The Introverted Detective

Monday, April 7, 2025

What is a classic?

What do Wuthering Heights and Alice In Wonderland have in common? They are both considered classic books, even when they are so different in tone and genre. Let's look at what makes something a classic.

My observations on what makes something a classic are one, that popularity at the time of publishing doesn't seem to matter (for example, the Bronte sisters didn't do so well in their own time period) and two, that what does matter is whether a book stands the test of time. Other than that, I have no idea what makes a classic count as a classic. Let's dive into this together. A coworker asked me what a classic is and I'm genuinely curious.

What Is A Classic?

Apparently, Reddit threads don't find this question easily answered. It looks like I'm not the only one asking what the classic book standard is.

One source proves one of my observations right. It is defined as a novel that stands the test of time and is beloved years after its release. It has to have a certain depth and originality to remain popular for years. Some were popular after their time, too, so standing the test of time can mean being rediscovered later on, then being beloved. Cult-classic novels were not always appreciated at the time of release (nor are all cult-classic movies, like Scott Pilgrim Vs The World).

Does every classic need to be from the 1800s? No, James Bond is a classic and it was written in the 1950s. Marlowe mysteries were written in the 1940s and those are classics. You have probably read a classic and not known it. Narnia? Harry Potter? Both classics. Laura Ingalls Wilder books? That's a classic. Nancy Drew is also a classic from 1930s to the present. Let's take a moment to appreciate that not all classics are wordy and intimidating.

Put simply, think of them as old famous books and newer famous books. If you've heard of it or it hit your school curriculum at some point, you've read a classic. Some of my collected books count as a classic. One Reddit user noted that classics are books that stay interesting. There is no official measuring stick. While some critics can rave on a book, if it is never read by the majority of the public it is not a classic.

It also has a lot to do with impacting an era. For instance, Victor Hugo, Ian Fleming, and Jane Austen made a big impact on their society. Many classics have movies attached, too. It is far too broad a category and it expands through all genres. There is no exact standard. If you want one person's 14 defined points on a classic, click here. Italo Calvino's points touch on the fact that it can be reread over and over, as well as how it discusses the current society.

Easy Reads, Intermediate Reads, and Downright Hard Reads

Here we have some examples of books that are easy and quick reads, books that require at least some brain power, and books that are notoriously hard to finish. This is a good guide for what kids can handle, too, since I'll put kid's classics in a paragraph by themselves.

I need to define some things before giving examples. I also need to clarify that I'm an avid reader and not everyone is at the same reading level (or age) as me. I'm putting easy kids and easy adult classics in two categories. Easy is defined as a quick and fun read. Intermediate is a longer read that requires some brain power to read (big words, archaic words...), and hard reads are notoriously long and require lots of study to understand - not to mention they are usually notoriously hard to get into.

Easy kids' classics include Alice In Wonderland, Through The Looking Glass, Wind In The Willows, Winnie The Pooh anything, Anne of Green Gables, a lot of Roald Dahl novels, the Laura Ingalls Wilder series, To Kill A Mockingbird, and The Chronicles of Narnia. I'll also add both the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series for kicks and giggles. These are delightful for all ages. I would say these are generally safe for kids to read, in comparison to the adult easy classics. A more modern classic can include Harry Potter, even, so don't discount popular characters.

Easy adult classics include The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, any Agatha Christie novel, James Bond as a whole, Of Mice and Men, Rebecca, Frankenstein, the Philip Marlowe series, The Great Gatsby, Little Women, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Ben Hur, and A Christmas Carol (other books of Charles Dickens are much longer than this). It's hard to say if "easy" is the best description for some classics. Look at the genre before you pick it up. Treasure Island and The Three Musketeers are also good ones. Depending on whether you consider 1984 easy to read, I'll put that here. Animal Farm was on my high school reading list, thus I'm adding that to this category.

Intermediate will include more archaic words and longer books. We have anything by Victor Hugo (months of reading), anything by the Bronte Sisters, Charles Dickens books (minus Christmas Carol, which is far shorter), and Jane Austen books (as some sentences you have to read with your brain turned on). There are quite a few that are also intense like Fahrenheit 451. Intense books are intermediate books. Wuthering Heights is just on example of why. Lord of The Rings would also go here.

Hard books are harder to define. It might be hard for you to read more than 500 pages in a book, or you could be used to intense fantasy that goes into 1200 pages and long classics are not even intermediate. These are only my suggestions. I'm putting Shakespeare here because it requires study - thus "no fear Shakespeare" that purposely appeals to students. Anything that takes more than just a dictionary is going here. Don Quixote, Bleak House, Moby Dick, Anna Karenina, War and Peace, and Dune were all on a list that I'll link here. Canterbury Tales was on my high school curriculum and was really hard to understand, so it sits right beside Shakespeare in my mind.

An Overview

This was not as concrete as I originally thought it'd be. Classics might shift as time goes on, one person might consider a book a classic while another doesn't, and there is no set standard. Throw out the idea that classics are all boring, because I can tell you Ben Hur isn't. James Bond is considered classic and he's still very relevant, along with Nancy Drew and Alice In Wonderland. Our definition of a classic being "boring" is wrong. We watch classics on TV and don't know it. Christmas Carol is a play that keeps playing every Christmas and is shown on every TV from November to January. It has multiple versions. Let's redefine classic.

