the Alex Cross series (AC's Trial). And I don't think he ever didn't give credit before a law was passed.
The womens murder club have mostly been colabrations with Maxine Paetro

politicsdude

the mother has read pretty much ever james patterson ever written ... personally i reckon he's pretty decent if but a lot of his characters seem rehashed

Ficheall

eoin wrote: »

He's black in the books.

Not having read the first couple of books, I've never gotten that impression. I'm not disagreeing with you - wikipedia describes him as "African-American", but I always assumed he was white and never came across evidence to the contrary in the books. The fact that Cross occasionally, iirc, makes reference to Samson's skin colour, would have suggested to me that Cross himself was white.

But I'd agree with a previous poster - the books are very formulaic.
However, the fast pace, short chapters, and lack of a need to remember anything that has gone before, make Patterson's decent loo books.

Eoin

He's definitely black - it's in "Along Came a Spider"

Mellor

Ficheall wrote: »

Not having read the first couple of books, I've never gotten that impression. I'm not disagreeing with you - wikipedia describes him as "African-American", but I always assumed he was white and never came across evidence to the contrary in the books. The fact that Cross occasionally, iirc, makes reference to Samson's skin colour, would have suggested to me that Cross himself was white.

Firstly, African-American is another way of saying black. He constantly refers to being black in the books, things like "people did want to go to see a black shrink" when he mention leaving private practise to join the police force.
He constantly is refered to as looking like Muhammad Ali???

Grievous

Yeah, Patterson is a hit with people who want a quick, easy, non-challenging read on the bus, going to and from work.

That's not a knock on anyone who reads them as I have read about 10 or 12 of his novels already, when I was 18-20.

He wouldn't consider him a stong writer, but a competent writer who occasionally creates and writes a scary, creepy villain.
I liked Casanova and The Gentleman Caller from Kiss The Girls.

Re-Alex Cross.
Yes, he is black. African-American is black.
Patterson was never ambiguous about Cross's ethnicity.

Mellor

Grievous wrote: »

Yeah, Patterson is a hit with people who want a quick, easy, non-challenging read on the bus, going to and from work.

That's not a knock on anyone who reads them as I have read about 10 or 12 of his novels already, when I was 18-20.

That's exactly it, they aren't masterpieces, they fill a gap. You are unlikely to re-read them, or insist that you must read one before you die, but that's the genre.
It's like the difference between a TV series and a Movie with oscar ambitions.

I wouldn't be able to only watch ocsar winning epics on TV all the time, it would grow dull. Light hearted sitcoms, 1 hr dramas etc are needed to balance. Cross is like literary format of criminal minds. I like being able to grab it from my bag and lash out a few chapters on the train/bus.

Kathy Reichs is this genre too, although, i'm not so much a fan (having only read 2 so far) very straight forward.
this evidence, this evidence, this evidence, this evidence, near the end now, and the killer is ...

Re-Alex Cross.
Yes, he is black. African-American is black.
Patterson was never ambiguous about Cross's ethnicity

I was surprised that was even an issue tbh.

elchanco

I felt the urge to throw his book out the window every time he mentioned his precious nana or samson again... every book he refers to the same ****e! I get more suspense opening a kinder egg...

Eoin

Mellor wrote: »

That's exactly it, they aren't masterpieces, they fill a gap. You are unlikely to re-read them, or insist that you must read one before you die, but that's the genre.

What genre - crime fiction? Not all of them are as disposable as Patterson's books.

Mellor

Were did I mention crime fiction?

By genre I meant, as you put it disposible books

It's like the difference between a TV series and a Movie with oscar ambitions.

I wouldn't be able to only watch ocsar winning epics on TV all the time, it would grow dull. Light hearted sitcoms, 1 hr dramas etc are needed to balance. Cross is like literary format of criminal minds. I like being able to grab it from my bag and lash out a few chapters on the train/bus.

That's how I discribed it. I thought I was quite clear, tv verses movies. Pretty happy with that simile.

Eoin

Mellor wrote: »

Were did I mention crime fiction?

By genre I meant, as you put it disposible books

You didn't mention it, which is obviously why I asked you!

Mellor

Em, that was a rhetorical quetion.


I thought I was clear what genre i meant, obviously not.

Giselle

Grievous wrote: »

Yeah, Patterson is a hit with people who want a quick, easy, non-challenging read on the bus, going to and from work.

I've read Patterson as light relief when I've also had something more challenging on the go, and they do exactly that. They're quick, easy to pick up and put down and entertaining enough.

He's not a great writer, but he's a popular pick when you just need a bit of light entertainment.

The Black Oil

Apologies for dragging up an old thread. I started a Patterson book last night after buying a few things for my Kindle.

I thought it would be lightweight, diversionary fluff and so far it is. The chapters are brutally short, which may be by design or else it's something to do with the Kindle format. More importantly, there's the writing, or rather, what writing, Mr. Patterson? Whilst not exactly fingernails on the blackboard, it's not terribly, er, inspiring. Oh, and if you've seen The West Wing, you might spot a familiar storyline

in one of Patterson's books, including the daughter of POTUS being called Zoe. Secret Service nicknames here include Twilight and T-Rex, which admittedly is fun.

So, at best, this may be a like an episode of CSI Miami, at worst, I don't know because I'm only a fifth of the way and who knows what's to come. :pac: His manner of setting the scene can push things along, sure, but it's fairly ordinary, too.

Toby Take a Bow

Black Oil wrote: »

More importantly, there's the writing, or rather, what writing, Mr. Patterson?

I'd say Patterson would have a hard time answering that question. I doubt he has the time to inspect the novels in the period between his minions writing them and the novels been sent to the publishing house.

cflanagan

The Alex Cross series are good. I already read his other series (Maximum Ride)

The Black Oil

Don't asking me why I'm still reading his Alex Cross novels. I'll probably go through them all. Parts of them are like a version of CSI Miami that's been...I don't know what the right word is.

But eh, slightly addictive, ahem.

Walter White

Black Oil wrote: »

Don't asking me why I'm still reading his Alex Cross novels. I'll probably go through them all. Parts of them are like a version of CSI Miami that's been...I don't know what the right word is.

But eh, slightly addictive, ahem.

As weird as it sounds I have to agree with you about his books being addictive... I have read every book he has written and have to say they are getting worse.. When I read "When the wind blows" I really loved it, but the last book I read from him "Toys" was the worst book I have read in a long time... You should read it, I think it will help you beat that addiction..

The Black Oil

Don't they say it's a form of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over whilst expecting different results? :pac:

Autosport

I love James Patterson, Roses are Red, Jack and Jill, Cat and Mouse, Honeymoon, Postcard Killers are some of my favs

WickedWest

I love James Patterson - my favorite book is Kiss the Girls

The Black Oil

I've read 10 of the Alex Cross series now. They seem to get progressively worse.

Walter White

The Black Oil wrote: »

I've read 10 of the Alex Cross series now. They seem to get progressively worse.

That's exactly my point.... Even though they are getting worse you have still read 10.... They are addictive... and I can tell you that they keep going down hill... Its the same with The Murder Club books, the first 2 are good and then its all down hill.... :mad:

The Black Oil

Down hill due to the writing and the plotting?