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the settings of a book....

MrsPeel

MrsPeel

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...how important are to you?

I had this thought -as I am struggling to finish a book not very well written, and my mind wonders- that even though I don't really need to connect or identify with the characters of a book, sometimes I like it best and read faster when the story takes place in settings I am familiar with...like cities or specific buildings or streets I know....

I don't much like British TV... once in a while comes something like Downton or Dr Who or even Primeval (maybe the Canadians know it as there was a Canadian version?) I love watching USA TV...but in books, though I love most books from US writers...I see myself loving and reading faster if the action takes place in London or Madrid or Rio or Buenos Aires (to name some of the places I lived in) or even places I have visited and can paint the picture without the settings needed to be described much....

does this happen to you?
 
I once bought a book simply because it was based in Brighton and I years ago took a class there as part of an exchange program while attending business school.
But apart from that - no I don't usually prefer books from well known areas. Perhaps in fact it's the other way around. Books help me imagine places I've never been.
 
I don't have a preference that way but I do hate books that constantly repeat setting descriptions. I don't need to read a setting over and over again to have formed a picture of it in my mind. Totally not what you were asking I know but it made me think about that. haha I often will skim through the descriptive parts to get back to the dialogue in the story. I'm more of a people person and less of a scenery person I guess.
 
The setting doesn't matter to me at all. I like an engaging well written story with characters who are 3 dimensional instead of two, and something that hasn't been written 1000 times before in a different "setting"
 
I don't mind the setting, but I struggle more if it is set in a foreign country with foreign words and names interspersed, especially if I don't even know how to pronounce the names of the characters.
I love seeing places in movies or series that I recognise from having visited there.
 
Jeanet said:
I once bought a book simply because it was based in Brighton and I years ago took a class there as part of an exchange program while attending business school.
But apart from that - no I don't usually prefer books from well known areas. Perhaps in fact it's the other way around. Books help me imagine places I've never been.
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as a matter of fact, this was the way I was pre-internet times.... I remember being a very very busy reader since I can remember as my dad encouraged by twice a year taking me to the book store and buying 6 books I could choose.... and I loved reading about different places....
The reason I posted was because I just realized this has changed lately.... trying to figure out of it is because now with so much foreign stuff one can see online or because my mind can't make the effort to bring up the described setting into life....not sure if this is confusing.. LOL it sounds right in my head

Shari said:
I don't have a preference that way but I do hate books that constantly repeat setting descriptions. I don't need to read a setting over and over again to have formed a picture of it in my mind. Totally not what you were asking I know but it made me think about that. haha I often will skim through the descriptive parts to get back to the dialogue in the story. I'm more of a people person and less of a scenery person I guess.
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ohhh I am pretty much like that in most cases.... I get anxious when the description is too much, because I love more the actual story and in many cases don't need to know... but see, this is what I was saying to Jeanet....
Before the net, I would liked a setting in my head to come to life so I think I wouldn't mind a bit more descriptive..but for example, I read a lot of crimer/thriller stuff, Michael Connelly and David Baldacci... neither describes settings that much, but say, Conelly mentions the place in LA or California like a road or an area, and because I have seen those places online or on movies, I don't care about the description and I can imagine without much effort....

Lindzee said:
The setting doesn't matter to me at all. I like an engaging well written story with characters who are 3 dimensional instead of two, and something that hasn't been written 1000 times before in a different "setting"
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yes, that too these days, the thing that comes colaterally with this is that when they do movies on books I have read, most of the time I don't want to watch it, or the other way around, because if I read and made my mind up about a character....rarely have I found that goes to what it was in my mind, with very very few exceptions...
for example , I read Agatha Christie when I was a teenager, and re read many when I came here, as this is how I learned English.... much later, I watched the British TV series on Poirot, and David Suchet was EXACTLY the Poirot I had made in my mind..... then The Shinning.... I think I was either in my late teens or early 20s when I read the book.... and then later enjoyed the film because it fitted on my imagination of the whole thing.... can't think of others right now, I know there are a few , but in general...I have gotten disappointed with stuff like the Jodi Picault book (cant remember the name now, the sister with cancer where the film completely re wrote the end)

Eyeore said:
I don't mind the setting, but I struggle more if it is set in a foreign country with foreign words and names interspersed, especially if I don't even know how to pronounce the names of the characters.
I love seeing places in movies or series that I recognise from having visited there.
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I used to love the differences, the new languages and places...like I said, before the internet....and I think before my completely life change when my brain started being less functional by the minute LOL
 
MrsPeel said:
.... trying to figure out of it is because now with so much foreign stuff one can see online ...
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This actually make sense but these days we mainly see all the bad things in the world so books are the perfect way to 'see the world' and taking a break from reality if only for a little while.
 
Well, it does feel special to read a book about 'my' home. Like in The Fault Of Our Stars, it feels kinda weird and proud to read about Amsterdam through the eyes of non-Dutchies. But that would feel different if it's written by a Dutch author.
I do find the time setting important. I am not really interested in stories happening too far away in the past. Unless it's something like Earth's Children by Jean M. Auel. Because those books are AMAZING.
 