A classic is a book that keeps being relevant despite changing times, different generations, and different political climates. It entertains multiple generations of readers and gets movies, multiple versions, and retellings. Classics are stories that never die, it's that simple.

Sources;

30 Easy to Read Classics You Won't Want to Put Down | For the Joy of Books

What makes a classic? - Pan Macmillan

What makes a classic - classic? : r/literature

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I wrote a book! I am delighted to say that I have 5 five-star reviews up on Amazon now, which is amazing. I hope you like it, too. If you're interested in buying a paperback, hardcover, or ebook version go to my website link in this blog or click here to go straight to my Amazon page.

Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Monday, March 31, 2025

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte - A Review

I picked up Wuthering Heights at a little library, then got the Kobo ebook because the act of turning pages started pulling them out (and I wasn't turning that hard). Let's talk about another Bronte sister classic. If you like ghost stories, drama, and toxic romance, this is a book you'll love. It's a gothic novel.

It starts with a man, a tenant, arriving at Wuthering Heights. He is barely welcomed. It's kind of sinister. Heathcliff is extremely reserved and cold. Our own main character has some issues. Mr. Lockwood is the only guest in a long time and they are in a remote place. The dogs don't even know how to handle a guest in the house, though Lockwood did make faces at them, so he may have deserved the retaliation. The guest isn't really wanted, you can clearly see. There are so few servants, and they are not friendly. His second visit has him putting his whole foot in his mouth, assuming a young woman to be Heathcliff's wife - when she is definitely not. He put the other foot in his mouth too, after assuming her to be someone elses' wife and her husband (Heathcliff's son) was dead. He's judging everyone, too. No one is happy at Wuthering Heights. The tenant keeps annoying everyone. Apparently we also have a lot of family dysfunction.

He's snowed in and is forced to stay, as he wasn't given a guide through the moors. The tenant is rude, as usual. He steals a lantern without asking. He yells impulsively with a bad temper and isn't actually invited. I don't feel bad for him. They kind of let the dogs rough him up until one of the women steps in. He's been put in a chamber no one was usually allowed to stay in. He sees variation of Cathrine with three last names. He reads her books. It describes Catherine and Healthcliff interacting together. From there I'll let you explore the story.

Overall Thoughts

This one has the abused orphan trope, but goes in the opposite direction of hope. It details a forbidden romance and an abusive home. Heathcliff was picked up on a cold, stormy night in a bad state. He's saved by the eldest Mr. Earnshaw, only to be abused when he died. Think Jane Eyre as a boy, only somehow the abuse is worse and goes on for much longer. Add that forbidden romance and you've got the core of the story. Eventually, he comes back for revenge.

The tone of Jane Eyre vs Wuthering Heights (both written by Bronte sisters) are different. Jane Eyre was all about hope; Wuthering Heights is dark and dismal. Both have an abused orphan in them. This was written by the sister that died of consumption a year after this book was published (1847). All three Bronte sisters have at least one book published. Charlotte Bronte outlived her two sisters (who died in 1848 and 1849). Their first books were written under assumed names and the last name Bell. Only now do we give them their true names on their books. Jane Eyre is all about redemption, but this one is all about revenge. I could say it has Monte Cristo vibes after he comes back from his three years of running away. He suddenly has money, but no one knows why or how. Oh, and so many people are dying of consumption (Tuberculosis).

Our eyes and ears for this story come from a man who doesn't have common sense, Mr. Lockwood. He's the tenant and Heathcliff is the landlord. He's come to rent from Heathcliff. It seems to be part of the Linton family estate. The first three chapters confused me to a degree. They give you more questions than answers. The tenant stepped into a space he wasn't wanted and saw so much family drama it's a wonder they haven't killed each other yet. The sister-in-law is threatening to witchcraft curse Joseph in the second chapter if he doesn't leave her alone. No one likes each other, but they still all stay. It's a strange thing to behold. It leaves you wondering why and how it became this bad. The servant spills all of the tea and that is the majority of our storyline.

Keep in mind that Joseph is hard to understand. His dialogue is written in his accent. You literally have to hear it said to understand half of it, let alone all of it. I find myself reading it out loud to even comprehend the words. Remember this when Joseph starts talking.

Courtesy of Pinterest

Some of the story is from a household servant talking about past events at length. Ellen is telling Lockwood all about Heathcliff and Catherine's history - and every juicy bit of family gossip that came about, including drunken rages and Catherine's manipulative, me-me-me nature. She's the only one in the story to have sound advice (to which she freely gives) and no one listens. She's the Elrond of the entire book (LOTR reference, look it up for context). She notices Heathcliff's return is for evil and not good. She does her best to help and not hurt those around her - which is hard when the families she serves are all a hot mess. The only times you hear about the tenant are the beginning and the end, where Heathcliff is seeing his dead love everywhere and he dies by the window in his chamber. It's a wild ride! Just when you think it can't be more unhinged, it gets crazier.

