Hi.

Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.

With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by now
I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf whfg
xrrc trggvat ovttre!

What I like:

The humour.

The story started out interesting enough.

A character or two are, or at least started out likable enough.

What I don't like:

Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out infodumps,
all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I first thought all
those drawn out descriptions of supposedly enticing villain women were
getting tedious, but they almost faded into the background behind the
rest.

I'm bored by the fighting, wanting it to be over and get on with the
story. By now I keep saying out loud "booooring" and "get on with it".
Last night I stopped 40 min into book 15, annoyed, bored, and went to
bed at only 2am. (At least that helps with not staying up into the next
day, hah.)

The author comes across as thinking; why use 2 sentences when 5 to 10
can say the exact same thing over and over again with different words.
By now that looks to me like bloat.

Maybe it'd be better if I were reading it myself, or had Calibre read it
to me blandly. Of course, if you like this sort of thing, an emphatic
reader of the audiobook might add extra enjoyment for the listener. It's
just that I don't. Oh well.

The villains are just annoying, too, not fun to read (eh, hear) about.
(Don't tell me they're supposed to be annoying. If they take up as much
stage time, I want them to be interesting, not leaving me wondering
whether to continue at all.)

All those drawn out conversations with the villains. I have started
wondering whether my own villains (in my own stories) would be as
annoying to read about for others, while I think them fun. (Any
volunteers to check that for me? ;P )

And then there's what happens to the characters. Raqvat hc nf cneg bs
gur Jvagre pbheg, jvgu anfgl fvqr-rssrpgf, ernyyl ehof zr gur jebat jnl.

So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss Marple-like
stories with a supernatural twist please? And not dwelling on curves and
clothes and looks so much?

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 5:48:22 AM UTC-4, Ath wrote:
> Hi.
>
> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>
> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by now
> I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf whfg
> xrrc trggvat ovttre!
>
>
> What I like:
>
> The humour.
>
> The story started out interesting enough.
>
> A character or two are, or at least started out likable enough.
>
>
> What I don't like:
>
> Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out infodumps,
> all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I first thought all
> those drawn out descriptions of supposedly enticing villain women were
> getting tedious, but they almost faded into the background behind the
> rest.
>
> I'm bored by the fighting, wanting it to be over and get on with the
> story. By now I keep saying out loud "booooring" and "get on with it".
> Last night I stopped 40 min into book 15, annoyed, bored, and went to
> bed at only 2am. (At least that helps with not staying up into the next
> day, hah.)
>
> The author comes across as thinking; why use 2 sentences when 5 to 10
> can say the exact same thing over and over again with different words.
> By now that looks to me like bloat.

With text, you can easily skip to the end of a paragraph of fighting, or just
skim for important stuff. You can't with an audiobook. You also almost
certainly read faster than the narrator.

I tend to listen to podcasts at 1.5x speed, at least. That just makes the speakers
sound enthusiastic, and is perfectly understandable. 1.75x for slow narrators,
and 2x for the slowest (SciFri, I'm looking at you).

Some audio book apps have skip back and skip forward buttons (usually
configurable), but that's more likely to lose important info than with text.

pt

Ath wrote:

>Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>
>With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>now I would have prefered those, too.

This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
problems you found.

Brian

On Wed, 3 Aug 2022 01:01:05 -0000 (UTC), "Default User"
<defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:

>Ath wrote:
>
>>Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>
>>With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>>now I would have prefered those, too.
>
>This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
>collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
>but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
>problems you found.

I enjoy the Dresden books but they're not at all the genre we discuss
here. (Mind you I prefer the dead tree version...)

Particularly the later ones which are so far afield that they're
fantasies which have no connection to reality particularly the more
recent installments featuring Mab as a major character.

In article <utfkehdsrc9m45l000hd8nr3phejd7g8a9@4ax.com>,
The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
>On Wed, 3 Aug 2022 01:01:05 -0000 (UTC), "Default User"
><defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>Ath wrote:
>>
>>>Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>>opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>>
>>>With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>>>now I would have prefered those, too.
>>
>>This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
>>collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
>>but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
>>problems you found.
>
>I enjoy the Dresden books but they're not at all the genre we discuss
>here. (Mind you I prefer the dead tree version...)
>
>Particularly the later ones which are so far afield that they're
>fantasies which have no connection to reality particularly the more
>recent installments featuring Mab as a major character.

