What makes a great book a great book?

In the post below ("Write a great book"), Doug Riddle asks the question:

So what makes a great book a great book?

Obviously there is a huge subjective component to this. On the other hand, you seldom hear people say that that Shakespeare guy really sucked, or that Raymond Chandler was a hack.

(Naturally, you can find someone who'll say it, but by consensus if nothing else, there are some objective standards of quality. Otherwise, my daughter's scribbling would be on the Times bestseller list.)

In simple terms, I think a great book has what Paul Guyot calls "the combo plate." (I love that term because it makes me think of Mexican food. And I love Mexican food.)

The combo plate means the book has a great story told through great prose. You'll find a lot of good books that have one or the other, but when you put the two together, that's when you approach greatness.

Some combination of the components that make a great book, if not all of them, will be present: interesting, multi-faceted characters; a dynamite protagonist; a worthy antagonist (if there is one); a plot that draws you in; an original story (or, at least, an original take on a familiar story) that holds your interest throughout the book; a compelling authorial voice; rich conflict; dialogue that sparkles; evocative descriptions; a setting that comes alive...

What do you think? You know a great book when you read it -- so what makes it great?

Comments

[David Montgomery]

For me personally, the aspects I like most are:

*dynamite protagonist
*original story that holds your interest
*rich conflict
*dialogue that sparkles

Obviously I like them all, but those 4 really seem to stand out for me.

[Tim Maleeny]

I think a big part of writing a great book is writing the best book that you, and only you, can write, and that means finding your own voice. Look at most standout crime novels of the past decade and you'll be hard-pressed to say that the basic story (murder, kidnapping, heist) or underlying themes (betrayal, revenge, redemption) are wholly original, but a fresh voice, a new take on character archetypes, and crackling dialogue can make all the difference between a familiar story and a great novel.

[David J. Montgomery]

Great point. I attended a workshop that David Morrell gave a couple years ago and one of the things he advised was, "Write the book that only you can write. Don't try to copy somebody else. Be a first-rate version of yourself, not a second-rate version of another writer."

Great advice.

[M.J]

The problem with the question is that one person's great book is another's unreadable.
I don't think there is a universal great book.

I think that David Morrell's advice is great - I'd add to it you should decide to write the book out of burning desire to live in that world and explore that theme and know those people.

I don't know this for sure but I would bet that there has never been a great book that was written without passion pushing the pen.

[John McFetridge]

Lately I've enjoyed books more if they have more ideas in them, if they try and dig a little deeper into the 'why' of things.

Then they have to have all that character and story stuff...

[Doug Riddle]

The "write the best book you can" line is a given. It is also as much a cop out as an author answering "read, read, read," when asked for advice for begining authors. You become a better writer by writing. When you were learning to read in elementary school no one told you "write, write, write," it will make you a better reader. The fact that you read should also be a given.

And why would anyone think for a minute you would not write the best novel you can before submitting it?

When Michael Connelly submitted The Black Ice (in MY OPINION one of the best novels written, and not just crime novels) he was submitting the best book he could write.

When Dan Brown submitted The Da Vinci Code (a good idea in search of a more skilled writer, again MY OPINION) he was submitting the best book he could write.

The BIGGEST difference (and there are many differences) between these two books is CHARACTER.

CHARACTER = a "dynamite protagonist" that we care about, who presents the world to us from an interesting viewpoint, which means it may be an old story, but we are seeing it from his unique perspective. And how does he convey this to us...through dialogue and how he handles conflict.

I will wade through a less then inspired plot if the character is interesting.

Funny you should mention Raymond Chandler. His novel The Long Goodbye is my favorite novel of all time. Now was Chandler a great plotter/storyteller? Not by a long shot. But I will gladly give up an evening anytime to hear Marlowe's take on the world.

So CHARACTER is it for me....I know there are going to be people who don't argee. But this is what makes a great book for me.

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You are right. It is very subjective. But it has to compel a large audience. Some books can have those two things but they don't sell well. Because they aren't target to large audience.

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