Latest trends. What’s in. A mass of people all liking the same particular thing as exactly the same time. Creating a buzz about a product, a person, a thing and hyping it. Now, if you know me, you know I try to not go with the crowd. To be painfully honest, one could even go so far to say that I have many matching traits of a species of human known as, the ‘Hipster’. Ew.
However book hype is something even I participate in. The latest books that are getting mass love from reviewers and general avid readers most of the time honestly means the book is good. Taking out difference of opinion, there will always be people who think completely the opposite to the hype (but that’s brilliant). You also have to take into consideration the target audience this theoretical book was going for and whether because of the age and gender, the bigger the hype *cough* Twilight *cough*.
There is also a deep and horrible downside to ‘the hyped book’. What if you’ve heard so many good things about a series, so much in fact you’ve created, in your mind, the expectations of a wonderful world lying, waiting in the pages, ready for your eager eyes to feast upon it’s story soul and dream away with the subtle but genius metaphors, drift off into an entanglement of descriptive sentences. You are so looking forward to reading this book that you physically brace yourself for flowing words that lift you off the page and into your own imagination of this beautiful world, the second you open the first page…BAM, nothing. Absolutely rubbish. The book utterly sucks.
Or does it?
Could it just be a good, enjoyable read but because of the build up, the expectations, the excitement of having this imaginary adventure, it’s been ruined before you’ve even brushed your fingertips over the cover.
You know exactly what I mean, don’t you. It’s happened to you, hasn’t it?
I call this, the deadly hype-inator illness. Just made that up…wasn’t very imaginative, sorry.
*Update apparently it’s also known as THE HYPE MONSTER (which is a lot cooler than hype-inator)
An example of this and something I stumbled upon recently is the Cassandra Clare extravagansa. The Mortal Instruments series. I haven’t read it. I have however read The Infernal Devices trilogy (review coming shortly) and I personally really enjoyed it. I’m into the steampunk-esk and victorian clockwork stuff going on and thinking about it could be very likely I was lady of that era in a past life (I wish). However, I will not say ‘it is the best series ever, omg. You have to read it because it’s AMAZING.’ as honestly, it isn’t. It was a brilliant read, I enjoyed it, but I wasn’t blown away by the amazing writing. I just really liked the concept and got to know the characters and overall felt connected to the story. Which is what a good read should make you feel. Simple! Anyway, you should make your own mind up, go read them and see what you think…
(I did for a second have a bit of a panic, realising I’d read the series the wrong way round – The Infernal Devices first – but apparently it doesn’t matter so the flap is now over. Calm again. P.S I did get slightly emotional and cry…about what happened in the book, not that I’d read the series in a different order. I do have emotions. Just thought I’d throw that in.)
However, I don’t think I want to read The Mortal Instruments, even with the film on our doorstep. Going by my little sniff around on Twitter a few nights ago, it seems the whole series is a bit of a marmite, love it/hate it, situation (Despite the fact that Ms Clare is pretty much everywhere and all we see is craziness towards all things Shadowhunter). It really is a case of hype-inator (wow, that is really bad) and I’d rather leave it, with my hopes up, than read it and get depressed and lose faith in humainty.
Prove me wrong guys, what are your views on all this?
P.S Have a tortoise on a skateboard. 