This week’s Musing Mondays from Should Be Reading asks…
“This week’s musing asks…
Do you prefer character-driven stories, or plot-driven stories?“
I mostly prefer character-driven stories. If I do not like any of the characters then no matter how engaging the plot is I couldn’t enjoy the book. For example, Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone. It is the proverbial page turner but I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would just because I didn’t like most of the characters.
Very rarely do I find the setting and the plot of the story rise above the book’s mundane characters. Agatha Christie’s play The Mousetrap comes to mind. I found the main protagonists Mollie and Giles Ralston to be annoying. Most of the other characters are bland and wooden or stereotypical. But the story, the setting and the final twist made the play worth a read.
It’s a treasure when a book is both character and plot driven!
Here’s my musing: http://diannehartsocksalex.wordpress.com/alexs-blogs/
Yes it’s great if a book has both but I find it to be kind of rare.
I think both are important to a story. Check out my full answer for this weeks musing Here.
Thanks for the visit! Will check out your MM! 🙂
I still haven’t got around to reading an Agatha Christie. One or two are definitely on my TBR pile – I’ll just have to check one isn’t The Moustrape as I’m more a character person than a plot person and if a character annoys me then the book tends to as well!
http://thebookgatherer.blogspot.com/2011/08/monday-musings_22.html
“…if a character annoys me then the book tends to as well!”
My feelings exactly!
but what good are great characters with a rotten plot? i say, I want them both! 😉
The best of everything? 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxzB6cfhleQ