Who this book is for

If you like juicy, family drama you'll love it. If you liked The Count of Monte Cristo you'll love it. It's not a light book, nor is it pure horror. It has horror elements (including the idiot tenant and past tragedy, and ghosts), but it isn't all horror. It's mostly family dramatics and people who desperately need therapy and the AAA's help. You have a lot of dramatic speeches and overly dramatic spoiled people interacting with an orphan who is plotting revenge (and somehow left for three years and got money from somewhere?). It's ominous, it is, yet incredibly entertaining - like the most unhinged Reddit stories you've ever heard. By the end, Heathcliff is the main abuser.

This book is best experienced, not heard about. Why? Because it gets increasingly unhinged. You'll know what I mean when you read it yourself. If you are not sure of it, the library is a great place to read it from. It's worth it for me - a five star read that had me interested from the beginning to the end. Just know that it references abuse and lots of consumption (tuberculosis). Oh, and let's not forget grave digging and kidnapping (not the same scenes). You'll find those later in the book. It gets wild.

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Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Monday, March 24, 2025

The Night Swim By Megan Goldin - A review

I picked up a library challenge. That means my book has to come from the library in some form. My choice was The Night Swim by Megan Goldin. Please know this book comes with trigger warnings, all of which are related to heinous sexual crime. Let's get into it. Spoilers below!

So, I need to tell you all the trigger warnings now, as this book is quite full of them. See this link to look at all of them. If you can't handle the discussion of rape and assault, or true crime, put the book back and move on. It's just the reality of a book about a true crime podcaster covering a rape trial, and a true crime podcaster discovering a buried case of gang rape and murder.

I was reading this for about three hours until I had to stop and take a break. We have a gang rape case included in this book. Jennie was gang raped and some of the town seems to think she was promiscuous. Meanwhile, our main podcast season covers a rape trial. This trial is being talked about all over town, mostly because the alleged rapist was a prominent member of the town and rich. Neapolis plays favorites and Jennie's family was not one of them, based on what you hear. The more our main character dredges up, the more she's told to shut up. The current rape case is already favoring the man because the family hired a promoter to make the alleged rapist look good in court. Both cases blame the victim. It is atrociously angering.

Most of the story is Rachel's podcast, her interviewing or gathering information, and the letters from Hannah (sister of Jennie). We learn what happened in both cases as we read the letters or as Rachel gets the information. Hannah is stalking Rachel and leaving letters everywhere for her, telling her sister's story because she is desperate for justice. That is the core of our novel. I would not expect this to be light reading; I was mistaken to expect that. I couldn't finish it. I got thirty percent into it before stopping.

Overall Thoughts

It pulls you in immediately. Read it as an audiobook and you'll really get into the podcast episodes themselves. Rachel is sort of freaked out about Hannah's stalking, but can't resist the extra case she's picked up. She starts looking into it and the locals start telling her to stop. There is clearly something going on locally that she doesn't know. The cases themselves are interesting. The town is biased toward and against specific families. Money talks here.

Again, I have to remind you this is not light reading. Don't hand this to anyone less than 18 years old. Please, I'd even advocate being in your 20s to read this. It's heartbreaking. True crime should be your cup of tea if you pick this up. If not, put it back. It discusses victim blaming at length and doesn't shy away from rape discussions. She's even feeling out the town, discovering their favoritism towards some families and scorn toward others. Jennie's family definitely sat at the bottom of that totem pole. Some boys who gang raped Jennie actively got away with it by the time we see Rachel look into it.

I was mentally distressed already. I looked up other reviews to see if I needed to stop. I'm not even to the trial thirty percent into the book. I might be a chicken for doing this, but I'm stopping. I'm linking another few reviews so you can gauge what you can handle. I decided this was too mentally distressing for me.

Megan Goldin | The Night Swim - Bookends

Summary, Explanation + Review: The Night Swim by Megan Goldin - The Bibliofile

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Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Monday, March 17, 2025

Jane Eyre - A Review

I decided to try Jane Eyre, a book that had my attention from the first chapter to the last. It is the story of an orphan girl and her rather eventful life. Let's get into it.

Courtesy of goconqr.com

The Book Events

We start with Jane Eyre talking about how she was treated like less than a servant, hiding with a book only to be interrupted by a physically abusive "Master" of the house (the son of the lady of the house). After such events, she is blamed for attacking him - no one asking what he did or what happened - and locked in a room. She passes out later in a fit of sobs. The apothecary then suggests she go to school, where she is treated better emotionally, but worse physically, like everyone else. Typhus hits the place and the headmaster is replaced, making it a healthier school overall. Jane then teaches for two years, sees her mentor teacher marry, and decides to seek a governess job. She finds one in a household that holds secrets, but embraces her warmly. From there everything just gets juicier. This is the only synopsis I'm going to give. It's a five star book.

Thoughts on Characters

So, Mr. Rochester is a character that comes across as off-putting until you get to know that character. Not only does he dismiss his ward (though he isn't unnecessarily mean to her), but he has a "man of the house" commanding tone when we first meet him as an audience. Later, though, he treats Jane as an equal despite her governess position, inviting her to spend time with his high-positioned friends and even join their charades game. She tries to duck out and he notices. He seems to have an affection for her, despite his almost marrying Miss Ingram. You'll notice some pet names pop up in conversation before he proposes the first time. When he proposes the second time, a lot of stuff has happened between them (he's blind) and they both live happy lives.

