Is it an exciting or entertaining story? Well developed characters? A universally relevant or interesting theme? A setting you can sink your teeth into? The way the writer crafts his/her words? I'm sure the answer lays in some complex joining of all these elements, but I would love to know what the kicker is for you. What is your element?
I hope you answer the poll to the left, and if you'd like you can leave comments explaining, expanding, or exemplifying!
I can only pick one?!? That's gonna be hard.
ReplyDeleteI think you should make that a poll where you can select multiple answers - I'm not sure which one to pick!!
ReplyDeleteI have to say that a captivating plot is the top choice for me. If there isn't a captivating plot, the rest just pales. I will say that I like great characters too!
ReplyDeleteSince I can only pick one... I picked great characters because for me that is what makes the story :)
ReplyDeleteI truly think it's a combination of all of them. But the main thing is plot for me. The other things are great but alone without a great plot I run a higher chance of being bored!!
ReplyDeleteIt is great to have all of them of course! But I have read books that not much is going on, but if the characters are interesting, I can still up loving the book.
ReplyDeleteI picked, and it was easy to me.
ReplyDeleteI cannot read anything that is written badly, no matter how much it has of anything else.
I want two, too. I can forgive minor plot inconsistencies and less than perfect writing style if the characters and settings draw me in. I did say minor. Characters and settings, either real or imagined, grab me. I'll vote for the settings. (Of course, the character and settings are very real or well imagined if the ploat and writing are good.--what a tangled web!)
ReplyDeleteI voted for characterisation - it's not that I don't think the rest doesn't matter, but I'm a character-oriented reader so I pay a lot of attention to it.
ReplyDeleteEveryone - Believe me, I completely understand about wanting to pick more than one, but I'm really interested to know what that one thing is, the most important. Thank you all so much for voting!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, for me a great read is the one where I find all of the elements you mentioned. And I definitely cannot limit myself to pointing just one. If I had to I could probably do with an intriguing theme and elegant prose but that's the bare minimum.
ReplyDeleteof course there are good reads and then any one of the elements is good enough but the priority would be an intriguing theme or captivating plot, I guess :)
I've been thinking about this question a lot lately, as well. I've finally come to the conclusion that in order for me to really enjoy a book I need well developed characters that really come to life for me.
ReplyDeleteWow, that was a hard choice! For me, the most satisfying reads are those that are highly discussable. I suppose that's the intersection of all the elements for me personally.
ReplyDeleteI chose characterization. They don't have to have an unusual story, but if they're are well created, they'll jump out of the pages. Either I'll relate to them, or they'll remind me of someone(s) I know, or they'll be totally unique and fascinating.
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