The Dresden Files are one of my favorite series, though I would be very
happy to see a sequel to _The Aeronaut's Windlass_ as well.

I am happy with the reading speed of my Kindle though getting into the
flow is like having a lecture from a ESL grad student: At some point everything
clicks (unless it doesn't, in which case you are in big trouble). I do find
it helps to start the book visually so later when the algorithm stumbles on a
name or term, I know what it is talking about.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On Wednesday, August 3, 2022 at 5:30:28 AM UTC-4, The Horny Goat wrote:
> On Wed, 3 Aug 2022 01:01:05 -0000 (UTC), "Default User"
> <defaul...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> >Ath wrote:
> >
> >>Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
> >>opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
> >>
> >>With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
> >>now I would have prefered those, too.
> >
> >This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
> >collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
> >but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
> >problems you found.
>
> I enjoy the Dresden books but they're not at all the genre we discuss
> here.

Oh, but they are, they are! The "sf" in the newsgroup name is
"speculative fiction", and we've discussed Butcher's works
here since he first published them.

Tony

On 2022-08-02, Ath <ATH@kruemel.org> wrote:
>
> So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss Marple-like
> stories with a supernatural twist please? And not dwelling on curves and
> clothes and looks so much?

You would like Harry Connolly's A Key, An Egg, An Unfortunate Remark. Sadly,
it's a one-shot. Here's a sample:

---
“Aunt Marley, who were those people? They talked like senior citizens but they looked like they’re about my age. And I peeked in the cooler. It was full of bags of blood.”

“What do you think they are, dear?”

“Hemophiliacs?”

Marley stopped and turned around. Even though she was several stairs above him, they were eye to eye. “Oh Albert.” The disappointment in her voice was unmistakable; Albert was surprised by how much it stung.

Back at the car, Albert let her into the back seat, then got behind the wheel and started the engine. He didn’t shift out of park. He just sat there for a moment, his hands in his lap, staring at nothing at all. “I almost died, didn’t I?”

“Yes, dear.”

“They’re vampires.”

“Of course they are.”
---

Marley has to solve her nephew's murder. Luckily, she knows people.

You might prefer Seanan McGuire's October Daye series. (The Fae are alive and
well and bickering, mostly in the San Francisco area. There are murders, and
Toby solves them. Mostly the powers don't like that.)

-dsr-

On Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 7:48:22 PM UTC+10, Ath wrote:
> Hi.
>
> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>
> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by now
> I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf whfg
> xrrc trggvat ovttre!

If you don't like that aspect of the series, I'd suggest you stop now as that trend just keeps going and going. I've stopped reading partly them because the latest - "Battle Ground" - had that feature turned up to 11. BG also completely ruined one character, fridged another, and contains some of the worst writing and plotting I've ever seen from Butcher. If he keeps writing them, I'm sure they'll sell. Just not to me.

I wrote a mini review of that book a while back:

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.sf.written/c/Y176Zx9eQ7Q/m/msurlSKlAAAJ

-Moriarty

On 8/2/2022 4:39 AM, Ath wrote:
> Hi.
>
> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>
> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by now
> I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf whfg
> xrrc trggvat ovttre!
>
>
> What I like:
>
> The humour.
>
> The story started out interesting enough.
>
> A character or two are, or at least started out likable enough.
>
>
> What I don't like:
>
> Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out infodumps,
> all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I first thought all
> those drawn out descriptions of supposedly enticing villain women were
> getting tedious, but they almost faded into the background behind the
> rest.
>
> I'm bored by the fighting, wanting it to be over and get on with the
> story. By now I keep saying out loud "booooring" and "get on with it".
> Last night I stopped 40 min into book 15, annoyed, bored, and went to
> bed at only 2am. (At least that helps with not staying up into the next
> day, hah.)
>
> The author comes across as thinking; why use 2 sentences when 5 to 10
> can say the exact same thing over and over again with different words.
> By now that looks to me like bloat.
>
> Maybe it'd be better if I were reading it myself, or had Calibre read it
> to me blandly. Of course, if you like this sort of thing, an emphatic
> reader of the audiobook might add extra enjoyment for the listener. It's
> just that I don't. Oh well.
>
> The villains are just annoying, too, not fun to read (eh, hear) about.
> (Don't tell me they're supposed to be annoying. If they take up as much
> stage time, I want them to be interesting, not leaving me wondering
> whether to continue at all.)
>
> All those drawn out conversations with the villains. I have started
> wondering whether my own villains (in my own stories) would be as
> annoying to read about for others, while I think them fun. (Any
> volunteers to check that for me? ;P )
>
> And then there's what happens to the characters. Raqvat hc nf cneg bs
> gur Jvagre pbheg, jvgu anfgl fvqr-rssrpgf, ernyyl ehof zr gur jebat jnl.
>
> So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss Marple-like
> stories with a supernatural twist please? And not dwelling on curves and
> clothes and looks so much?

