My Reading Profile – Characters, Familiarity, & Happy Endings

As I look back on some fifty years of reading, I notice some definite patterns emerging, yet I prize characters, familiarity, and happy endings above all. Once I discover an author I like I tend to read all their books until I’ve either read everything or just get sick of them. The first author I remember doing this with was Irving Stone back in high school. In my late teens I started with John Jakes. Based upon these two authors I would say that I found the historical settings of their works appealing. The authenticity of the material is also a factor. I like the idea that these books, while fictionalized, were rooted in facts. Even my most recent read, Stephen King’s 11/22/63 was in a sense historical fiction since the protagonist goes back in time to stop the JFK assassination. In addition, while these books all had action, the characters where the most important elements for me. I prefer a few central characters that I can connect with and become emotionally attached to. To this day I feel like I was a part of the creation of Michelangelo’s Pieta because I labored alongside of him in Irving Stones’ The Agony and the Ecstasy.

In my twenties I drifted to the emotional genres of horror and romance – Stephen King and Danielle Steele – yet characterization was still a key element. I realize that I began to prefer the kind of writing style that both these authors use. Both use plenty of dialog and action and only enough description to set the stage. They throw in just the right amount of violence and/or sex for me. The language they use is direct and straightforward (and in King’s case, often profane) and not at all dense or flowery. There is often a hint of humor or gentle sarcasm, particularly in King’s dialog. Neither writes what I would call literary novels. In fact, I eventually became bored with Steele’s novels because they seemed too formulaic. Fortunately, just when King’s books start to all sound the same, he throws in something totally off the wall. Because of this I can enjoy the familiarity of Kings writing (such as his occasionally cheesy dialog and his over reliance on writers and teachers as protagonists and North Eastern, Maine as the setting) while not getting tired of it.

Familiar characters are also important to me. Once I connect with a character, I enjoy revisiting them in future books. I realized this in my late twenties when I started reading series focusing on a main character such as Jonathan Kellerman’s Alex Delaware novels or Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone mysteries. I’m currently reading Grafton’s latest book V is for Vengeance and, despite that fact that she tends to use too much description for my taste, I will stick it out because I like the character. When I started reading the Harry Potter series to my daughter, I had never read a fantasy book before. I didn’t think I’d like fantasy yet I enjoyed reading these books as much as she did because I fell in love with the characters.

The fact that I agreed with the J.K. Rowling’s underlying messages of the importance of friendship and the triumph of good over evil also added to the appeal factor of this series. I like books that present an ultimately hopeful view of the world. I want my characters to face challenges and emerge victorious. As an eternal optimist I need my happy ending!