Jane herself is no pushover. I love her. She's also a woman with low self-esteem. She's intelligent and probably an INFJ personality. I related to her a lot. She ruminates, thinks for herself, cares deeply for others, and is beautiful from the inside out. It's easy for me to put myself in her shoes as we see her stream of thoughts flow. She scares some people with her honesty, including her aunt. She can stand up to her cousin's loveless marriage proposal and inability to take no for an answer. She's a strong woman and a beautiful soul.

Rochester and Jane are the main two I want to address, since one character is particularly secret and should remain so until you read it for yourself. As for the Reed family, they are all diverse and the aunt is horrible to the end, but Jane forgives her and pretty much embodies the "burning heaping coals on your enemies" verse in the Bible.

Overall Thoughts

This is a drama in the beginning, but a gothic suspense by the time she becomes a governess. It's also an age-gap romance (20 years difference) from the suspense portion onward. She has two proposals (counting Mr. Rochester's two proposals as one). Her cousin also wants to marry her, but only because he wants to take her to India to serve as a missionary. Jane is an intelligent, ruminating young woman who lets the flow of thoughts give you the full picture of her mental state. It never, ever, bored me. Our main character doesn't have a cushy life, despite being raised until age 10 in a rich household. She has a low self-esteem from childhood on, but is no pushover when she reaches adulthood. She wasn't a pushover as a child, either. Our main character is interesting, intriguing, and keeps your attention as she tells her life story. By the end, she's even inherited money and found family she'd never known in her youth.

If you want any warnings on content, I'll give you some here. You'll see verbal, emotional, and physical abuse right off the bat. She is treated horribly by her aunt. You'll also see abuse documented at Lowood, where the girls are half-starved, not given enough clothing, and barely have self-esteem left for the sake of "humility" being taught. It greatly explains why Jane continues to think herself unremarkable (when she is, in fact, amazing). Aside from all that, you don't really need a warning.

Is it worth reading? Yes, a hundred times, yes. Don't expect a quick read, though, or you'll be sorely mistaken. A quicker classic would be Jekyll and Hyde, while this is a "sit and ponder me" book. You'll want to take your time. It isn't a book to fly through. There are emotions and events to unpack the whole time. I've read sections in short spurts over a whole day. So much is going on all the time. Jane ends up living a beautiful life despite all the hardship life serves her. It's a bit like the story of Joseph (Bible reference), where she lands in a frying pan and makes it out intact every time.

Things To Note

You should have a dictionary and Google Translate with you. Your phone can easily help you with that. The ward of Mr. Rochester, Adele, speaks lots of French, which is definitely written in French some of the time. There are a few phrases in German. Also, archaic words show up everywhere. An e-reader is suggested for this book, especially one you can note word meanings in for the future. Words like "elfish" and aspects of fae lore also show up. It was known well by the author, but most of us today won't immediately know fae lore. It can be easily googled. So, have your phone near you with the dictionary app open.

The time period of Jane Eyre did not include electric lights. This is why candles are constantly needed for light in the evening. Remember this when Jane is locked in a room; it changes the whole context to know that a nine-year-old girl wasn't given a candle while locked in a dark room. Modern readers may not pick up this context. I missed this context and only thought of it later on, when Jane herself notes she wasn't given a candle in the dark room.

Age gap romances were also common to the era of this book. The book Emma by Jane Austen also features an age gap romance. It may seem disgusting to us today to have 20 or 37 years (Emma) of age gap in a couple, but social status seemed to matter more. It wasn't uncommon and disgusting then, but it may influence your opinion of the romance portion to know there was a 20 year age gap. She works as a governess at age 18 while Mr. Rochester is 40 plus years old. He actually says he's old enough to be her father, actually states the age gap. It's just the time period, keep that in mind.

Jane is also proposed to by a direct cousin. I know this is disgusting by our standards, but it wasn't then. She said no, anyway, so it doesn't matter all that much. She doesn't even note they are too close of relatives, so this should tell you what the time period thought of marrying cousins. What was uncommon at the time was marrying as intellectual equals, which is kind of interesting when we see Jane found two men who matched her intelligence and wanted her hand. Her equal marriage was not the most common.

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Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Read it or Unhaul it Challenge - First of 2025

I'm doing the Read It Or Unhaul It challenge again this year. If you don't know the rules, I'll explain it in one sentence; I read it and like it, or get rid of it. It's a way to keep the bookshelf free of unliked books. Without much adieu, let's go.

The rules of this challenge are simple. I picked three random books from "the unread" tab of my book inventory (not including the series I collect). I read them or DNF them. I decide what to do with them at the end of the challenge. I chose three, a good number to handle for one blog. I can do up to five if I DNF two in a row (a rule I added this past year). That's about it for rules. I'm going to go one book at a time.

If you take on this challenge, it is a good rule of thumb to read ten percent or four to five chapters before making a decision. Unless of course you hate it already, then you know what to do. I recommend this challenge to book dragons like me. We hoard books, but don't always read them all. We need space constantly for books. This will help you keep space open for books you love. Try it if you need to declutter your bookshelf.

