Come on, was it really THAT bad?

[Lowdown3]

http://www.ak47.net/forums/t_10_17/657131_My_wife_does_not_like_the_book_Patriots.html&page=1

OK so their was stuff I didn't agree with, stuff that I went "wth?" over, etc. But the criticism in the thread above is crazy.

What do you think? Is it THAT bad?

[Grand58742]

Everyone's a critic behind the computer screen lol

I'm kind of mixed on this. It wasn't...too terribly bad. But there wasn't a lot of character development so to speak. I do think there is far better out there myself. I applaud JWR for the inspiration he gave to get me behind the keyboard for the first time, but I haven't really read anything of his since "Patriots" (revision 3 or 4 I think) and not sure if I will to be honest with you. Nice from a prepper standpoint on education, but not a very good story teller.

[WiseOwl]

Patriots was a pretty good book. Survivors absolutely sucked.
And Grand, your stuff is phenomenal. I have read all of the ones you have sent me at least twice.


Maybe you should get some publishing dude.


NinjaPress.

:)

[qrprat77]

I just downloaded Patriots on my Kindle, we'll see how it goes.
So far I have read like one page worth.
The guy is no Matt Bracken or Grand58742 but I've just started.
A lot of the people in the link LD posted reminded me of Vizzini in "The Princess Bride"
Vizzini: "Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?"
Dred Pirate Roberts: " Yes"
Vizzini: "Morons"

and we all know how that turned out.
Biggest question is, is the novel helpful?
I'll let you know when I'm done.

[protus]

i got a giggle out of one of the self proclaimed "experts" on there bashing rawles over stuff not even related to the book Patriots but to his personal life.
But, then again, that guy had his maid proof read for him before he self published...LOL

[Grand58742]

Biggest question is, is the novel helpful?

You'll probably love the radio chapter later on. Apparently it does for radio freaks (punny, punny) what Tom Clancy and the likes do for gear hounds.

[Lowdown3]

i got a giggle out of one of the self proclaimed "experts" on there bashing rawles over stuff not even related to the book Patriots but to his personal life.
But, then again, that guy had his maid proof read for him before he self published...LOL

Come on man, that was the first time he went off on someone before, wasn't it? ;) *I* certainly don't remember him acting that way towards anyone else :) LOL Yes, all this is in jest, he really didn't try to ruin my life or my business did he? LOL

______

I don't agree with Rawles on everything, the dry ice for grains thing principally, but to bring the dude's personal affairs into it was a little harsh. Who knows what happened with his wife posting that. Could be that SHE wanted to make sure he had someone there to take care of him and THEIR KIDS. Hell I think that's foresight. And while my wife wouldn't have done what she did, I respect her for doing it.

Also, the same types are knocking him for adding in " his beliefs" in his writings, wake up folks EVERYONE does that. Course most of these are the same ones just a few weeks ago that were bashing homeschooling and saying their kids weren't getting any socialist ideas in publix skewl- just a few days before the thing came out on the news with the teacher berating the kid and telling him he could be arrested for not liking Obama.

Too much TV watching, too little thinking for themselves in a lot of folks now a days. Too much time spent watching 'reality TV' with all the BS drama and then trying to use those same tactics on the internet with people they argue with (referring to the homeschool thread).

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I'm still trying to get over the fact that you AK guys got a forum LOL

I like Rawles and enjoy reading his stuff. There are things he wrote, like the last one, that I didnt enjoy but there are 2 choices for these haters, read it or don't. If you dont like it dont buy it. Why buy it then whine he that should be beaten, tarred and banned then go buy the next book just so you can do the same. Thats just so you can get on a forum and have something to talk about cause you really dont have anything to offer.
It is not a Survivalist Bible as many tout it to be and when he writes they get all in their feelings. It's just a book and things can be learned from books, even fiction, but it is not to be taken as the be all end all, there is only one of them, The One and the Way.
Truth is I cant nor will i ever be able to no matter how much i try to live up to his standards and have the retreat of the lifesytles of the rich and shameless. I am a mere peon in that world but i manage and i keep pushing that boulder up the hill everyday.

[Benn Gleck]

I liked Patriots. I think a lot of the bashing comes from hating the "big boy" on the block.

