Novels and Human Life

Novels and Human Life!!

(just my view)

I read a lot - [No, take that bad, I “LISTEN” to a lot of novels].  I use my library access and download audiobooks.  This allows me to listen when I walk or in the car.

Since December 1, 2019, I have listened to 9 audiobooks.  If you know contemporary authors, you might recognize James Patterson, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, George RR Martin, Paula Hawkins, Sandra Brown, John Grisham, Lee, Child, David Baldacci, Nicholas Sparks, and others.

If you recognize these books and authors, you realize they fit into the “Thriller” category. 

And, there comes my problem.  Almost all have little regard for human life.  If I counted the number of deaths in the average one of these novels, it could be significant.  Obviously, the “A Game of Thrones” by George R.R. Martin had wars and thousands of deaths. [And, for my readers who haven’t read the book, it was extremely long!!  And it is part of a series that would take approximately 200 hours to read all five books in the series (or about 40 hours per book) - so an entire work-week on one book!!]  

There seems to be a competition to have the most bloody, gory and bizarre events in some of these books.  Preston/Child’s “Verses for the Dead” has two serial killers - father and son”.  The father killed girls from the Miami area - but in other states up-and-down the East Coast with what looked like suicides.  The son then killed girls in the Miami area and put their hearts on the tombstones of those that the father had killed years before.  Yes, it held my interest - and NO - it was bloody.  

Many times, I have written about “Garbage In, Garbage Out”.  While these books have held my interest, I really don’t need to be digesting murder after murder.

To me, human life is beautiful.  You have ‘heard’ me quote this in the past: ““I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”.  Yes, many of these novels have murders and really mean, deadly, demented people.  And - if I am to take my own thoughts into consideration - I have to LOVE those killers and forgive them.  

I have never met (at least to my knowledge - other than servicemen) anyone who has killed another human being, and yet I am letting that input shape my brain.

Now, I have read some ‘better’ books in the past months as well.  I’ve ‘read’ (listened to) “Pollyanna” by Eleanor Porter and now am finishing “Pollyanna grows up”.  I’ve ‘read’ some of the classics (many for free on LibriVox) - like Don Quixote, The Jungle Book, Tarzan, Robin Hood, The Wind in the Willows, and even Pride and Prejudice.  I also just finished “She” by Susan Walker - an acclaimed central Texas author.  Unfortunately, I can’t find any other of her books in audiobook format.  [Aside, when I retired I was going to record audiobooks for a friend - Eric Johnson - but alas, he died, and alas, I had my surgeries that affected my vocal cords.  I might still try to record some material - but I’ll have to do some voice practice!!!]

Murder to keep readers interested seems contrary to what I am becoming.

So, do you have books that you might suggest for me - that maybe aren’t so gory?  Maybe books that are uplifting?  

Hugs!!!

Karen

(I’m not opposed to challenges, but the nature of “Man’s inhumanity to fellow Man” is spreading the wrong message in my mind.)