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Authors who had one good book in them but insisted on writing 2

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JJL 17 May 2014

aka one hit wonder writers...

Richard Adams? - Shardik, Plague Dogs and Maia all quite weak

Joe Simpson? - after TTV

Frank McCourt? - 'Tis much less good than Angela's Ashes

Jerome Salinger?

Choss 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

Oooh... gotta disagree with you on plague dogs. Powerful, emotional book that makes you Question our relationship to Other animals.

Choss 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

Shakespeare - Romeo and Juliet is good in a modern context, he should have left it there.

Dickens - wrote one good musical film, Nobody cares about his Other stuff except that scrooge Fella once a year.

Tall Clare 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

I think For Esme... and Franny & Zooey are stronger than Catcher in the Rye. The Zooey half of F&Z is one of my all-time favourites.

Martin W 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

> Joe Simpson? - after TTV

I thought This Game of Ghosts was good, and Dark Shadows Falling and The Beckoning Silence had interesting things to say. Given the amazing story he had to tell in Touching the Void, it's not surprising that his subsequent books didn't grip in quite the same way, but I think some of them were still worth the read.

Hooo 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

Irvine Welsh. Wrote nothing worthwhile after Trainspotting, just rehashed the same thing over and over.

Hooo 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

And Salinger didn't even write one. Catcher has to be one of the most overrated books of all time.

Hooo 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

Joseph Heller. When asked why he hadn't written anything as good as Catch 22, he replied "yes, but neither has anyone else".

thebigfriendlymoose 17 May 2014

In reply to Hooo:

> Joseph Heller. When asked why he hadn't written anything as good as Catch 22, he replied "yes, but neither has anyone else".

I personally prefer Something Happened to Catch 22 - horribly accurate dissection of a suburban life..... "I think that maybe in every company today there is always at least one person who is going crazy slowly"

Clauso 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

J K Rowling.

nightclimber 17 May 2014

In reply to JJL:

Am just finishing my SECOND book (sent draft to my publisher this morning in fact). Will be out in time for Xmas. Thanks for the vote of confidence.