This is a weekly PARTY hosted by Jen at Crazy For Books. It's a chance to discover new blogs and to garner new readers for your blog as well.
Thanks for visiting!
"What do you consider more important: plot or character?"
For the most part, I would take character any given day. I've felt that most of the experience of reading depends on the experience you have in your head while you are reading a book. I'm more able to enjoy the story if I relate to or like the character. Otherwise, the story becomes secondary to the voice in my head which is grumbling about what I dislike in the book's hero/heroine.
That usually does not end well.
There are some exceptions of course - Epic novels like Lord of the Rings, books with vast plot structures like The Malazan books of the Fallen, these are so plot-driven that it is almost irrelevant if you enjoy the character narrative. These authors have also created strong evil characters, multi-dimensional heroines, brave souls - and the storyline lives up to the promise.
What do you think? Is it an either/or situation? Could it be a good character makes a sketchy plot come to life, but a poor plot can sink anyone?
Stopping by to say Hi! I choose plot, but went back and forth about seventeen times. It's very possible that by the end of the hop I might change my mind again… Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteJust hopping by and following through. Thanks for stopping by Book'd Out earlier. I agree it can definatley be an either or situation.
Shelleyrae
www.bookdout.wordpress.com
Stopping by from the blog hop! :)
ReplyDeleteGood point about the epic stories. Usually there are so many characters that the plot is definitely more important. Without that there isn;t really anyone to connect to.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog earlier!
The best books usually have both plot and character! I went for plot though as I can read a book with weak characters but get bored easily with weak plots. :)
ReplyDeleteThis might be the best Book Blogger Hop question I've seen to date.
ReplyDeleteSo what's the answer? Plot! Hop over to my blog and let me tell you how a good plot rescued bad characters from bad book oblivion.
Howard Sherman
http://www.howardsherman.net
Just hopped on over along the blog hop trail. Good answer. My answer is very much the same.
ReplyDeleteHi, hon - thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteVery nice to see you mention The Malazan books of the Fallen - in my book, that's easily the best fantasy saga that nobody really seems to be talking about.
Following from the hop even though for whatever reason my pic is invisible. LOL Don't know how I never found you before! Happy weekend.
ReplyDeletereading,Reading&Life
Happy HOP! At first I thought that both are important but ultimately for me, it's the characters. Hope you're enjoying your weekend :D
ReplyDeleteCome HOP by and visit The Bookish Snob
Totally, totally agree with you. Getting attached to characters is not all that hard when they're well-drawn, and can be long-lasting and most rewarding over the course of a multiple-book series. There are some characters that, after several installments of reading about them, could just sit and do little and I'd enjoy their "presence." (Does that make sense? I hope so. ^_^)
ReplyDelete-Alisha
Hopping by from the blog hop.
ReplyDeleteLots of good answers to this week's tough question.
Stop by my blog to see my answer to this week's question.
Also check out a design site I found...pretty neat home decorating ideas...it is in the right side panel on my blog.
http://silversolara.blogspot.com
Happy Holidays!!
@alisha - that made sense, yes :D
ReplyDelete@Senora - Thanks! I'm following back.
@Lee - thanks!
@Sally - How strange is it? I love those Malazan books, and they are sadly under-advertised..
This will probably come of something as a surprise but the book that changed/influenced my life (more than any other) is a non-fiction book. I know we all focus on novels and the fanciful fiction we love to read but The Four Work Week is the book that gets all the credit. I know the title sounds fictional but it really isn’t. Hop over to my blog and find out why – http://www.howardsherman.net
ReplyDeleteHappy Book Blogger Hop Day!
Howard A. Sherman