Jeanet said:
This actually make sense but these days we mainly see all the bad things in the world so books are the perfect way to 'see the world' and taking a break from reality if only for a little while.
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that really makes sense.....
which ties with what I was going to say to Bernie, which is that I am infuriated when I see any town in Brazil portraited by the worse instead of focusing on the good, and also angry -I know, a but extreme , but I am old .. I CAN!!!! :rofl - when a non Brazilian/non Spanish speaker (or any other place in the world really) is cast to play a Brazilian/Spanish/anywhere really. (which does not much to do with books but as so many books get made into films!!!!)

berniek said:
Well, it does feel special to read a book about 'my' home. Like in The Fault Of Our Stars, it feels kinda weird and proud to read about Amsterdam through the eyes of non-Dutchies. But that would feel different if it's written by a Dutch author.
I do find the time setting important. I am not really interested in stories happening too far away in the past. Unless it's something like Earth's Children by Jean M. Auel. Because those books are AMAZING.
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oh gosh... I loved LOVED love The Fault in Ours Stars....!!!!!!!!
Sarita forced me to go with her , I didn't want to go because I knew I would cry rivers and I'm on a comedy, ficatuional happy kind of phase, but she wanted to go as it was a pre release and we were traveling to South Ameruca so I ended up going... loved it, every minute of it....
Sarita's Dad promised me when we first started going out he would take me to Amsterdam (which I have been only briefly, and didn't leave the airport!) then when we got married he again promised....and it ended up that we never went..... I haven't been well enough to travel lately and money right now is an issue, but I wil make my way there at some point...there is you, @mirjam @Natascha and so many other Dutch people IO want to go hugg with all my might

as for old stories...for me it depends... I know I had a phase in which I was crazy about period stories... my very first love affair with a period book was probably Heidi... then BIG TIME Little Women.... I read it at least 10 times...I think I was 10 or 11.... Then the Bronte Sisters.... I fell in love with Jayne Eyre and so did Sarita when in secondary school ... (probably the only book she ever read on the whole, with pleasure... I honestly can't believe a daughter of mine doesn't like reading- I count that as ione of my failures as a mother)
But the oldest I have read in the past 3 years was Curtain Call, set in the early 1900s....
I know some of my friends can't believe it but I really didn't click with Jane Austen....
 
If the author did their research, I enjoy reading about a place I'm familiar with through someone else's eyes. But when they get a big detail wrong, like saying the character took one road to another (both north south roads) or they got there in 5 minutes (15 - 20 minute drive) it pulls me out of the story. When it's somewhere I haven't been, those details aren't as obvious to me.
 
I'm exactly the same as you Cynthia. I get grumpy that the library here buys too many US books and not enough British ones LOL. Even though I have found lots of really great books set in the US, my preference is always for books set in England or Europe. I just relate to the characters and settings more. (It's rare to find a good book set in New Zealand but it's fun for the novelty factor if you do.)
 
michelepixels said:
I love virtually traveling to places I don't know by reading about them in novels.
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I explained in one of the posts , I was like that before, I think with age (and illness and a lot of other factors) the way you live life and enjoy certain things changes radically.... (meaning you are young and am getting OLD LOL)

bestcee said:
If the author did their research, I enjoy reading about a place I'm familiar with through someone else's eyes. But when they get a big detail wrong, like saying the character took one road to another (both north south roads) or they got there in 5 minutes (15 - 20 minute drive) it pulls me out of the story. When it's somewhere I haven't been, those details aren't as obvious to me.
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ohh yes!!!!!!!!
I think I would even put the book down amd not finish reading if something of the sort happens!!!!

LynnG said:
I'm exactly the same as you Cynthia. I get grumpy that the library here buys too many US books and not enough British ones LOL. Even though I have found lots of really great books set in the US, my preference is always for books set in England or Europe. I just relate to the characters and settings more. (It's rare to find a good book set in New Zealand but it's fun for the novelty factor if you do.)
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I don't think I ever read a book set in New Zealand? or Australia now I am thinking about it?
should find some!!!
 
MrsPeel said:
I don't think I ever read a book set in New Zealand? or Australia now I am thinking about it?
should find some!!!
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Isn't there a famous book set in Australia?

Found it! There's a wikipedia page with 60 books listed as being set in Australia although, The ThordBirds is the one I was thinking of, and it's not on it.
 
I kind of like books about places I haven't been but at the same time, hearing about rolling hills or elaborate landscape descriptions in infinite detail loses my interest. The Martian was my fave last year and I can't imagine I'll ever see the surface of Mars in my lifetime (and it's be pretty boring really even as a photography nut) but it was so good that I guess a book can be set anywhere (even a boring place with just rocks and no atmosphere and no one else around and it can be fascinating to me) (haven't seen the movie yet....hopefully it's just as fascinating). I like UK set books too, JoJo Moyes and Sophie Kinsella and David Nicholls 've liked in the last few years

As to Aussie books, berniek mentioned When the War Began in another thread here and they're really great Aussie set books (but kinda dystopia Aust and they're YA). Can't say I've read Thorn Birds, I've heard of it and it's kinda famous but can't say I even knew it was Aust'n (!)
 
