Aussie Readers discussion

Ironbark by Jay Carmichael
The Erratics by Vicki Laveau-Harvie
Severance by Ling Ma

Aquarium by David Vann
Dirt by David Vann
Goat Mountain: A Novel by David Vann
Bright Air Black by David Vann
Legend of a Suicide by David Vann

That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott
The Daughters of Mars by Thomas Keneally

Good thread Marianne :)

Great idea Marianne!

I've been meaning to do it for a while. We can all add as we come across them. :)

I never notice if they're there or not :)

This is a great idea Marianne - Basically, anything by David Vann I guess, it seems to be his thing.

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Great idea for a thread.

The Apricot Colonel by Marion Halligan

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

It blows me away how many authors like to do this!

Leonie wrote: "The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan"

I gave that two stars Leonie and one of my reasons for not liking it was the lack of quotation marks.

Phrynne wrote: "Leonie wrote: "The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan"

I gave that two stars Leonie and one of my reasons for not liking it was the lack of quotation m..."

Yes! I kept getting half way through a paragraph and realising that someone was speaking. So annoying!

Leonie wrote: "The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan"

None of his others, though, I checked my copies. I hope it's not going to be a trend...

Zoey wrote: "Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Great idea for a thread."

Also Eyrie
Cloudstreet
The Turning
Breath

Marianne wrote: "Zoey wrote: "Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Great idea for a thread."

Also Eyrie
Cloudstreet
The Turning
Breath"
And his new one The Shepherd's Hut, but it was SO good I gave him 5 stars...

Marianne wrote: "Zoey wrote: "Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Great idea for a thread."

Also Eyrie..."

Really?! I have that one here....

Well, Brenda, if that puts you off reading it, I've got my hand up over here.... see me waving?

Lol!

LOL!!!

The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin

Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey

Oh thank you for this thread. I really sruggle without quotation marks.

Once Were Warriors and What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? by Alan Duff does not have speech marks. I made it through because I really wanted to read them though haha.

I haven't noticed this at all. So either I have been not been reading these authors, have been doing these authors on audiobook, or have just not noticed it.

If it was the last one, no doubt I will notice it now, and it will bug me in future. Thanks all! (joking :) )

Seriously, it is interesting that this is happening. Are authors deliberately wanting to make their readers work harder to enjoy their books?? Some kind of elitism? I wonder....

Kerri, Exactly!
One author made a little youtube clip about it saying she didn't like the way they looked on the page "like chicken scratch marks". As if we are reading books for how the printed page looks? Don't you want us to enjoy the content, rather than the appearance?
I just think it's the height of arrogance to make your reader work harder to enjoy your book, a sort of lazy slap in the face to your devoted reader.

I see that The Narrow Road to the Deep North has been named and shamed. This was a (very rare) DNF for me because I just could not get into it. Perhaps the lack of " " was the reason, without me noticing that it was the reason.

Aaaarrrggghhh! The book I am reading has excess quotation marks. Around stuff that isn't speach, it isn't even thoughts!

"James signalled to the maitre d' who led them to a small table.

and then 3 lines later

""Unable to take his eyes from her, he watched as she opened the menu.

Please don't tell me this is another trend!

No that is just exceedingly bad editing!

Oh Kerri, that is terrible! Phrynne is right - that should never have been published; it wasn't ready!!

I wonder if I would even have noticed if it wasn't for our recent discussion!

I'm sure you would have!!

Kerri_M wrote: "Aaaarrrggghhh! The book I am reading has excess quotation marks. Around stuff that isn't speach, it isn't even thoughts!

"James signalled to the maitre d' who led them to a small table.

and th..."
That would drive me bonkers! What book is it? I need to avoid it with prejudice.

I loved The Shepherd's Hut so much I didn't even notice that. But I gave up early in Once Were Warriors because I just could not stand it anymore.

The only book I read to the end without punctuation was The Road by Cormac McCarthy - it so drew me in that I couldn't stop reading it. In my review of it at the time I wrote, in part, There is no punctuation – my pet hate – BUT as humans and the set parameters that life exists around breaks down – what is the use of punctuation? There will be no-on around to care.

Deborah wrote: "Kerri_M wrote: "Aaaarrrggghhh! The book I am reading has excess quotation marks. Around stuff that isn't speach, it isn't even thoughts!

"James signalled to the maitre d' who led them to a small ..."

Try the film instead Deborah (Once Were Warriors), it is excellent.

Icewineanne wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Kerri_M wrote: "Aaaarrrggghhh! The book I am reading has excess quotation marks. Around stuff that isn't speach, it isn't even thoughts!

"James signalled to the maitre d' who led ..."

I'll second the film recommendation. I have to confess I haven't read the book - but now that I know it doesn't have speech marks, I definitely won't.

In the book I am currently writing. I have some lengthy speeches. I have found when I read simial passages myself I sometimes get confused (speech marks or not) where the dialogue stats and finished because there are several paragraphs involved. I have opted to italicise and indent these passages to make it clearer. I'd be interested what other members of this group think about that option.

Pamela wrote: "In the book I am currently writing. I have some lengthy speeches. I have found when I read simial passages myself I sometimes get confused (speech marks or not) where the dialogue stats and finishe..."

That would work I think - at least the reader will know it's speech not story :)

Sally906 wrote: "Pamela wrote: "In the book I am currently writing. I have some lengthy speeches. I have found when I read simial passages myself I sometimes get confused (speech marks or not) where the dialogue st..."
Thank you for that feedback

I agree with Sally Pamela - it would work much better than having no speech marks at all.

Thank you Brenda

Yes, something to denote speech is better than nothing at all

I guess I would be looking for speech quote marks for actual speech and when a character is speaking to themselves or something to denote unspoken speech I expect to see italicized speech.

However I agree that it would be better than no marks at all.

I'm one of those awful people who doesn't notice them missing. I read The Daughters of Mars without noticing until someone pointed it out.
I'm also currently reading The Shepherd's Hut and it was news to me that there are no quotation marks! I guess it depends on how easy it is to tell who's speaking and maybe good writers like Thomas Keneally and Tim Winton make that clear.

You could be right Carolyn :)

Just recently, I've read Narrow Road To The Deep North that doesn't use them, infuriating! I never understand why authors think this is a good idea? Also, The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared sometimes uses them, sometimes doesn't - luckily, it was all clear and straightforward enough that I still enjoyed the book immensely, but I couldn't find a rhyme or reason to their use/not...

And don't get me started on front cover title words all in lower case - including the authors name!!!!!

Yes, I am a paid up member of the grammar police :)

LOL!

I have read a book with all the dialogue in italics, but it made my brain read them in a very dramatised tone...so I gave up halfway through. I must be a traditionalist.

I don't mind thinking in italics at all.

I find it difficult to read dialogue in italics Leonie - a little bit is fine, but pages of it mean I end up skimming most. Which is a shame..

Sally906 wrote: "And don't get me started on front cover title words all in lower case - including the authors name!!!!!

Yes, I am a paid up member of the grammar police :)"

Me too, Sally. I approach everything with my red marking pen in hand, :)