I used to hate slow-burn novels until one actually caught me off guard

My book club picked The Secret History for our March meeting and I almost bailed. I told the group I hate books where nothing happens for the first 200 pages. That was my whole argument. But I stuck with it because my friend Sarah said she'd buy me dinner if I finished. Around page 180 the whole tone shifted and I couldn't stop reading. The build up made the payoff hit way harder than any action-packed thriller I've read. Now I'm wondering if I've been dismissing a whole style of writing for no good reason. Has anyone else changed their mind on a genre or style after one book?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_williams7d ago

Oh man, slow burns used to be my sworn enemy too. I once put down a book after 50 pages because the love interest didn't even show up yet, which sounds dramatic but I was really committed to hating it. Then I tried Gone Girl and it made me look stupid for ever doubting the slow creep of tension. Any book that changed your mind like that?

robin5915d ago

Slow burn books need patience but that's the whole point really. The Secret History is a perfect example because it lulls you into a false sense of security before everything crashes down. Once you get used to the pacing it feels like a reward instead of a punishment. Gone Girl did the same thing for me actually made me rethink every mystery novel I judged too quickly. The trick is trusting the author knows what they're doing with all that buildup. What other books came out of nowhere for you like that?

rubyk267d ago

Slow creep of tension" is such a perfect way to put it. Did the payoff in Gone Girl feel bigger because you had to wait for it, or was it more about realizing you were wrong about the whole genre?