I read a lot of science fiction...well, space opera (otherwise known as melodramatic space trash), so familiar settings aren't really an option there. I do love to read books in a series where I can get to know characters and read about them. Sometimes even if the book is lousy, if there's a character I like in it, it'll still hold my interest.
 
bestcee said:
Isn't there a famous book set in Australia?

Found it! There's a wikipedia page with 60 books listed as being set in Australia although, The ThordBirds is the one I was thinking of, and it's not on it.
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thanks Court!!! I ll look these up!!!

bellbird said:
I kind of like books about places I haven't been but at the same time, hearing about rolling hills or elaborate landscape descriptions in infinite detail loses my interest. The Martian was my fave last year and I can't imagine I'll ever see the surface of Mars in my lifetime (and it's be pretty boring really even as a photography nut) but it was so good that I guess a book can be set anywhere (even a boring place with just rocks and no atmosphere and no one else around and it can be fascinating to me) (haven't seen the movie yet....hopefully it's just as fascinating). I like UK set books too, JoJo Moyes and Sophie Kinsella and David Nicholls 've liked in the last few years

As to Aussie books, berniek mentioned When the War Began in another thread here and they're really great Aussie set books (but kinda dystopia Aust and they're YA). Can't say I've read Thorn Birds, I've heard of it and it's kinda famous but can't say I even knew it was Aust'n (!)
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The Martian...I want to watch the movie... and yes, I can see the appeal of the story sometimes has nothing to do with the surroundings!!! I ll have a look at what Bernie pointed up....

scrappyjedi said:
I read a lot of science fiction...well, space opera (otherwise known as melodramatic space trash), so familiar settings aren't really an option there. I do love to read books in a series where I can get to know characters and read about them. Sometimes even if the book is lousy, if there's a character I like in it, it'll still hold my interest.
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I got into sci fi twice...in my teens when reading Bradbury and then going into every possible book I could get my hands of that was futuristic...then I spent a long time reading other stuff, had a phase of horror books, I loved them...I couldn't read not even Stephen King now and I used to love him..... then I got into sci fi again when I fell in love with Stark Trek Next Generation...and read all star trek books and started going back to sci fi...I just got a bunch of free futuristic books (will look it up as my memory sucks) so I understand what you mean....
also...
I read a book last month called Follow me...it was pretty much like that you say: the book was a pain to finish, but I stuck to it because of two characters I loved and wanted to see what happened in the end with them!!!
 
MrsPeel said:
The Martian...I want to watch the movie... and yes, I can see the appeal of the story sometimes has nothing to do with the surroundings!!! I ll have a look at what Bernie pointed up....
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The Martian in an AMAZING book!! Seriously, I geeked straight out over it, could not put it down, LOVED IT! So much so that I asked Darren to go see the movie in the theater, which I hardly ever, ever do. I have to say, though, that though the movie was enjoyable, the book is so very, very much better. I recommend seeing it, but I absolutely recommend reading the book first. (And, seriously, they had to remove so many f-bombs from that book to get a PG-13 rating for the movie!)

MrsPeel said:
I got into sci fi twice...in my teens when reading Bradbury and then going into every possible book I could get my hands of that was futuristic...then I spent a long time reading other stuff, had a phase of horror books, I loved them...I couldn't read not even Stephen King now and I used to love him..... then I got into sci fi again when I fell in love with Stark Trek Next Generation...and read all star trek books and started going back to sci fi...I just got a bunch of free futuristic books (will look it up as my memory sucks) so I understand what you mean....
also...
I read a book last month called Follow me...it was pretty much like that you say: the book was a pain to finish, but I stuck to it because of two characters I loved and wanted to see what happened in the end with them!!!
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I tried reading Bradbury in my tweens- had such horrible nightmares about robotic dogs with poison injectors that I had to stop! I pretty much stick to things on the level of Star Trek books- my favorites being Star Wars novels, Stargate novels, and a bit of Doctor Who here and there. At least then I can sleep at night. :)
 
Catching up with this thread...I have to say I am the philistine who could not stand The Martian. I kept skipping over the science stuff and realized that it wasn't going to get better - for me. I also found the movie good but not great. What surprised me was that dh quibbled about the science in the movie as not being accurate. Fiction is not his game.

I will read most any book set in the UK because unless it is set in a very specific place I know backwards and forwards, I won't spot some setting mistake. I did read a set of crime mysteries recently that had me googling a word ever 3rd page or so. I haven't had that happen in a long time. In the past I read as many books set in Washington DC as I could and when they got a street wrong I'd be furious. Do your homework! I'm a little more tolerant these days but haven't found many novels currently set in DC. Any suggestions?
 
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