I have read through the 15th book in the series and have books 16 and 17
in my SBR (strategic book reserve). I gave them all four stars out of
five. Here is my book 15 review:

"Book number 15 in a series of 15 books. Plus several other books in the
series of short stories and animations.

I have not read a bad Dresden book yet and this one certainly stands up
on its own. Harry is getting tougher and tougher but people are noticing
him more and more. And, his skill set is good for snatch and run job.
And, I like the positive Christian influences in the book.

This is about the point where most long running series even out for the
stretch or fall flat on their face. I suspect that this series will keep
going well."

Lynn

On 04.08.22, pete...@gmail.com <petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 5:48:22 AM UTC-4, Ath wrote:

>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.

>> What I don't like:
>>
>> Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out
>> infodumps, all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I first
>> thought all those drawn out descriptions of supposedly enticing
>> villain women were getting tedious, but they almost faded into the
>> background behind the rest.

> With text, you can easily skip to the end of a paragraph of fighting,
> or just skim for important stuff. You can't with an audiobook. You
> also almost certainly read faster than the narrator.

Skipping text in a book is not an option to me. Could miss something
important, after all! :)

I think I'd take far longer to read manually, longer texts have become a
labour. So I'll stick to re-reading my own stories that way, even only
search TOS and EULAs for 'collect' (data).

Someone else reading the book for me aloud is so nice, AND I can play
some mindless game at the same time! :)

> I tend to listen to podcasts at 1.5x speed, at least. That just makes
> the speakers sound enthusiastic, and is perfectly understandable.
> 1.75x for slow narrators, and 2x for the slowest (SciFri, I'm looking
> at you).

Ooh, speeding up, that's a great idea. I tried it and, wow, so much
nicer! :)) Thanks!

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 04.08.22, Default User <defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Ath wrote:

>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>
>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>> now I would have prefered those, too.

> This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
> collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
> but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
> problems you found.

Thanks for the pointer. :)

I am aware of them and listen to the shorter works as they turn up
chronologically. They are certainly closer to what I'd expect. :)

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 04.08.22, The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
> On Wed, 3 Aug 2022 01:01:05 -0000 (UTC), "Default User"
> <defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:
>> Ath wrote:

>>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>>
>>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and
>>> by now I would have prefered those, too.
>>
>> This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
>> collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
>> but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of
>> the problems you found.

> I enjoy the Dresden books but they're not at all the genre we discuss
> here. (Mind you I prefer the dead tree version...)

Of course they are. SF = Speculative Fiction. That includes Sci-Fi and
Fantasy. :)

> Particularly the later ones which are so far afield that they're
> fantasies which have no connection to reality particularly the more
> recent installments featuring Mab as a major character.

I don't like Mab, but she doesn't make the series off-topic here. :)

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 04.08.22, -dsr- <dsr-usenet@randomstring.org> wrote:
> On 2022-08-02, Ath <ATH@kruemel.org> wrote:

>> So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss Marple-like
>> stories with a supernatural twist please? And not dwelling on curves
>> and clothes and looks so much?

> You would like Harry Connolly's A Key, An Egg, An Unfortunate Remark.
> Sadly, it's a one-shot. Here's a sample:

Sounds interesting. :) Will see if I can find that somewhere, thanks!

> You might prefer Seanan McGuire's October Daye series. (The Fae are
> alive and well and bickering, mostly in the San Francisco area. There
> are murders, and Toby solves them. Mostly the powers don't like
> that.)

Searching for that to find titles, I find the author's website and a
description:

From: https://seananmcguire.com/toby.php

"The October Daye books follow the adventures of October "Toby" Daye as
she tries to find her footing in a world that seems a little more
interested in killing her than she'd like."

