Okay I got the feedback for my first novel from my agent who I sent a full to. She said she enjoyed reading it and that it was 'impressive and well structured first novel.' But that she didn't feel passionately enough about it to take it on.
The main problem that she points out seems to be that the novel falls between two genres. When I started writing it I didn't want it to be a thriller, I still don't really. I wanted to write a story of tragedy, irony and injustice, but one that was told in an interesting way. The problem is that a lot of people who read it seem to think it's a thriller. This includes my agent, one of my beta readers (who reads a lot of thrillers, speed-read through my manuscript in about 4 hours and said she thought the pacing was fine and that she finds Le' Carre to slow), and an editor (who only saw a one page synopsis). My wife, who doesn't like to read typical thrillers (but reads a lot of crime, oxymoron?) said she enjoyed it a lot and that she especially enjoyed the 'descriptive passages.'
The writing itself is 'descriptive and lyrical,' which doesn't fall in line with typical thrillers. I think i've achieved my primary goals in that the story does explore the themes I set out to with meaningful characters, but apparently the 'literariness,' might not appeal to thriller readers.
So I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to remove all the 'descriptive passages,' as I feel they add colour to the world I've written about as well as depth.
So how do I go about literising (if that's a word) the novel? Is it impossible for a literary novel to have a thriller style story to it? Thrillerising it might be easier, but I don't want to have to do that.
Sorry if i'm being too vague.
The main problem that she points out seems to be that the novel falls between two genres. When I started writing it I didn't want it to be a thriller, I still don't really. I wanted to write a story of tragedy, irony and injustice, but one that was told in an interesting way. The problem is that a lot of people who read it seem to think it's a thriller. This includes my agent, one of my beta readers (who reads a lot of thrillers, speed-read through my manuscript in about 4 hours and said she thought the pacing was fine and that she finds Le' Carre to slow), and an editor (who only saw a one page synopsis). My wife, who doesn't like to read typical thrillers (but reads a lot of crime, oxymoron?) said she enjoyed it a lot and that she especially enjoyed the 'descriptive passages.'
The writing itself is 'descriptive and lyrical,' which doesn't fall in line with typical thrillers. I think i've achieved my primary goals in that the story does explore the themes I set out to with meaningful characters, but apparently the 'literariness,' might not appeal to thriller readers.
So I'm not sure what to do. I don't want to remove all the 'descriptive passages,' as I feel they add colour to the world I've written about as well as depth.
So how do I go about literising (if that's a word) the novel? Is it impossible for a literary novel to have a thriller style story to it? Thrillerising it might be easier, but I don't want to have to do that.
Sorry if i'm being too vague.
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