Non-Fiction

anobserver2

(922 posts)

21. Great news: Library Journal panned Patterson's new memoir

Sun Jun 12, 2022, 05:44 PM

Jun 2022

https://www.libraryjournal.com/review/james-patterson-by-james-patterson-the-stories-of-my-life-1789095

Excerpt:

"...If anyone should be able to write an interesting memoir, it’s Patterson. Unfortunately, he hasn’t. Instead, readers get a string of choppy chapters—many one or two pages long—offering platitudes instead of insight; even his advice on how to write is fatuous.

There’s too much name-dropping (breakfast with Tom Cruise; golfing with President Clinton; Serena Williams bugging him for an autograph), as well as too much self-congratulation, self-promotion, and cheap wisdom in this banal, disappointing book.

VERDICT Given Patterson’s audience, this throwaway memoir will be popular even though it isn’t merited."

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Highlight:

Has anyone read the new James Patterson memoir "Stories of My Life" ? [View all] anobserver2 Jun 2022 OP

Have it. Haven't gotten around to it. ReluctanceTango Jun 2022 #1

His "writing factory" gets very little space in this 300+ page memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #4

See pages 249-250 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #11

Thanks for the specifics ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #51

Also read this: Harvard Business Review, March 2012 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #12

And this: page 259 of his memoir (an unnumbered page) anobserver2 Jun 2022 #13

It seems he has promoted two versions of the structure of his writing factory anobserver2 Jun 2022 #14

Note to: any of his "writing factory" writers anobserver2 Jun 2022 #15

PS Here's the NY Post article about the lawsuit a writer filed against Patterson anobserver2 Jun 2022 #16

Also: Patterson's new memoir makes no mention of any lawsuit against him by a writer anobserver2 Jun 2022 #17

Two organizations for writers in the writing factory - Author's Guild and National Writers Union anobserver2 Jun 2022 #18

Questions someone should be asking these writers in his writing factory anobserver2 Jun 2022 #19

Well, of course it doesn't ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #48

I used to read all his books but now I think he just doc03 Jun 2022 #2

I think he still writes the Cross books, but other than that, I agree. rsdsharp Jun 2022 #3

Yeah, I think now he is really much more like a publisher anobserver2 Jun 2022 #5

I meant to add: And Equity, and all the other unions anobserver2 Jun 2022 #6

"crap, about crap" is the opinion of a reviewer I read - and I agree anobserver2 Jun 2022 #7

He's following the Dumas formula ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #49

James Patterson is an anomaly anobserver2 Apr 2023 #52

I do hope you meant to educate people ExWhoDoesntCare May 2023 #55

P.S. anobserver2 Apr 2023 #54

When I have time I will write a list of discrepencies I found in this memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #8

Excerpt from above link anobserver2 Jun 2022 #9

Well, that's a first ExWhoDoesntCare Apr 2023 #50

I think Patterson did the same thing as Frey anobserver2 Jun 2022 #10

Well, every review seems to be wonderful anobserver2 Jun 2022 #20

Great news: Library Journal panned Patterson's new memoir anobserver2 Jun 2022 #21

More about Library Journal anobserver2 Jun 2022 #22

So glad they panned it!!! anobserver2 Jun 2022 #23

The UK's Telegraph panned it, too anobserver2 Jun 2022 #24

Well, I almost thought today was Juneteenth - but it's not anobserver2 Jun 2022 #25

From June 20, 2022 New Yorker magazine: "How James Patterson Became the World's Best-Selling Author" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #26

Deception #1 in Memoir: North America anobserver2 Jun 2022 #27

Deception #2 in Memoir: Vietnam-era Law re draft anobserver2 Jun 2022 #28

Deception #3 in Memoir: Grad school / omission anobserver2 Jun 2022 #29

Deception #4 in Memoir: Re Harvard anobserver2 Jun 2022 #30

No Masters degree - he's not a "distinguished alumni" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #31

So - what was he doing from 1970-1971? anobserver2 Jun 2022 #32

Deception #5 in Memoir: His working life before advertising anobserver2 Jun 2022 #33

Deception #6 in Memoir: His false channeling of John Lennon anobserver2 Jun 2022 #34

Deception #7 in Memoir: How He Got Hired in Advertising anobserver2 Jun 2022 #35

Deception #8 in Memoir: Misrepresenting book anobserver2 Jun 2022 #36

Deception #9 in Memoir: "Outline!" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #37

Deceptions #10 #11 and #12 in Memoir to come anobserver2 Jun 2022 #38

Will try to finish this thread today anobserver2 Jun 2022 #39

Deception #10 - Pages 114-116 / Re full page ad in the NY Times 1984 anobserver2 Jun 2022 #40

Deception #11 in Memoir: Money, and Pages 120-121 - "the fine art of negociating" anobserver2 Jun 2022 #41

Deception #12 in Memoir - re Veterans anobserver2 Jun 2022 #42

Celebrity Index - Dolly Parton anobserver2 Jun 2022 #43

James Patterson & Bill O'Reilly book anobserver2 Jun 2022 #44

A Letter from James Patterson to me, August 1985 anobserver2 Feb 2023 #45

Patterson's Memoir (June 2022) vs Patterson's letter to me (August 1985) anobserver2 Feb 2023 #46

A novel idea anobserver2 Feb 2023 #47

How to Get On NYT Best Seller List anobserver2 Apr 2023 #53

RE Vietnam Draft anobserver2 Jan 2024 #56

job offer anobserver2 Jan 2024 #57

I liked these reviews on Good Reads anobserver2 Jan 2024 #58