Sounds like action again.

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 04.08.22, Moriarty <blues95@ivillage.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 7:48:22 PM UTC+10, Ath wrote:

>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>
>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>> now I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf
>> whfg xrrc trggvat ovttre!

> If you don't like that aspect of the series, I'd suggest you stop now
> as that trend just keeps going and going.

Hah, no kidding. But I've started book 16 by now, and might as well
finish what there is so far.

> I've stopped reading partly them because the latest - "Battle Ground"
> - had that feature turned up to 11. BG also completely ruined one
> character, fridged another, and contains some of the worst writing and
> plotting I've ever seen from Butcher. If he keeps writing them, I'm
> sure they'll sell. Just not to me.

Ruined one character, fridged another, at least the ruining sounds like
nothing new. :)

> I wrote a mini review of that book a while back:

> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.sf.written/c/Y176Zx9eQ7Q/m/msurl
> SKlAAAJ

Ah. I checked that (I like spoilers). Oh well. Shame about the fridged
character. Never had any particular interest in the one you say is
ruined in that book.

There's already been a lot of warping all sorts of characters into
something else, and I don't like any of it. Good guys should stay as
they are, villains too, for that matter, and they should be interesting,
not annoying, in my never humble opinion. :) (Again I wonder, would my
evil overlords be as annoying to other people?)

But, as I don't have to labour through reading the books, and have them
read to me, I'll continue at accellerated reading speed with only 75%
attention on it. Works out. :)

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 04.08.22, Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:
> On 8/2/2022 4:39 AM, Ath wrote:

>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>
>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>> now I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf
>> whfg xrrc trggvat ovttre!

[...]

>> So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss Marple-like
>> stories with a supernatural twist please? And not dwelling on curves
>> and clothes and looks so much?

> I have read through the 15th book in the series and have books 16 and
> 17 in my SBR (strategic book reserve). I gave them all four stars
> out of five. Here is my book 15 review:

> I have not read a bad Dresden book yet and this one certainly stands
> up on its own. Harry is getting tougher and tougher but people are
> noticing him more and more. And, his skill set is good for snatch and
> run job. And, I like the positive Christian influences in the book.

Ah, I don't like that either.

And what good is all that 'choices' stuff when it's between outhouse
bucket and dungpile? That's not real choices.

(No spoiler beyond book 15:)

Who chose gb unir gur Bhgfvqref orfvrtr snvelynaq naq qrpvqrq gung gung
nepunatry jub pbhyq oybj hc nyy cynargf pbhyq abg whfg fgbzc ba gurz?

Jurer qvq gung tvey pubbfr gb orpbzr gur arj jvagre ynql?

Oh well. Nothing wrong with you enjoying those stories, and I can just
move on without feeling it was a total waste to labour through the
books, when I don't have to read them myself. :) (Plus, you can't throw
an audiobook at the wall, can you? ;P )

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 3 Aug 2022 15:54:38 GMT, ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>)
wrote:

>In article <utfkehdsrc9m45l000hd8nr3phejd7g8a9@4ax.com>,
>The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
>>On Wed, 3 Aug 2022 01:01:05 -0000 (UTC), "Default User"
>><defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>>Ath wrote:
>>>
>>>>Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>>>opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>>>
>>>>With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>>>>now I would have prefered those, too.
>>>
>>>This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
>>>collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
>>>but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
>>>problems you found.
>>
>>I enjoy the Dresden books but they're not at all the genre we discuss
>>here. (Mind you I prefer the dead tree version...)
>>
>>Particularly the later ones which are so far afield that they're
>>fantasies which have no connection to reality particularly the more
>>recent installments featuring Mab as a major character.
>
>The Dresden Files are one of my favorite series, though I would be very
>happy to see a sequel to _The Aeronaut's Windlass_ as well.
>
>I am happy with the reading speed of my Kindle though getting into the
>flow is like having a lecture from a ESL grad student: At some point everything
>clicks (unless it doesn't, in which case you are in big trouble). I do find
>it helps to start the book visually so later when the algorithm stumbles on a
>name or term, I know what it is talking about.

I'm skeptical since though while I'm an avid reader and often do 500+
pages find my eyes glaze over reading 10+ pages of text off my
screen...