Red Hot Steele (Daggers and Steele series book one) by Alex P. Berg

Courtesy of goodreads.com

What you have here is a hard-boiled fantasy mystery with a noir fiction feel. It comes across as a bit sexist, Daggers being the worst offender. It has lots of Marlowe-like wit and banter, but Marlowe was much better. It features Jake Daggers and begins with his partner retiring, which makes Jake a pain in the royal butt to his coworkers in the police force (rebelling against desk duty). He gets paired with an elf woman clairvoyant (Shay Steele). I stopped here.

Why did I DNF this? The sexism outdid Ian Fleming. I can handle a few sexist moments within a few chapters (Fleming does this but compensates by being an excellent action writer), but Daggers spouts sexist crap and thinks sexist crap nearly the whole time. Ogling naked victims of crimes, treating Steele like she's lesser than him, and basically being a butthole most of the time. If he'd had some infrequent sexist moments, I'd be totally okay with finishing the book, but no. Instead, we see an intolerable, sexist, and childish Jake Daggers. If the perspective was purely Steele's, I'd probably finish the book. This is DNF number one.

Death By Nostalgia by Andrew Stanek (Felix Green series book one)

Courtesy of Goodreads

I started this book and was shocked to find that I was ten percent through in one chapter and twenty percent through in two chapters. I feel justified in saying, twenty percent in, that I was not taken in and didn't care about the mystery or characters. The writing style was part of the problem. I felt not attachment to any characters, at all.

In the first chapter a building was taken down, a character went missing, and a stranger (Felix Green, PI) watched carefully, until the police noticed a murder. Second chapter we meet Felix Green properly and he is hired on to work with Detective Alder. I stopped here, twenty percent in. Obviously, I DNFed this one. It wasn't for me.

The Lost Heiress by Roseanne M. White

Courtesy of archive.org

This a romance about a woman who finds she's a baroness. It begins with her discovering this through a family friend's inquiry. Our main man, Justin, turns out to have a father who refuses to visit his relative in England, and the man gambles in Monte Carlo most of the time. I stopped here. I had no connection to our main characters, didn't care what happened to them, and found myself forcing page turns.

The problem here is the writing style, the lack of attachment to any character, and how they introduced the characters. I was not a fan of how the opening chapter barely introduced the people. It was abrupt. I also lost interest long before ten percent in, or even four chapters in. I read two chapters and couldn't force myself to turn another page or read any farther down the page. I have another book by this author that is also being donated. I can't see myself trying the next book in the series after being bored of this one. It was a quick DNF.

conclusions

We had no winners in this challenge, no surprise five star or four star reads to rave about. This challenge is all about reading what I have -especially the random books I picked up for free. All of them cost me no money at all. I lost no money on these books. I donated four books counted the second Roseanna White book I owned. That's what this challenge is for, weeding out what you don't want in your bookshelf. I have no regrets.

The Jake Daggers was particularly disappointing because a fantasy, homicide detective setting is a cool idea; the sexism killed the cool factor and I'm sad for that. I was into it until the sexism decided to drown out the actual awesomeness of a DnD-esque homicide detective/Noir mystery. It was a good idea on paper and the execution was the problem. The other two were just boring, but that one had potential. It made me sad to see that wasted.

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Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Monday, March 3, 2025

What To Know About Different Genres Before You Pick Them Up

Lately, I've been learning what I like and don't like about genres. For example, historical fiction seems to be a little heavy for what I want. Today we ask ourselves what we want out of our reading for leisure, then go through all the basic (not sub) genres for tropes. It is totally okay if a genre just doesn't work for you. This may help you pick up the books you'll enjoy, rather than what you dislike.

Courtesy of theawesomedaily.com

I had several historical fictions on my second chance pile. I'll tell you exactly why. I don't want to sit with the emotion they bring to the table, nor do I want to be distressed by what I read. I realize history is hard to face and when I want to face that history I'll research it myself. Otherwise, I'll pass on the mental distress of wartorn nations and facing the Nazis. I'll try it if a friend says "It's good", but when it is too heavy I find it hard to get through.

The story above is to make this exact point; what do you want out of your leisure reading? In the case of my reading life, I want entertainment. I don't want to be distressed by what I'm reading because I'm doing this to relax, not be more stressed. I can certainly cry over a book situation. I'll cry over fictional characters and the death of them any day of the week. I just don't wish to sit with the real and distressing emotions of real wars. Ask yourself what you want from your reading before you pick up a book. If you picked up Game of Thrones because you wanted a cozy novel, you might need to rethink it (one example, but I'm sure all of us have done something similar).

Genres and Tropes

Mystery

Starting with the mystery genre, let's dig in. Mysteries have a murder or crime involved, which a character or characters have to solve. They can be cozy or intense, depending on the author and topics at hand. Heinous crimes are not off the table. I put the website for trigger warnings in books at the bottom of this blog post for your reference.

Tropes of this genre include unreliable narrator, misjudged death, incompetent police, early suspect, unassuming suspect, villainous victim, everybody did it, multiple murders, stuck in one place, person with vital info is killed, killer playing detective, detective team up, detective suspect, nosy characters, criminal consultants, detectives with substance abuse issues, history/past returns, blackmail, amnesia, lightbulb moments, big reveal, and twist endings. (For more details)

Suspense and horror play along with mystery and mix with it, so you might have some overlap in horror and suspense.

