Wait wait wait "one of your books"? You're a published author? (My bit above about being in awe of actual published authors was quite sincere...)
MORE, GODDAMMIT!!!!!!! Get your bum back here, Margo, and GIVE!
Oh, wrong cat. Blush. I know about Boida's books....
Deb. even cats get cornfused
Letty wrote:Did your friend publish the book himself, or go through a publishing company?
How are the sales of his book going?
The reason that I ask these two questions, is because if a publisher saw redeeming features in his book, then I would concentrate on those aspects.
If his book is selling, there's another plus.
I think he would appreciate your honest comments tempered with the positive side of things.
No, he didn't publish it himself, Letty. An "alternative" publishing group.
I have no idea about the sales of the book, the publication was fairly recent.
Roberta wrote:This is tough. But considering that you said he's got a big ego and he seems very proud, I'd fudge. Either that, or avoid him. Could you tell him you didn't read it? Didn't have time? Lost your glasses? Need glasses? Have sworn off reading? I dunno.
I have to confess, Roberta, I've been thinking along those lines. (God, I'm a coward!)
From what I've read so far my honest opinion is this: Great concept, but lacking in depth & character development.
Roberta wrote:Olga, I've been thinking about this. It's one thing to say that you don't like the subject matter or it's not the kind of book you oridinarily like. But in this case, you think the writing is poor. That's a hard bit of criticism to take.
Exactly! And I don't want to be the messenger that gets shot, either!
dlowan wrote:Oh, wrong cat. Blush.
This happens to me here often, dlowan. Been called margo quite a few times. Obviously to do with the Oz cat connection.
I must say that I've really appreciated all your thoughtful comments. Phew, I'm glad that I'm not alone in stewing over this dilemma! Many thanks!
msolga wrote:Has someone ever told a white lie (or huge fib) to save your feelings (about something that matters) & you've discovered the truth of their feelings later?
How did you respond to that?
Yeah...it feels like a betrayal of sorts. I guess it really depends on the situation too though. I suppose some white lies are more forgiveable than others.
Like Phoenix said, you could couch your criticisms in positive thoughts on the book. You said your opinion is "Great concept, but lacking in depth & character development." Sooooo...maybe you could start it off by saying the first part. That the concept of the book is great! And then in terms of lacking depth and character development, say something like knowing what type of person he is and the life he's lived, you found the depth and character development not what you would have expected from him and the book left you wanting more. And then before he has a chance to respond, you could say you knew he would want an honest assessment from you and that he deserved no less. Then take the focus off that book and ask him if he's working on another book. Try and steer the conversation away from having to say more about the current book. Maybe his reaction will not be as bad as you expect?
Thanks, caprice!
Some very sensible suggestions.
The book I was talking about is a novel, the only one I've written. It needs to be worked on a bit more. But, Soz, yes, I've written books that have been published. Textbooks, teachers guides to texbooks, a style manual, and parts of a bunch of books--glossaries, tips for proofreading, etc.
The fact is that the process of writing the novel was so exhilarating, so overwhelming, so all-consuming that no criticism could have deflated the feeling I had about it. I asked three friends to read it; I got three different responses. Since it's not finished yet, I can take what they said and ponder whether their comments are valid or appropriate for what I want the book to be. For a book that's already published, criticism is just that. There's nothing you can do about it, except maybe apply the info to the next book. However, if the writing sucks, I don't know that that's curable.
Olga, It's possible that because I write for a living (along with editing and proofreading), I'm immune to emotional sensitivity to criticism. You pay me, you can say whatever you want.
Wow, Roberta, I'm impressed. Best of luck with your novel.
Olga, Another thought on the subject. When I was a kid, my father let me beat him at checkers. When I realized what he had done, I was very upset. Isn't letting someone win a kind of white lie--to make the other person feel good? I guess it works only so long as the person being duped never finds out.
margo wrote:msolga wrote:dlowan wrote:Oh, wrong cat. Blush.
This happens to me here often, dlowan. Been called margo quite a few times. Obviously to do with the Oz cat connection.
Oy! Thanks for the compliment - this cat's barely literate 
I'm not from Oz. But it's not the first time that Margo has been mistaken for me and vice versa. I grant you that Possum and Mikey bear miniscule resemblance, but the photos are very different. As for Olga/Felix.
