I've never been a fan of Tolkien's books, and thanks to Alex's comments, I think I now know why. I want to be shown the story, not told about it.
Even before I became aware of what a POV shift is, I never cared for them. I think because it tends to make the book more tell than show. To me, and remember this is JMHO, when the POV shifts from one character to another, and then back again, it's like being yanked out of the story to tell me what the other character is doing or thinking, and I'd much rather "see" the reaction through the MC's eyes. It may not be the correct deduction, but that can prove interesting later in the story when the MC finally realizes what the other person really thought.
I have a dear friend who's writing a book with compelling characters, great setting, and one terrific plot line; but I have a hard time reading it because she shifts POV constantly, sometimes four or five times in one chapter. And I'm not talking about neat, segmented shifts, but from paragraph to paragraph. It's like being in a crowded room with everyone talking at once.
And, to me, that's what POV shifts are - too many people talking at once. The din of voices make it impossible to hear what one person is saying, and dilutes the message for me. Again, that's just me. I know lots of readers don't mind POV shifts.
Thanks, ladies, for such an interesting discussion and great ideas!
>I have a dear friend who's writing a book with
>compelling characters, great setting, and one terrific
>plot line; but I have a hard time reading it because
>she shifts POV constantly, sometimes four or five
>times in one chapter. And I'm not talking about neat,
>segmented shifts, but from paragraph to paragraph.
>It's like being in a crowded room with everyone
>talking at once.
>
>And, to me, that's what POV shifts are - too many
>people talking at once. The din of voices make it
>impossible to hear what one person is saying, and
>dilutes the message for me.
Exactly! Beautifully put! Like I mentioned to susiej, I reach my tolerance point and say forget it. *tossing book aside* Not worth the effort. Which is a sad thing if there's a cool story in there.
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