Horror

Horror is meant to disturb or scare you, to make you want to scream, cry, and be upset. Honestly, if you don't know, you shouldn't frequent horror in general, nor should anyone hand you horror. There is psychological and physical horror, including gore. Sometimes gore is not part of it, but Stephen King is definitely a gore-fest when it comes to his horror. You can even play with it for comedic effect like movies sometimes do.

Tropes of this genre include slasher/one killer after everyone, summoning evil, abandoned places, open windows/doors, nightmares being real, death to people having sex outside marriage/cheaters, cursed artifacts, old footage, "let's split up", old secret places, bad weather at night, alone in a dark place/house, weird neighbor, "no trespassing" means nothing, "something is definitely wrong and no one believes me", odd things seen in mirrors, immortal bad guys, being watched, monsters everywhere, no communication, "I'll be right back" and never coming back, women and children last, and one final scare when everything seems alright. (For more details)

Courtesy of goodreads.com

Scream and Shawn of the Dead are both movies that take a comedic twist on these tropes. The Scary Movie series also takes these tropes and converts them to laughter. Domestic horror is where the main character sees everything is wrong in the world, but everyone else acts normal. Horror is diverse and you should keep in mind that psychological horror is effective because it takes normal and twists it into something terrifying.

Horror can also represent mental illness or what is wrong with the world. It can point to what society is doing wrong. Keep in mind that you can read literary horror/fiction like The Yellow Wallpaper and read into the role of women and female hysteria. Victorian-era horror is just as good as modern novels.

Romance

This is where you need to know an author's tendencies. When you pick up an author who's spicy by nature, sex scenes abound. Romance is all about romantic relationships. It can blend with any genre and work. Werewolves? Aliens? Dinosaurs? All real romances. Vampires are really popular. It can be clean or dirty (no sex or sex included).

A note to anyone who needs to know the difference between erotica and a romance with sex, note the plot. Does it have one? If so, it's a romance with sex. One scene of sex, or even a handful, doesn't make it erotica. No plot and mostly sex makes it erotica. Sex is in other genres, too, so it isn't exclusive to romance. Long story short, could you read a coherent plotline? Then it's romance. If you can't, you've got erotica.

Romance is even more diverse than horror, so here are some of the many tropes you can find.

We have love triangles (or corners, depending on how you perceive a triangle), second chance at relationship, enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, couple oblivious to their good chemistry, office romance, forced proximity, one bed, fake dating, betting, secrets, amnesia, different worlds/society standings, forbidden love, first love, holiday romance, grump and sunshine, sworn off love, allergic to commitment, suspect and investigator, falling for someone already taken, and fish out of water/strange place. (For more details)

Science fiction (sci-fi)

Think space, future, Star Trek, Star Wars, and technology that we don't have (yet). It can be out-there in concepts and connects to futuristic society. It's also about alien races and time travel. It gets lumped with fantasy sometimes, but fantasy is different. Both are epic in nature, though (epic as in, not real life).

Tropes include space travel issues, time travel issues, alternate universes, it was all a simulation, bad robots (like in i,Robot), bad aliens, aliens are humans, pure energy lifeforms, secrets labs/bases, mad scientist, bad AI (artificial intelligence), cloning, creating monsters, nanotechnology, techno-jargon, dystopian futures, utopian futures, advanced tech, philosophical discussions, technology stunted, and morals/ethics. (For more details)

There is no better way to talk about issues than to put them in fiction, much like horror. Sci-fi can talk about a lot. Time travel novels are a whole genre by themselves, almost. I don't read as much of this, but I do watch Star Trek and Star Wars.

Fantasy

Courtesy of pinterest.com

Fantasy is elves, Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Eragon, and a world that is far from real life. Game of Thrones is a popular one. The difference between adult and youth fantasy is the depth/darkness of the book itself. It can get dark in a lot of adult fantasy. Not only that, but a lot are thick books (youth or adult). Brandon Sanderson, anyone? Also, fantasy and sci-fi can easily blend together and work well. Both are not real life. You see political intrigue, too, and wars fought over many issues. Magic systems are common to almost all fantasy. Think of the original Dungeons and Dragons game. Harry Potter also fits here comfortably.

Tropes include ancient/medieval settings, taverns, good vs evil, evil sorcerer, good sorcerer, chosen one, reluctant hero, the main quest, side quests, ancient and powerful artifacts, libraries filled with books, fantasy creatures, training someone, antagonist to ally, hidden truth/inheritance, damsels in distress, orphan hero, hyperbole (I'm the best or the most powerful), all hope lost, backup shows up, and paying the price for winning. (For more details)

Historical Fiction

This genre is generally heavy on wars and dark events. You have lots of WWII and WWI, as well as Colonial America, combinations of fictional and real events, historical figures as characters...etc. Themes of religion, politics, and economic turmoil show up front and center. It isn't uncommon to have a present and past timeline at the same time. Traveling and daily life are common tropes. You find resistance fighters, romance subplots (lots of them), tragedy, death, and the darker parts of history.