I hated One Second After. Terribly depressing book.

Lights Out was ok.

And the Road.......... that was so bad I have to go wash my keyboard after typing the title. ;)

[EX121]

I liked the first one, a good read, not fine litrature. the second not so much.

[1Admin]

I liked the book before anyone knew who the hell he was. I liked the book when I had him on the shortwave show and promoted the book for him in 98 and 99.

I don't read every bit of fiction that comes along.

I don't have any bull**** dreams of surviving in a suburban neighborhood with a bunch of suburbanite yuppies I don't really know crap about.

I don't have any bull$$$$ dreams of being a junior comissar in a small town in the mountains (aka Utopia) wherein everyone shares nicely, gets along and works together and sings kumbaya as they are all starving together. AKA One Second After.

Patriots was the closest thing out AT THE TIME that depicted a group, prepared ahead of time and a survival retreat prepared ahead of time. I guess that's why I related so much with the work versus some of the other fiction works.



Is a lot of it fantasy? Yes. A group that ALWAYS gets along? Yeah right! Their are Brothers here, some that post and some that don't, that I love as brothers, that I would fight and die alongside any day of the week that my home, land, etc. would be open to them. Do we always get along? Yeah flippin right! This is real life people, how many of us "always" get along with FAMILY let alone close friends? If you do, you either are extremely amicable or have your head up...... well you get the point ;)

That was the wife's biggest complaint when we listened to the audiobook- "nothing goes this smooth." And you know what, she's right.

The second book was a shell of the first IMO, but that's another thread.

[SCinPNW]

I have read both of his books and thought they were okay. Not too long after I started working on preparedness I read Patriots and it definitely helped to motivate me. His second book was not quite as good as the first, but I did not think it was terrible as others have found. I have since read Lights Out and thought the writing was much better.

Bottom line, I think this genre of writing is good if it helps to motivate people in their preparedness journey.

SC

[Grand58742]

I have since read Lights Out and thought the writing was much better.

SC

that's a key factor right there. Crawford and others were able to see the mistakes (so to speak) made in "Patriots" and avoid them in their own works. And lots of time that's how writers get better, by seeing what their peers have done and avoid those same problem areas. "Lights Out"was a better tale from a character interaction (in my opinion) than Patriots. I'm pretty sure he read the story at some point, but whether he built on that, I don't know. I might assume he did, but Crawford would have to answer that himself.

But overall, I think all writers read something from someone else and feel they can improve on the plot or characters or whatever. And that's where some of the inspiration comes from

[protus]

I have read both of his books and thought they were okay. Not too long after I started working on preparedness I read Patriots and it definitely helped to motivate me. His second book was not quite as good as the first, but I did not think it was terrible as others have found. I have since read Lights Out and thought the writing was much better.

Bottom line, I think this genre of writing is good if it helps to motivate people in their preparedness journey.

SC

Very ,very true.
However...it is funny and down right gut busting that the one making the most stink over some of JWR's personal issues, self published a book and now feels he's an "expert". His ego has helped build that through the years along with his fanboy following constantly plugging his work and trying to discredit others along the way. I just laugh at how his "ideas" have changed so quickly since his book went to paper....( wish he would fix all the typos and not have a intro/prelude was full of little stabs at people he hated from the web and their idea's of survival that didnt jive with his......anyway....



________
Crawford had a long time to get L/O ready for paper. I remember when he linked it up on arf and the FEW other survival forums back in the day. I remember him specifically asking for feedback from those in the know. He took all of that advice and while i havent read the "new" L/O he made some realistic changes.

But like the complaints about JWR.....L/O ( least back then) suffered the same issues. 90% white characters,militia/gang bad guys..military guys with stolen hardware...ready made retreats with all the goodies and people in place.....people bugging out......and people doing not so normal stuff. Just like the couple in Patriots who " leap frogged thru the sewers and streets to get to the BOL.....we had the two main characters in L/O changing out the complete upper end of a chevy truck at their job site before driving home..to hook up an RV and bug out again......in record time......


use the books to learn...leave the my panties are in a wad because the guy likes mint icecream over berry b/s on the wayside.

[1Admin]

Anyone know if Lights Out is available as an audiobook either on CD or Ipod download? I started reading it online and could not at all get into it.