In article <ur7oeh1e7qvchdbdu5utjla279hi9dds0p@4ax.com>,
The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
>On 3 Aug 2022 15:54:38 GMT, ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>)
>wrote:
>
>>In article <utfkehdsrc9m45l000hd8nr3phejd7g8a9@4ax.com>,
>>The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:
>>>On Wed, 3 Aug 2022 01:01:05 -0000 (UTC), "Default User"
>>><defaultuserbr@yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Ath wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>>>>opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>>>>
>>>>>With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>>>>>now I would have prefered those, too.
>>>>
>>>>This isn't really my preferred story type. I did however read the
>>>>collection of shorter works title Side Jobs. Those were okay for me,
>>>>but I didn't pursue any novels. Those stories might avoid some of the
>>>>problems you found.
>>>
>>>I enjoy the Dresden books but they're not at all the genre we discuss
>>>here. (Mind you I prefer the dead tree version...)
>>>
>>>Particularly the later ones which are so far afield that they're
>>>fantasies which have no connection to reality particularly the more
>>>recent installments featuring Mab as a major character.
>>
>>The Dresden Files are one of my favorite series, though I would be very
>>happy to see a sequel to _The Aeronaut's Windlass_ as well.
>>
>>I am happy with the reading speed of my Kindle though getting into the
>>flow is like having a lecture from a ESL grad student: At some point everything
>>clicks (unless it doesn't, in which case you are in big trouble). I do find
>>it helps to start the book visually so later when the algorithm stumbles on a
>>name or term, I know what it is talking about.
>
>I'm skeptical since though while I'm an avid reader and often do 500+
>pages find my eyes glaze over reading 10+ pages of text off my
>screen...

Well, I was talking about text-to-speech there, but as far as screen
reading, I find my e-ink Kindle extrememly comfortable.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On 4 Aug 2022 19:39:49 GMT, ted@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>)
wrote:

>Well, I was talking about text-to-speech there, but as far as screen
>reading, I find my e-ink Kindle extrememly comfortable.

My wife passed in March so I'm now reading a Dummies book on iPads as
I now have an application where her iPad would be most useful....and
certainly easier for this application than a cell phone but not as
useful as my big honking PC except for in this one specific area of
the program that has turned out to be far more important than I
expected...

On Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 5:47:44 AM UTC+1, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 8/2/2022 4:39 AM, Ath wrote:
> > Hi.
> >
> > Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
> > opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
> >
> > With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by now
> > I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf whfg
> > xrrc trggvat ovttre!
> >
> >
> > What I like:
> >
> > The humour.
> >
> > The story started out interesting enough.
> >
> > A character or two are, or at least started out likable enough.
> >
> >
> > What I don't like:
> >
> > Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out infodumps,
> > all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I first thought all
> > those drawn out descriptions of supposedly enticing villain women were
> > getting tedious, but they almost faded into the background behind the
> > rest.
> >
> > I'm bored by the fighting, wanting it to be over and get on with the
> > story. By now I keep saying out loud "booooring" and "get on with it".
> > Last night I stopped 40 min into book 15, annoyed, bored, and went to
> > bed at only 2am. (At least that helps with not staying up into the next
> > day, hah.)
> >
> > The author comes across as thinking; why use 2 sentences when 5 to 10
> > can say the exact same thing over and over again with different words.
> > By now that looks to me like bloat.
> >
> > Maybe it'd be better if I were reading it myself, or had Calibre read it
> > to me blandly. Of course, if you like this sort of thing, an emphatic
> > reader of the audiobook might add extra enjoyment for the listener. It's
> > just that I don't. Oh well.
> >
> > The villains are just annoying, too, not fun to read (eh, hear) about.
> > (Don't tell me they're supposed to be annoying. If they take up as much
> > stage time, I want them to be interesting, not leaving me wondering
> > whether to continue at all.)
> >
> > All those drawn out conversations with the villains. I have started
> > wondering whether my own villains (in my own stories) would be as
> > annoying to read about for others, while I think them fun. (Any
> > volunteers to check that for me? ;P )
> >
> > And then there's what happens to the characters. Raqvat hc nf cneg bs
> > gur Jvagre pbheg, jvgu anfgl fvqr-rssrpgf, ernyyl ehof zr gur jebat jnl..
> >
> > So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss Marple-like
> > stories with a supernatural twist please? And not dwelling on curves and
> > clothes and looks so much?
> I have read through the 15th book in the series and have books 16 and 17
> in my SBR (strategic book reserve). I gave them all four stars out of
> five. Here is my book 15 review:
>
> "Book number 15 in a series of 15 books. Plus several other books in the
> series of short stories and animations.
>
> I have not read a bad Dresden book yet and this one certainly stands up
> on its own. Harry is getting tougher and tougher but people are noticing
> him more and more. And, his skill set is good for snatch and run job.
> And, I like the positive Christian influences in the book.
>
> This is about the point where most long running series even out for the
> stretch or fall flat on their face. I suspect that this series will keep
> going well."
>
> Lynn