Be sure to prepare for heavy tones. This is not your light reading. Research was done in most cases, and most have their sources in the back. Sometimes they will have a brief message saying they bent some history to make the plot work or discuss the historical context further. For more on writing this genre, click here.

Nonfiction

I don't have to explain too hard on this one. It's not fiction, so it'll be a true story of some kind. Biographies, investigations into true crime, and Bible studies fit here. The Bible would also be in this category (religion is not fiction, so I'm putting religious books with nonfiction for the blog).

This has fewer tropes and is the exception to this blog category. What you see the most is research papers in the form of books, biographies, autobiographies, Bible studies, the Bible, true crime (histories on serial killers, for example), and how-to guides of all kinds. You also have craft books (instructional) in this category.

Suspense

Suspense differs from horror and mystery. Suspense is often paired with these two genres, but it is defined as a genre of tension and high stakes. For example, whether someone will survive *fill in the blank* or not knowing when the other shoe will eventually drop. It's hard to separate from the mystery genre or the horror genre. As such, it shares many tropes with both. Romantic suspense is also a common fusion; romance can blend with nearly anything. It is not a thriller - that's another genre that people connect to suspense.

Tropes include plot twists, the protagonist is forced to interact with an unpredictable character, unreliable narrator, detective and sidekick, femme fatale, broken character, isolated locations, "the killer is in this room/trapped here with everyone", oddly placed corpses, "we're running out of time" or a ticking time clock, ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, good vs evil, betrayal, being hunted by something/someone, and survival in general. This is only some of the tropes. Anything that keeps the tension tighter than piano wire or keeps the stakes super high will be suspense.

People call this "thriller" but it isn't technically that. You google suspense and thriller pops up. It isn't helpful in this blog scenario to search "suspense". I pulled some of this from what I've read. Let's define thriller for real; it is technically a bigger category encompassing horror, detective genres, and suspense. It is a mix of all of that, plus action and big emotion.

Action and Adventure

Courtesy of Pinterest

This is your NUMA files, Indiana Jones, and James Bond. It's fight scenes, top-secret missions, and high-risk fun. You can easily throw in a romance subplot (just like every other genre here). They will mix well with suspense. They'll be mostly action, probably include witty banter, and have high stakes.

Tropes include unfamiliar settings, danger, heroism and heroic acts, exciting sequences of events, reluctant heroes, a mentor, macguffins (objects that keep plot moving, but hold less importance), chase scenes, fight scenes, surviving near death situations, secret identities, last-minute rescues, misfit team, betrayal/lies, being a macgyver of sorts (very creative problem solving and devices), "you're my hero", large and slightly unrealistic plots, lots of violent solutions to problems, fancy cars, and weapons of varied kinds.

A Brief Note

I think I've hit the core genres. I'm not including contemporary, literary, or short stories because all those can be one of these core genres. Every classic also varies in theme - one can be horror and another themed around home life. Basically, no one agrees on core genres and you can't find an agreed-upon-by-all list. Subgenres are abundant among these core genres. You might like a subgenre of one and hate another subgenre of the same overall genre. Most books are a mix of many genres and subgenres.

As promised, here is the website for trigger warnings: https://booktriggerwarnings.com/index.php?title=Welcome

Sources:

https://kindlepreneur.com/book-tropes/

Suspense Fiction: Popular Themes, Settings, and Characters | by C. L. Nichols, Author | StoryAngles | Medium

Good Story Company

Book Genres Explained [Complete List] - Next New Books

8 Iconic Action-Adventure Tropes That Help Shape The Genre - AutoCrit Online Editing

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/popular-fantasy-tropes-for-writers

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Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.

Monday, February 24, 2025

The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming - a review

I opened this book to read something other than a romance with sex in my office. Well, I failed in that regard, because this is the most sexual James Bond book, yet, starting with the perspective of a woman taken advantage of. We remain in her perspective the whole time. Let's dig in (knowing this book is for ages 18 and over).

Courtesy of Pinterest

The plot of this is nothing like the movie. Note this and throw the plot you watched into the void. I was blindsided by the whole beginning because no other Bond (Fleming or otherwise) began like this one. Ian Fleming himself wasn't happy with the reader response, therefore the movie is what it is because he only authorized the title use. Apparently, the prologue explains that the story was given to Fleming because the woman had a relationship with Bond, but my library copy didn't have the prologue. It started with Part One and I missed out on that section.

It begins with the perspective of Vivienne alone in a closed Motel, reminiscing about two horrible love affairs. The first was a man who shoved her into having sex and didn't care if she enjoyed it. He broke up with her via letter and was engaged to someone else. The second was a German man who was kind to her until she became pregnant. He cheerfully suggested abortion and she had one done. After talking about these two horrible men, she describes purposely traveling on a Vespa scooter and a tight budget. This time she enjoyed herself immensely. This concludes Part One, where she explains how she got to this motel setting in the first place.

