# When does an author finally get under your skin?



## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

Hullo all,

Right now I'm reading an author who is making me speak out loud as I read him. He's amazing me again and again as I read. The author:

http://amzn.to/b2HcNd

So I was wondering, exactly when did he win me over? How did he do it? And why was I won over? Hmm, complicated stuff.

What it boils down to is this: I caught on to a submerged "language". There is a whole parallel journey hidden behind the visible story. Very few authors win me over like this. So when I say "gets under your skin", I mean becomes part of who you are for the rest of your life.

Ok, who are some authors that have gotten under your skin? How did they do it?

Paul


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Excellent question!  And I'm going to have to check out the book you mentioned (though it's not available on Kindle, darn it!)

Betsy


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## sbaum4853 (May 3, 2010)

The real prose masters are the ones that come to mind.  When I'm reading a book by Don Delillo, I find my own thoughts running through my mind in the style of his narrative, and when I sit down to write, my writing voice is affected.  Same goes for Jonathan Franzen.


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

When they can stir my soul.  That can only be done by painting a word picture well enough for me to be absorbed into the world they have crafted.  There are a few authors who can really break into that level of souls touch.

Gandolf at the bridge. LOTR
Thomas Covenant feeling again (Lord Fouls Bane) 
Gerswin whistling song (Forever hero)
Menolly running in the hills outside the Hall (Dragon Song/Singer)
Jaxom and Ruth (White Dragon)

the list goes on and on...


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

*Betsy: * I wish it were available on Kindle. By the way, movie adaptations:

http://amzn.to/9j6NbW - Andrei Tarkovsky

http://amzn.to/b3A6yn - Steven Soderbergh - George Clooney

*Spencer:* Have to agree, DeLillo is amazing. But, do you want your writing voice affected by him? (Will check out Franzen.)

*Groggy1:* Powerful, genuine emotional moments. Good point. Tolkien does that for me.

PS: I love this forum. 

Paul


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

Anne Rice did it for me when I realized that I had some ideas about what her thought processes were, and how I thought I could see her inner life through stories that had nothing to do with each other.  However, the idea I had was of someone I didn't entirely like, but it was still surprising to me that the writing affected me that much.  

Tolkien simply made me feel like I was there and invested in the characters.  The weekend-long wait between finishing The Fellowship of the Ring and checking out The Two Towers was utterly agonizing.  Same for the end of Towers, the cliffhangers were awesome.  I hadn't even realized what a cliffhanger was for television because I didn't care about who shot J.R. AT ALL, but the books drove me nuts wanting to know what happened next.  

Lately, in the land of public domain, I'm surprised that I'm head over heels for Bram Stoker.  Apparently I want to argue with him over his sexist views of women and his madonna/whore complex, and can not get enough of his stories.  It's like that with dead guys I guess, there is a finite amount of material available but you wish they had written more.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

*David McAfee grabs his notebook and pen and sits down.*

Yes, folks. Do tell....when _does_ an author "have" you? How do they grab you? How do they keep you?

Not that I'm taking notes or anything.

*David scribbles notes onto his notepad.*

Don't pay any attention to my notepad. It's totally unrelated stuff. I'm...uh...playing Tic Tac Toe. That's it. And I'm winning. So...uh...carry on. Pretend I'm not here.


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

*Looking over Dave's shoulder* Block Dalglish! Block him! He's going to X you there!!!


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

John Fitch V said:


> *Looking over Dave's shoulder* Block Dalglish! Block him! He's going to X you there!!!


Dangit man, I almost had him!!!

David Dalglish


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

Oh wait, you wanted to know what it is the authors DO that gets under my skin...  Hm.  When I figure that out, I'll get back to ya.


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## David McAfee (Apr 15, 2010)

John, David...come on...can't you see we are all trying to have a serious discussion here? Sheesh.

*scribble scribble scribble.*

Sorry guys. Please continue.


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## Tuttle (Jun 10, 2010)

I can't really tell you why in all cases. But I can at least give examples of when this happened to me.

