Friday, October 3, 2014

Do You Like Cliches?

I have been told that, as a child, I put the adults in my life through years worth of repeated Winnie-the-Pooh. It was my show; I loved it to death. Even today, I find myself reading the books with a huge smile. I know I have heard those stories time and time again. I remember them.

That is a thing that kids do. I'm also not saying it's uncommon that we sometimes return to the stories we loved as children. What I am saying is that I'm not sure I outgrew that love for stories on repeat. I don't know that any of us do.

Of course, there are only so many tropes that can be used in stories. They can be mixed together differently, and they can be written in a unique way, but that's not exactly what I'm thinking about now. I am wondering about cliches that serve as the base of the story - the bad boy falls for the nerd; the girl falls for her best friend's brother; the characters struggle through forbidden love. They're things we've all read before, and some of us will continue reading them time and time again.

Personally, I love cliches. I try to mention them in my reviews, and I will admit they usually make the story less memorable - but I love them. Of course it's nice to see a twist on the story, or a completely different plot altogether. Of course it takes the right author to make them fun and sometimes, to draw so much other stuff (for lack of a better word) into the mix that the cliche hardly even matters.

I would love to know how you guys feel about cliches. Do you love or hate them? What is the one storyline you just can't get enough of?

2 comments:

  1. I keep saying, clichés exist for a reason, and it's probably because someone, somewhere loves them. I personally don't mind clichés in books but it all depends on the writer. Look at Jennier Armentrout. Her books are full of them and I love it! she does it well and makes you love the ride you know.

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    1. I actually haven't read any of Jennifer Armentrout's books yet, but I completely understand what you mean. A good writer can take cliches and make them feel fresh :)

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