Part Two is all about the motel and the Phancey couple running it. Mr. Phancey was a dirty old man whose wife watched him, but never stopped him from being inappropriate. The couple offers her a receptionist job for the final two weeks of the season. Vivienne could use the money, free food, and free room. She says yes to this thinking maybe she can get a reference for other jobs. After dodging Mr. Phancey's hands and doing her two-week job, she's casually told the couple will be leaving. They ask if she can stay until the owner comes for the keys. All she has to do is turn off the lights and lock the doors. They left her entirely alone at this place to meet the owner. This whole time she's been waiting until morning. Someone knocks on the door. Two men show up claiming to know the owner and she doesn't let them in at first. Mr. Thompson (metal-like teeth and black eyes) and Mr. Jones (short, pale blue eyes, no hair on his head or face) came in and she immediately regretted letting them in. They basically turn out to be not named what they said. She's in serious danger of rape based on what "Sluggsy" (Jones) said to her. "Horror" (Thompson) tells him to cool his jets and gives the man orders. Most of Vivienne's inner dialogue now centers on defending herself and how to escape, all while she makes them food. She makes a run for it and hides in the woods. The two men find her. She's hit repeatedly after defending herself and wakes up naked in the shower of her cabin. She had managed to hit Horror with an icepick once as he hit her. Sluggsy tells her to clean up and come make them food. She cleaned herself up, made food, and ate her own. Sluggsy hits on her again and she flings the knives and forks of a drawer in his direction. This ends in a fight and near rape.

Part Three is the buzzer going off, as everyone freezes mid-fight/rape. She fully opens the door with some quick thinking and finds a man there at the door. He's English and got a flat tire. Yes, this is Bond. While Vivienne has a gun in her back, she has to act as a front and still alert that something is wrong. The Vacancy sign she never turned off saved her life. She points to go in while telling him the sign is on by accident. She keeps beckoning with her finger. The man listened to her finger beckoning. He talks to the men about staying the night and they offer a hand with his flat. He insists on claiming a room. She managed to talk to him while helping him get his bag, and he understood completely that she was in danger. While examining the flat, Bond arms himself and tells her what cabin to give him. Sluggsy won't give him the key to 10, just 40. Bond asks for some food and he sits assessing the situation. He talks to her, getting all the information. He talks to Vivienne to calm her down as she serves him dotingly. Vivienne also seems to like Bond a lot, partly because he's her only escape and partially because she likes him. He'd been protecting a defecting Russian nuclear expert by impersonating him so he couldn't be killed. They all go to sleep at around midnight. Bond helps her secure her cabin. He gives Vivienne a handgun. I think Fleming fantasized a bit about how women saw Bond, but that's Fleming for you. Sluggsy managed to attack her, despite all those precautions. Bond managed to save her after she fell unconscious. The gangsters had set fire to the whole motel. Vivienne was supposed to be blamed for it and the owner wanted the insurance money and scapegoat. James faked his body to make sure the two thought he'd been in his cabin. They thought he was dead. Bond instructs her on what to do. Bond went after the men directly after. Gunfire battle ensued amongst the fire. The two ended up driving into the lake. We read more fantasizing about what women thought of Bond.

Courtesy of mi6-hq.com

And then we have a shower and the second sex scene comes up. I read this in my office, again. Unfortunately, Fleming doesn't understand what women like in sex. Fleming clearly didn't talk to women about his writing. This was where I found the sexist comment that made me want to throw the book - if I'd had it in my physical possession. Fleming, I have words for you. You were doing great until this moment. In a female perspective, he says all women like semi-rape, which is blatantly wrong. This was interrupted by Sluggsy's face peering in and more gun fighting. As usual, Bond sleeps with a gun under his pillow (no shock there). Then they go at it again, to my annoyance, though fortunately, it was brief. In the morning he was gone. I was kind of glad to not have another sex scene. She reads Bond's last letter. The police show up and get her information, bringing food with them. She's warned that some people fighting against crime and doing crime can be cold killers. She's warned to keep away from these people-including Bond. They let her go on traveling after they took her statement.

Overall Thoughts

It surprised me to hear Fleming write from a woman's perspective. It wasn't the worst I've ever seen, but he doesn't understand what women want in sex. No woman likes Semi-rape, ever! I wanted to throw the book. It means he can write from a female perspective unless he's writing about women talking about sex, which is fascinating after the sexism found in other books. Bond is nowhere to be seen for a good part of the book. You do find the sexism in the woman's perspective, making it clear a man wrote a woman, but it's better than I expected for Fleming (who has a sexist comment or two in every single Bond book). He still had sexist comments in this one. It did not shock me.

It might surprise you, after I said he was sexist, to hear I collect James Bond novels. I enjoy them - minus the moments of sexism that pop up at random. He wrote these in the 1950s, a sexist time. I know that and still value his writing of action and spy adventure. I don't think this one is a five star one. It's more like, oh, 3.5 stars because I had to endure more sex than he usually includes and less action/adventure. I didn't ask for the rape and shower scenes. I wasn't into that. The rest of it was still quite good. Again, it was just so strange to hear a woman's perspective from a man who can put sexist moments in all his books. It's not my favorite of the Fleming collection, but still worth reading. Please choose a private place to read this. It's more like his short stories if anything.

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Jack Thomas is running from a past case. He's hiding in Wrenville. Is his past case catching up with him?

Find out in my first book, Wrenville, a stand-alone suspense novel.