The first author I remember really doing this was Tolkien. I have no idea why because I was not yet 10 at the time, but I think I had the library's copy of_ The Hobbit_ more than the library over the course of 3rd grade. When I first read _Lord of the Rings_ I couldn't understand people's complaints about it being too long winded, it was supposed to be like that, it was right, despite me being about 10 at the time. At this point my copies of _Lord of the Rings_ (which had also been my mom's copy so had already been read some before I got it), has one cover total between the three books, front and back. I realized in 10th grade that I had memorized the first chapter of _The Hobbit _while "reading" it in spanish and not having actually read a word but been reciting it in my head.

On the non-fiction side, _A Mathematician's Apology_. I am a math major. I have an undergraduate degree in math and am planning on continuing into graduate school in math. More specifically, I care about /math/, not arithmetic, not the applications for math, not the money that can be made as an actuary, math itself. I have always had problems getting the idea that no, I like pure math, and I read this and it just clicked. It made perfect sense, it was something that everyone who knows someone who at the base is a mathematician even if they don't have enough background yet to truly act as such should read. It used the right words and focused in the right places and put it in terms that meant a lot to both the people who like pure math and don't could understand.

_A Man who Talked to Whales_ is another nonfiction book which resonates with me. I haven't reread it since I had to read it for class, but both the subject matter and how it was written just meant a lot to me. Getting into truly understanding, to the point where I used grok while talking about the sort of understanding the author had while talking in class, makes a nonfiction book mean a lot more.

Am having problems pulling examples up, but those are a few.


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## Indy (Jun 7, 2010)

You said grok!  Oh my god, I forgot about Heinlein completely.  He makes me laugh, he can make the most outrageous stuff seem doable and sensible for a while.  For about two days to a week after I read Stranger in a Strange Land, if anybody I liked had proposed plural marriage to me, I'd have considered it.  No joke.  Heinlein can mess with your entire mind, not just the parts you use to think with.


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

> Anne Rice did it for me when I realized that I had some ideas about what her thought processes were, and how I thought I could see her inner life through stories that had nothing to do with each other.


Really good point. I hadn't thought of that. For me it's when an author can see into a world more real than this one.



> *David McAfee grabs his notebook and pen and sits down.*


I love it. I am taking notes, too. Mysterious stuff!



> I like pure math


I think we are on the same wavelength here. When an author can see into a more powerful reality, it becomes necessary to use a whole new "language" to describe it. This is also why I love Nabokov, he is constantly speaking a second language underneath the expected narrative. And I agree with you, this stuff is hard to explain!

But, having said that, there are many ways an author can get under your skin. Tolkien is a great example. He definitely got through to me, but not by speaking in a symbolic language, and not by referring to a more genuine reality.

Paul


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## JumpingShip (Jun 3, 2010)

I get under people's skin when I'm sticking a needle in their artery...oh wait, that's my day job.    When I'm reading, I love an author whose main character is sympathetic, but not pathetic, and the descriptions take me right into the book. Like in Clan of the Cave Bear, I felt like I was back in the ice age. In The Lost Fleet series, I felt like I was on a spaceship, in Ender's Game, I was right there battling the other kids in the 'wars', bouncing around in zero gravity.


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

MaryMcDonald said:


> I get under people's skin when I'm sticking a needle in their artery...oh wait, that's my day job.


DOH! ;-)

Good point on the realness of place and character. The character is "alive" and feels like a real person.

Paul


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I will mention that, in the past, there have been a few authors here at KB who have gotten under my skin...but I don't think that's what you were talking about....and I'm not naming names...


Betsy


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I will mention that, in the past, there have been a few authors here at KB who have gotten under my skin...but I don't think that's what you were talking about....and I'm not naming names...
> 
> 
> Betsy


May they Rest In Peace. 

Paul


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## Jeff (Oct 28, 2008)

Betsy the Quilter said:


> I will mention that, in the past, there have been a few authors here at KB who have gotten under my skin...


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Jeff said:


>


As Paul said, Jeff, you're still around. 

