Many Sides to Every Story

I love reading and writing about people. I’m not too fussed about the scenery surrounding the story, death defying stunts, fights or car chases, as long as the people are real – people I might bump into, or wish to avoid. People with hopes and dreams, or bad habits and fears. They can be mean, or kind, or perhaps be timid and hope to fade into the background. But I want to ‘know’ them. With my writing, they usually get caught up in a murder or some other crime. With my reading, I really don’t mind what they're up to.

I attend a local book club. We meet at the pub up the road from where I live, and the landlord allows us to hog the bay window on a Monday evening once a month, to talk and laugh (a lot!) over our (usually) one drink, because we’re too busy talking to go to the bar, so we will never make them rich, and give our points of view over the latest book, together with recommendations on other books to read and films to watch. This week I described the book we read – The Bee Sting by Paul Murray – as literary country music. Every character was miserable and wanted to be anywhere but where they were, all led lives they hated or at best accepted as their lot. There was no happy ending for any of them. And yet another reader loved it and hoped they’d make it into a film. But if it was all about people, why didn’t I enjoy it? Probably because I couldn’t believe that not one person in that little Irish village was happy. I wanted just one of them to do something to make their lives change – they did, and it just got worse for all of them. I found it depressing. But my fellow reader simply loved it, and there were, of course, those who fell somewhere in the middle.

But books, and life, are like that. One man’s meat etcetera. We are all different.

We met this Monday evening, and on Tuesday morning, I received a one star review for The Making of Meredith it said:

“This was a major disappointment. I had hope when reading the young Meredith taking responsibility for caring for his mum and sisters. The adult character John Meredith grows into an excellent detective but a POS human being. Reading this prequel was like watching a trainwreck in super slow motion. Adding to this misery are the many female characters (his mother, his ex-wife Karen, a female detective that wants to shag him, a TV producer that shagged him) that exhibit seriously evil duplicitous behaviour to the point of becoming a plot device. I lost whatever interest I had in reading the Meredith & Hodge series.”

(Confession: I had to look up POS – for those of you like me: Piece of Sh*t.)

Oh dear. But the reader was right. That was how they felt. Meredith had become a person, and a person they really didn’t like. So, I’ve lost a reader. Would they have felt differently had they read some of the series first? Would ‘grown up’ Meredith have redeemed himself? I’ll never know. But some readers see a totally different man. Here are some extracts from five star reviews:

“In addition to providing Meredith’s backstory, there are several mysteries to be solved. I almost wish I would have read this one first, and then the rest of the series. It would have made me like Meredith even more.”

OR

“The Making of Meredith tells us the story of our favourite detective from being a small boy, through his school days, adolescence and young adulthood, right through to the point where he meets Hodge. We are privileged to be witness to many of his escapades and adventures that have made him into the man we know and love.”

Who’s right? All of them! We are all different.

But now I wish there was a way of bringing the readers of the Meredith & Hodge series together so I could sit back and listen to them discuss what they like or dislike about the people in the series. For instance, I know some readers love Peggy, but she absolutely irritates others. But most importantly, I’d love to know their feelings about - you’ve guessed it - Meredith.

I’ve had emails tearing me off a strip for writing about a sexist bully, and emails thanking me, because ‘I’m a little bit in love with Meredith’. How I’d love to get them all together and listen to their arguments for and against, even if it wasn’t in the little pub up the road.

What are your arguments for or against Meredith? We know he’s been naughty (I use that word lightly), but he always tries to put his wrongs right - doesn’t he? And he’s very settled now that he’s with Hodge. Dare I say veering towards boring these days? Has he redeemed himself? Is he boring? Would you give him a wide berth or want to have a chat?

This review has certainly given me food for thought. Perhaps I should throw a spanner into his works. What do you think? Please comment below, or drop me an email to share your views.

Oh, and before I go, I’m going to ask again: Are your reviews up to date? You can see how they spark an author into action. Go on. Make an author happy today, particularly if you enjoyed their book.

Happy reading!