I read the first few on recommendation. I found them reasonably entertaining, but not so much that I wanted to pursue the series. Since the series has lasted so long you are clearly not the only one enjoying it, so I guess this is just a case of different people having different tastes.

On 7/08/22 04:43, Andrew McDowell wrote:
> On Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 5:47:44 AM UTC+1, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>> On 8/2/2022 4:39 AM, Ath wrote:
>>> Hi.
>>>
>>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>>
>>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and
>>> by now I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur
>>> ivyynvaf whfg xrrc trggvat ovttre!
>>>
>>>
>>> What I like:
>>>
>>> The humour.
>>>
>>> The story started out interesting enough.
>>>
>>> A character or two are, or at least started out likable enough.
>>>
>>>
>>> What I don't like:
>>>
>>> Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out
>>> infodumps, all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I
>>> first thought all those drawn out descriptions of supposedly
>>> enticing villain women were getting tedious, but they almost
>>> faded into the background behind the rest.
>>>
>>> I'm bored by the fighting, wanting it to be over and get on with
>>> the story. By now I keep saying out loud "booooring" and "get on
>>> with it". Last night I stopped 40 min into book 15, annoyed,
>>> bored, and went to bed at only 2am. (At least that helps with not
>>> staying up into the next day, hah.)
>>>
>>> The author comes across as thinking; why use 2 sentences when 5
>>> to 10 can say the exact same thing over and over again with
>>> different words. By now that looks to me like bloat.
>>>
>>> Maybe it'd be better if I were reading it myself, or had Calibre
>>> read it to me blandly. Of course, if you like this sort of thing,
>>> an emphatic reader of the audiobook might add extra enjoyment for
>>> the listener. It's just that I don't. Oh well.
>>>
>>> The villains are just annoying, too, not fun to read (eh, hear)
>>> about. (Don't tell me they're supposed to be annoying. If they
>>> take up as much stage time, I want them to be interesting, not
>>> leaving me wondering whether to continue at all.)
>>>
>>> All those drawn out conversations with the villains. I have
>>> started wondering whether my own villains (in my own stories)
>>> would be as annoying to read about for others, while I think them
>>> fun. (Any volunteers to check that for me? ;P )
>>>
>>> And then there's what happens to the characters. Raqvat hc nf
>>> cneg bs gur Jvagre pbheg, jvgu anfgl fvqr-rssrpgf, ernyyl ehof zr
>>> gur jebat jnl.
>>>
>>> So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss
>>> Marple-like stories with a supernatural twist please? And not
>>> dwelling on curves and clothes and looks so much?
>> I have read through the 15th book in the series and have books 16
>> and 17 in my SBR (strategic book reserve). I gave them all four
>> stars out of five. Here is my book 15 review:
>>
>> "Book number 15 in a series of 15 books. Plus several other books
>> in the series of short stories and animations.
>>
>> I have not read a bad Dresden book yet and this one certainly
>> stands up on its own. Harry is getting tougher and tougher but
>> people are noticing him more and more. And, his skill set is good
>> for snatch and run job. And, I like the positive Christian
>> influences in the book.
>>
>> This is about the point where most long running series even out for
>> the stretch or fall flat on their face. I suspect that this series
>> will keep going well."
>>
>> Lynn
>
> I read the first few on recommendation. I found them reasonably
> entertaining, but not so much that I wanted to pursue the series.
> Since the series has lasted so long you are clearly not the only one
> enjoying it, so I guess this is just a case of different people
> having different tastes.

I read the third on recommendation even after rating the first two as
moronic rubbish. It is not surprising to me that Dimwire enjoys them.
I have also tried long lasting MacDonalds takeaways on recommendation.
To maintain my current excellent health I will avoid most fast food and
all butchered writing.

On Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 4:58:30 PM UTC-4, Titus G wrote:
> On 7/08/22 04:43, Andrew McDowell wrote:
> > On Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 5:47:44 AM UTC+1, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> >> On 8/2/2022 4:39 AM, Ath wrote:
> >>> Hi.
> >>>
> >>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
> >>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
> >>>
> >>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and
> >>> by now I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur
> >>> ivyynvaf whfg xrrc trggvat ovttre!
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> What I like:
> >>>
> >>> The humour.
> >>>
> >>> The story started out interesting enough.
> >>>
> >>> A character or two are, or at least started out likable enough.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> What I don't like:
> >>>
> >>> Man, all that drawn out action, fighting, all those drawn out
> >>> infodumps, all that drawn out guilt-ridden contemplation,... I
> >>> first thought all those drawn out descriptions of supposedly
> >>> enticing villain women were getting tedious, but they almost
> >>> faded into the background behind the rest.
> >>>
> >>> I'm bored by the fighting, wanting it to be over and get on with
> >>> the story. By now I keep saying out loud "booooring" and "get on
> >>> with it". Last night I stopped 40 min into book 15, annoyed,
> >>> bored, and went to bed at only 2am. (At least that helps with not
> >>> staying up into the next day, hah.)
> >>>
> >>> The author comes across as thinking; why use 2 sentences when 5
> >>> to 10 can say the exact same thing over and over again with
> >>> different words. By now that looks to me like bloat.
> >>>
> >>> Maybe it'd be better if I were reading it myself, or had Calibre
> >>> read it to me blandly. Of course, if you like this sort of thing,
> >>> an emphatic reader of the audiobook might add extra enjoyment for
> >>> the listener. It's just that I don't. Oh well.
> >>>
> >>> The villains are just annoying, too, not fun to read (eh, hear)
> >>> about. (Don't tell me they're supposed to be annoying. If they
> >>> take up as much stage time, I want them to be interesting, not
> >>> leaving me wondering whether to continue at all.)
> >>>
> >>> All those drawn out conversations with the villains. I have
> >>> started wondering whether my own villains (in my own stories)
> >>> would be as annoying to read about for others, while I think them
> >>> fun. (Any volunteers to check that for me? ;P )
> >>>
> >>> And then there's what happens to the characters. Raqvat hc nf
> >>> cneg bs gur Jvagre pbheg, jvgu anfgl fvqr-rssrpgf, ernyyl ehof zr
> >>> gur jebat jnl.
> >>>
> >>> So, anyway, lots to not like, sigh. Can I have some Miss
> >>> Marple-like stories with a supernatural twist please? And not
> >>> dwelling on curves and clothes and looks so much?
> >> I have read through the 15th book in the series and have books 16
> >> and 17 in my SBR (strategic book reserve). I gave them all four
> >> stars out of five. Here is my book 15 review:
> >>
> >> "Book number 15 in a series of 15 books. Plus several other books
> >> in the series of short stories and animations.
> >>
> >> I have not read a bad Dresden book yet and this one certainly
> >> stands up on its own. Harry is getting tougher and tougher but
> >> people are noticing him more and more. And, his skill set is good
> >> for snatch and run job. And, I like the positive Christian
> >> influences in the book.
> >>
> >> This is about the point where most long running series even out for
> >> the stretch or fall flat on their face. I suspect that this series
> >> will keep going well."
> >>
> >> Lynn
> >
> > I read the first few on recommendation. I found them reasonably
> > entertaining, but not so much that I wanted to pursue the series.
> > Since the series has lasted so long you are clearly not the only one
> > enjoying it, so I guess this is just a case of different people
> > having different tastes.
> I read the third on recommendation even after rating the first two as
> moronic rubbish. It is not surprising to me that Dimwire enjoys them.
> I have also tried long lasting MacDonalds takeaways on recommendation.
> To maintain my current excellent health I will avoid most fast food and
> all butchered writing.

I thought a little more of them than you did, but for me the series started
as "amusing light stuff" and went steadily downhill. Even in the fourth
book, which was my last, there were flashes of humour which I liked,
but not enough to compensate for the rest of the book. I bid them
a slightly sad farewell at that point.