Betsy


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

While "get under my skin" is not the way I'd phrase it,  this is actually something I'd been thinking about a bit lately. I think that for me, once you get past the writing parts: plot, character, imagery, pacing, etc. (and that's a major hurdle, mind you!) what ultimately makes me truly get into those few books that I love above all others is how the underlying themes -- and presumably the author's world view -- resonates with my world view. Unfortunately for those of you taking notes, I'm not sure how much you can do about that, perhaps only be sure that you are being honest and as forthcoming as possible with your feelings and viewpoints when thinking about what to write and how you want to write it.

I think that is why I loved many of Kurt Vonnegut's books when I first read them around my early 20's, but now


Spoiler



(in my 50's)


 my view of the world and my place in it has changed. When I've reread a couple of his books in the last few years, they did not really grab me any more. Obviously the books have not changed, so presumably I have.

These days my favorite author is Terry Pratchett. When I read his books, and especially my handful of favorites by him, I feel like there's a large overlap of how we feel about life, the universe, and everything. It's certainly not totally congruent, but I sense that we could sit together discussing almost anything and have fun talking about it, never getting into any serious arguments. When you add to that his ability to create characters I love and his unbounded joy in the English language, he can totally pull me into the best of his books, and even the least of them are still a pleasure to read.


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## David &#039;Half-Orc&#039; Dalglish (Feb 1, 2010)

Of all the authors I've read, the one that truly got under my skin, that made me so happy to run to the library and find another book of his, was Ray Bradbury. Reading Something Wicked This Way Comes was an absolute delight. I get to revel in the writing of an author in love with the written word, who is a complete master of the storytelling rhythm, but at the same time has not descended into despair, pessimism, or egotism. So frustrating how little of his books are on the Kindle.

David Dalglish


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Dh and I "got" so into a series and author, we named our firstborn after the hero... though we changed the spelling just a little.. to Garran. :>


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## libros_lego (Mar 24, 2009)

An author gets to me if he/she can make me laugh. A sense of humor makes me enjoy a book more.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> . . . . . I feel like there's a large overlap of how we feel about life, the universe, and everything. . . .


I think you're confused: That's Douglas Adams.


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I think you're confused: That's Douglas Adams.


:groan:


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

NogDog said:


> ...I feel like there's a large overlap of how we feel about life, the universe, and everything....





Ann in Arlington said:


> I think you're confused: That's Douglas Adams.





Groggy1 said:


> :groan:


Actually, there was zero confusion. It was an intentional allusion to another British satirist: one whose writing I have enjoyed, but who never came anywhere near "getting under my skin" as Mr. Pratchett has.


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

The first author I ever related to and captured me was Ann M. Martin of the Babysitter's Club. Silly I know, but at the time I was nine years old, my parents were going through a crazy nasty divorce, my dad was moving away and one of the main characters in the story, Dawn, was also going through the same thing. So it really helped me get away from it all and at the same time kind of bond with a character who knew what I was feeling and going through too even if they were fictional. 

I think at the time, I devoured every single book in the series I could find. I read that whole summer long and it also started my love for books.

Now, I would have to say it is still the same. I fall in love with authors that capture my attention, make me laugh, make me think, make me cry. 

Stories that capture my attention so that I am still thinking about the events and characters long after the book has been put down or finished. That to me, is a sign of a good story, a good author.
If an author can succeed in dong all of that, then, I will try to read everything they have ever written.


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

> but at the same time has not descended into despair, pessimism, or egotism.


Really good point. I think when a writer shows off, it just kills the joy for me.



> Dh and I "got" so into a series and author, we named our firstborn after the hero... though we changed the spelling just a little.. to Garran. :>


Now THAT is hardcore. Love it.



> An author gets to me if he/she can make me laugh. A sense of humor makes me enjoy a book more.


Laughter almost always gets someone to take down their guard. Good point.



> So it really helped me get away from it all and at the same time kind of bond with a character who knew what I was feeling and going through too even if they were fictional.


Something like a shared reality? Someone who is walking next to you in life.

Paul


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

NogDog said:


> Actually, there was zero confusion. It was an intentional allusion to another British satirist: one whose writing I have enjoyed, but who never came anywhere near "getting under my skin" as Mr. Pratchett has.


 I thought it might be an _homage_.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I thought it might be an _homage_.


What's cheese got to do with it?


