Okay, so I read this slice of life that JR Ward wrote up. It's an interview with V and Butch. I started reading it with a roll of my eyes, but it ended up being a rather entertaining article. It was cute.
I wonder if she wrote it up before or after so many of her fans had such negative reviews for Lover Unbound.
Part of the interview has Jane saying this,
"Forty years as a human versus four hundred with him? she'd murmured, shaking
her head. Yeah, I have a real hard time doing that math. Right. I mean, the
tragedy gave me life with the man I love. Where's the disappointment? "
It looks to me that the whole point of the Slice Of Life was to explain her ending because so many of us had a problem with it. Yes, that quoted text is romantic, and Jane is happy being a ghost. I'm happy for them. I don't like it, but I get that the characters are happy.
I have a question for you. Should readers have to go and read a mock interview or long drawn out explanations (like the one Ward posted on her board) in order to 'get' a book. Should the book alone not be good enough?
JR Ward created a really great world with these books. They are sexy, exciting, different, fun. She had such a good thing going. I don't understand why she had to change it all up. Getting rid of the lesser POV's was a good move, but it was almost lost in all of the other stuff that was going on in Lover Unbound.
On another note. If you ever check out the Ward boards you will find that many of the posters there have issues with reality. It's like they think all these characters are real. Sure, Ward has come up with a cool back drop for the books; The BDB are secret, real, and she is the only person who is allowed to know anything about them because she is writing their story. Some of her fans need to be reminded that it's all pretend though.
I will say this, Lover Unbound sure has gotten people talking. I know that I will be re reading the series very soon. I love me some Wrath. The blind king is my favourite. I also can't wait to re read Rhage and Mary's story.
You make a great point, Chantal!!
Readers should not have to go read explanation on why a book was written the way it was written.
I have no hope that the posters on the JRWBB will actually admit that this book was a dud. To do so would be similar to blasphemy, wouldn't it? They would find themselves banned for life before they knew it.
Have I said I'm not bitter? Ha! LOL
You know, I just have no patience for anything that inspires rabid fangirls. Now I do read a lot of series. I'm even devoted to a couple. But if my favorite mystery author started posting "interviews" between two (or more) characters they'd lose me. I like your books. They entertain me. Is there really a need to blur the lines between reality and fiction?
The answer would be no.
And that's why I never got on the Ward or Kenyon bandwagons. Hey, I'm sure they're great books. A lot of people love them. But the weird-o fangirls? The characters having their own blogs, interviews, talking about their favorite color, music and food? I like camp, but not that much. So, no thanks. I ain't buying.
I'm literally laughing out loud here! Everyone's favorite punching bags are the LKH fangirls, yet we are actually quite civilized in comparison to Cellies, I think. Hell, we can even post what we DON'T like about books-- anyone's book, including LKH's!
The main rules are, attack the books, not the author personally or her fans. Oh, and no role playing, no fanfic. When I joined JRW's board recently (to hook up with other RAW attendees), I was gobsmacked by the sense of an alternate reality over there. That's not a dis on the fans, it's just, well, I don't get it.
I don't know about Kenyon's board, but I've heard it's as bad as Ward's when it comes to zealous fans.
Just beyond my comprehension.
Hi Casee, I feel you on the bitterness, true?
*snort*
Hi Wendy, I have always thought that character interviews were a tad weird. A lot of authors seem to be on the bandwagon. It's odd.
I went to the LKH board after I read the first book. I've actually gone to read the forum for each book after I've read it. Anyway,
I like the LKH boards a lot. There are all different opinions and views on the books. No one is nuts enough to think that Anita is a real person.
I see nothing wrong with the LKH boards at all. I respect the people who run her board for allowing people to have more than one type of opinion.
Bev, you know what I mean about THAT. lol
Should readers have to go and read a mock interview or long drawn out explanations (like the one Ward posted on her board) in order to 'get' a book. Should the book alone not be good enough?
I agree with Casee. Readers should have to read an explantation.
Seriously, would this explanation even be available or accessible if the net didn't exist? I mean, this is only possible because everything's possible with the internet... so yeah, definitively not a good idea... plus, you have to know where to look for it.
One thing you must credit JR Ward though, is that no matter what, her books create a buzz...
I completely agree with all those who said having to read an explanation after the book is just ridiculous. If she can't clear everything up IN the book, or feels the need to explain herself after the fact, that really says a lot about her ability, I think.
But I want to touch on something else. The reason I was so intrigued by Dark Lover, beyond the fact that Wrath was hot, I mean, was because of the fight with the Lessers. Yes, they're cheesy, but the storyline itself intrigued me.
Here we have a vampire king. A real king, who needs to lead his people in a fight between good and evil. What happened to that? And although I agree that having the Lessers POV seemed a bit over the top, to just do away with it completely ruins the entire foundation of the series.
Don't they seem less menacing now? It's not nearly as important - the fight between good and evil, I mean - than the internal workings of the Brotherhood.
For me, if the author has to explain something outside of the book to make the book make sense means that the book didn't really work. Eloisa James had to do it for The Taming of the Duke. When the author tries to call it a bonus it's just annoying, because it is an extra that HAD to be written!
Wrath is my fave too!
And I don't think a reader should have a book explained to them.
Yep, didn't get the job done if you need to post an explaination. I haven't read this one yet because I'm intimidated by the size of it and I have to block off some reading time. I really enjoyed Rhage's story and Z's story, we'll see if I can follow this series after I read this book.
And the only way I know there is a write up is because the blogs have told me. I don't visit her blog and don't go on the boards so I wouldn't have known there was an interview if others didn't tell me.
CindyS
I like the series but you definitely touch on some points that creep me out. The whole interview thing has definitely gotten too weird. In the beginning it was interesting, but now it feels too much like the author, and the die hard fans, actually believe these characters are real. Don't want to go there.
And I agree - the book should clear up any loose ends, and the author shouldn't have to feel the need to "explain" in another format. Drove me nuts when Eloisa James did it for "Taming of the Duke". If so many of the readers are confused or upset, then clearly the job was not done right the first time around. Trying to be too clever can backfire. Just give me straight-up facts.