I hear that MacDonald's now makes good coffee, and I might try it
as I am in a good-coffee-free zone. But I am also miles from
the nearest MacDonald's, an odd decision on their part considering
the dense populations near me.

William Hyde

William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> writes:
>On Saturday, August 6, 2022 at 4:58:30 PM UTC-4, Titus G wrote:

>> I read the third on recommendation even after rating the first two as
>> moronic rubbish. It is not surprising to me that Dimwire enjoys them.
>> I have also tried long lasting MacDonalds takeaways on recommendation.
>> To maintain my current excellent health I will avoid most fast food and
>> all butchered writing.
>
>I thought a little more of them than you did, but for me the series started
>as "amusing light stuff" and went steadily downhill. Even in the fourth
>book, which was my last, there were flashes of humour which I liked,
>but not enough to compensate for the rest of the book. I bid them
>a slightly sad farewell at that point.

I made it all the way to _Peace Talks_, which I never finished. I think
the series peaked around _Proven Guilty_.

>I hear that MacDonald's now makes good coffee, and I might try it
>as I am in a good-coffee-free zone. But I am also miles from
>the nearest MacDonald's, an odd decision on their part considering
>the dense populations near me.

I would have expected you to prefer Tim Hortons...

On 07.08.22, Titus G <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:
> On 7/08/22 04:43, Andrew McDowell wrote:
>> On Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 5:47:44 AM UTC+1, Lynn McGuire wrote:
>>> On 8/2/2022 4:39 AM, Ath wrote:

>>>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>>>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>>>
>>>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and
>>>> by now I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur
>>>> ivyynvaf whfg xrrc trggvat ovttre!

>>> I have read through the 15th book in the series and have books 16
>>> and 17 in my SBR (strategic book reserve). I gave them all four
>>> stars out of five. Here is my book 15 review:

>> I read the first few on recommendation. I found them reasonably
>> entertaining, but not so much that I wanted to pursue the series.
>> Since the series has lasted so long you are clearly not the only one
>> enjoying it, so I guess this is just a case of different people
>> having different tastes.

> I read the third on recommendation even after rating the first two as
> moronic rubbish. It is not surprising to me that Dimwire enjoys them.
> I have also tried long lasting MacDonalds takeaways on
> recommendation. To maintain my current excellent health I will avoid
> most fast food and all butchered writing.

First few were interesting enough for me. But #16 has pretty much
nothing interesting at all in it, and #17 was just annoying all the way
through. Maybe 0.05% funny comments. Don't want more of that.

Who's Dimwire?

I take it you didn't like MacDonads either? (I prefer food that tastes
good and fills, not fluff that costs a ton.)

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 07.08.22, Moriarty <blues95@ivillage.com> wrote:
> On Tuesday, August 2, 2022 at 7:48:22 PM UTC+10, Ath wrote:

>> Been listening to most of the Dresden Files audiobooks. Here's my
>> opinion. Spoilers hidden behind Rot13.
>>
>> With a wizard private investigator, I expected smaller cases, and by
>> now I would have prefered those, too. Ohg gur fpnyr naq gur ivyynvaf
>> whfg xrrc trggvat ovttre!

> If you don't like that aspect of the series, I'd suggest you stop now
> as that trend just keeps going and going. I've stopped reading partly
> them because the latest - "Battle Ground" - had that feature turned
> up to 11. BG also completely ruined one character, fridged another,
> and contains some of the worst writing and plotting I've ever seen
> from Butcher. If he keeps writing them, I'm sure they'll sell. Just
> not to me.

> I wrote a mini review of that book a while back:

> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.sf.written/c/Y176Zx9eQ7Q/m/msurl
> SKlAAAJ

So much for misunderstanding spoilers. :) I thought the one you refer to
as fridged refers to the same person as you talk about in the 2nd
paragraph of the spoiler part of your mini review.

Fridged person is happening in the previous book though, Peace Talks.
Though seeing how that book doesn't really have the usual aftermath, and
it just goes on in the next book, it's easy to get confused.

Btw, your review missed nabgure punenpgre trggvat xvyyrq. That was
annoying.

And yes, I don't really want to read/listen to more of that.

--

Call me Mick, that is I online.

On 8/08/22 02:53, Ath wrote:

>>> On Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 5:47:44 AM UTC+1, Lynn McGuire wrote:

> Who's Dimwire?