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

If I'm absolutely honest about it, I have to admit that every book that got under my skin was a book I read before the age of 25.  I was so much more impressionable then, and several books I read went right to my core.  For example, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote.  I think I was around 12 when I read it.  And I was around 15 when I read One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.  And around 18 when I read Pride and Prejudice.  And Julius Caesar by Shakespeare has stayed with me since I was 11 years old.  It's partly about the quality of the book, but for me, it's more about being at an age when I looked at the world through eyes of wonder.


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

> If I'm absolutely honest about it, I have to admit that every book that got under my skin was a book I read before the age of 25. I was so much more impressionable then, and several books I read went right to my core.


That's interesting, because for me it hasn't changed. It's rare, but then it's always been rare. Lem really shocked me.

Paul


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

Paul J Coleman said:


> That's interesting, because for me it hasn't changed. It's rare, but then it's always been rare. Lem really shocked me.
> 
> Paul


That's awesome! Maybe you're still able to see the world through eyes of wonder.  I'm definitely going to check out Lem. Maybe I just haven't been reading the right stuff.


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

fancynancy said:


> That's awesome! Maybe you're still able to see the world through eyes of wonder.


Or another world. A world more real than this one. Mysterious. 

Paul


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

Paul J Coleman said:


> Something like a shared reality? Someone who is walking next to you in life.
> 
> Paul


Yeah, I guess you could look at it that way.


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## J.M Pierce (May 13, 2010)

Very neat thread.

Have you ever listened to music and got goosebumps? I've always said that I don't care what kind of music I'm listening to, if it gives me goosebumps it's a great song. The same goes for a book. I live for getting lost in another world. I know it's good when I'm done with a scene and my heart is pounding in my chest or I'm angry along with a character, or whatever emotion the scene has brought to my being. It really is an amazing thing. The first time that I can recall it happening was with John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". Now with every book that I pick up I try to let myself go and forget about everything; to connect with the author's imagination and let the story completely occupy my mind.

Again, great thread. Take care all!

J.M.


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## Paul J Coleman (Jun 24, 2010)

> I live for getting lost in another world.


I do too. It's really important for me to believe and "live" in the world the author has created. But when an author gets under my skin it's because he has opened a window into a reality more real than everyday reality, and more real than the world he has created in his book. Kinda hard to explain. Another author who does this for me:

http://amzn.to/c4WuDu - Carlos Castaneda - A Separate Reality

Paul


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

J.M. Pierce said:


> Very neat thread.
> 
> Have you ever listened to music and got goosebumps? I've always said that I don't care what kind of music I'm listening to, if it gives me goosebumps it's a great song. The same goes for a book. I live for getting lost in another world. I know it's good when I'm done with a scene and my heart is pounding in my chest or I'm angry along with a character, or whatever emotion the scene has brought to my being. It really is an amazing thing. The first time that I can recall it happening was with John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men". Now with every book that I pick up I try to let myself go and forget about everything; to connect with the author's imagination and let the story completely occupy my mind.
> 
> ...


I know what you mean. I don't know if this can have the same impact without having read all that happens until you get to this point, but this makes me goose-bumpy and maybe a bit teary each time I've read it. It's part the dénouement in Terry Pratchett's _Carpe Jugulum_, between the missionary, Mightily Oats, who'd been having a crisis of faith, and the indomitable Granny Weatherwax, greatest of all Discworld witches (at least if you ask her).

"I feel I should thank you," said Oats, when they reached the spiral staircase.

"For helping you across the mountains, you mean?"

"The world is . . . different." Oats's gaze went out across the haze, and the forests, and the purple mountains. "Everywhere I look I see something holy."

For the first time since he'd met her, he saw Granny Weatherwax smile properly. Normally her mouth went up at the corners just before something unpleasant was going to happen to someone who deserved it, but this time she appeared to be pleased with what she'd heard.

"That's a start, then," she said.

When I read that the first time, it was equivalent in impact to that monster chord in the middle of the final movement of Beethoven's 9th, or the recapitulation of the early theme at the end of Genesis's "Supper's Ready": they all make me feel something special, even when I know they're coming up.


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