Brandon Sanderson: the doorstop king who divides readers
A skeptic takes on Brandon Sanderson's 1,200 pages: genius or filler? The cost of reading as you get older.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Brandon Sanderson, the author who splits readers in two
The latest skeptic toward Brandon Sanderson has just sat down with the first volume of his most famous saga. He arrives with a confessed bias: he expects padded young-adult fiction and knows the "sheep" who idolize him. The response from those around him is blunt: "you're too old for this."
The conversation about the author has been divided for years. Some dismiss him for being a practicing Mormon; others admit he has good ideas, but that his books are full of filler. The figure that triggers the complaints is the 1,200-page doorstop: years ago it could be read in two weeks, now it would take half a year. The return on reading investment plummets with age.
The harshest accusation points to an industrial method: several ghostwriters in charge of each character's storyline, later "glued together as best as possible." Compared with 1970s western novels, Sanderson pads out his worlds and only 20% of the plot matters. Even so, his talent for story construction is acknowledged.
The issue gets stuck where it always does: if an author sells millions and creates universes, should the passages that drag be forgiven? While some demand their time back, others reply that nobody is forced to read him. The initial skeptic will have to decide after a few chapters.
The latest skeptic toward Brandon Sanderson has just sat down with the first volume of his most famous saga. He arrives with a confessed bias: he expects padded young-adult fiction and knows the "sheep" who idolize him. The response from those around him is blunt: "you're too old for this."
The conversation about the author has been divided for years. Some dismiss him for being a practicing Mormon; others admit he has good ideas, but that his books are full of filler. The figure that triggers the complaints is the 1,200-page doorstop: years ago it could be read in two weeks, now it would take half a year. The return on reading investment plummets with age.
The harshest accusation points to an industrial method: several ghostwriters in charge of each character's storyline, later "glued together as best as possible." Compared with 1970s western novels, Sanderson pads out his worlds and only 20% of the plot matters. Even so, his talent for story construction is acknowledged.
The issue gets stuck where it always does: if an author sells millions and creates universes, should the passages that drag be forgiven? While some demand their time back, others reply that nobody is forced to read him. The initial skeptic will have to decide after a few chapters.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (33 replies).
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