Comments on: What is a thriller?

By: Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2022 – Stephen Writes

Monthly Wrap-Up – March 2022 – Stephen Writes — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 09:10:00 +0000

[…] NS Ford asked the question of how thrillers should be defined and what are their most common characteristics. […]

By: nsford

nsford — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 17:26:34 +0000

In reply to RoseReadsNovels. Yes, a fair point! Different readers will be thrilled by different things.

By: RoseReadsNovels

RoseReadsNovels — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 02:37:40 +0000

I like your definitions, but also wonder how subjective calling a book a thriller might be. A story that keeps me up all night might bore you.

By: nsford

nsford — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 18:29:24 +0000

In reply to Lady Tessa. That's a good definition, I like it! I think pace is very important, I mean there are slow-burn thrillers but they're more difficult to get into.

By: Lady Tessa

Lady Tessa — Thu, 24 Mar 2022 00:36:02 +0000

I tend to define it simply as a book that has a large section of “crazy things happening at a rapid pace.” Lol. But that’s very simplistic definition. This is definitely something to think about as you are right – sometimes books are listed as thrillers and there isn’t anything thrilling about the plot.

By: nsford

nsford — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 23:47:31 +0000

In reply to FictionFan. Oh dear. sorry you experienced a non-thrilling thriller today. I totally agree with your point about the page numbers. I think twice about reading any book, let alone a thriller, that approaches 400 pages. The longer it is, the more difficult to keep the reader turning the pages! Seems to be a problem with the marketing and is not necessarily the writers' fault, unless of course they are aiming for a thriller.

By: FictionFan

FictionFan — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 23:38:38 +0000

Just abandoned one today, billed as an espionage thriller. Espionage yes, thrilling no. I agree with your points, especially fast-paced and tension, and I’m afraid the current habit of having books be 400-600 pages long makes fast pace well-nigh impossible. So yes, I have frequently said that thrillers are supposed to thrill and that books marketed as thrillers often don’t.

By: nsford

nsford — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 20:05:57 +0000

In reply to Inge | The Belgian Reviewer. Thanks - yes, I think thrillers are often confused with mysteries. It appears that books are now being categorised as thrillers to encourage people to read them, but this can backfire when readers are disappointed.

By: Inge | The Belgian Reviewer

Inge | The Belgian Reviewer — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:59:41 +0000

I agree with your list! And yes I almost finished reading The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh and one of the tags on Goodreads is thriller but I find it lots of things but not a real thriller. There is someone missing in the course of the story but there isn’t even any real tension building up.