h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Could use the term "full British" and awful...really? Transatlantic war declared!

That's awful even to me - and where my dad grew up, a country breakfast required TWO kinds of gravy. I was also served fried chicken for breakfast once by my great-aunt. (It was a special occasion. )

I didn't like the continental breakfast because the rolls were so hard my teeth hurt when I bit into them. The full British breakfast seemed fine to me. To be honest, I remember with affection the grits that were served at a hotel in Atlanta. That fried chicken breakfast sounds tasty, especially with the gravy.

I love brunches. What's not to love about being able to have bacon with your chicken and potatoes, with quiche instead of bread?

Thank you for mentioning Louise Penny, a truly gifted writer

I have enjoyed most of her books so far - unfortunately, then I hit 'The Beautiful Mystery'. If you haven't read it, avoid it like the plague it is.

It's about a number of things Ms Penny doesn't know anything about - Gregorian chant, monks, and Latin, for starters. (See next week.)

British breakfast again, really? Just how many nations are you trying to offend here!

Apart from Yorkshire, they're fair game, they still drink tea from the skulls of their enemies up there apparently...

"Beautiful mystery" was published in 2013, and there have been many more books in the series since then.

Yes, but I'll have trouble suspending disbelief again. I read that book to the bitter end and it was truly awful. With the money she makes she could have afforded to have subject matter experts do a read-through. I don't excuse writers who insult people I know, even inadvertently.

And I don't read detective stories for the plots, which are usually silly and forgettable. I read them for the people and settings, which is why I like to read people like Sjovall/Wahloo and Janwillem van de Wetering. I might learn something. I can't do that if I find out the writer is making it up as they go along. I feel insulted.

I would tend to echo this insightful critique which expresses the hope that Ms Penny, who is otherwise a very good writer - her technique is good, even if her research is lousy - will keep learning about people and things. (And will finally stop telling us how we're supposed to feel when we hear music or see art.)

http://gykendall1.medium.com/myrna-the-mammy-louise-pennys-american-dream-b12d8cee41d2

Since Myrna is starting to become a liability, the author should probably kill her off. This could cause readership to drop off, though. I lost interest as some characters I liked got killed off, but Louise Penny can write other stuff.

She co-wrote "State of terror," a political thriller, with Hillary Clinton.

Maybe it was time to try a different genre.

I wouldn't know. I doubt I'll read it.

As for killing the character off being a good answer to cultural insensitivity, I doubt that would make anybody happier. But since the author of the critique suggested a couple of writers I might like better, I may go and try them out when I have time.

I don't care whether you read anything by this author. I'm just looking at her track record. She has killed off characters before, and could do so again. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that she thinks the critics of her handling of Myrna have a point, but the effort of sifting through dozens of books for references to this one character is huge, so as not to be inconsistent. One way to justify the effort is to feature Myrna as a murder victim. Readers might say, "I had no idea she had such a rich past, and now she's gone. "

Or, the author could conclude that she's run out of ideas for the series, and move on to something else. Maybe she will pick up a new readership.

Or not.

I thought that the plots of some of her novels were kind of overblown and unlikely. She's not writing just for you or me.

All of which can be true and not negate the criticism. People have the right to write commercial books. Other people have the right to critique them as a way of learning. And no, that doesn't affect the author's profit margin.