10 Literary Pet Peeves

BBC Radio 4’s Open Book asked their listeners for their ‘literary pet peeves’. What really annoys you when you read a book? For me, it has to be lazy or dull writing and overuse of similes and metaphors.

Open Book’s guests on the 20th of June 2017 were literary critic Peter Kemp and historical crime novelist Antonia Hodgson. They were asked about the literary devices that make their cringe glands flare up. Their answers included stories told through a foggy memory, or animal narrators.

The hashtag “Literary Pet Peeves” on Twitter, is full of the Twitterarti’s most despised literary devices. From sexism to untranslated fictional languages, there is a cringe-worthy literary pet peeve for every taste.

Here are our favourites…

1.

Inflicting endless pain on your main character to manufacture cheap dramatic weight. See Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life #literarypetpeeves
— Will J Bailey (@WillJBaileyArt) 22 June 2017

2.

Oh, the hero is *damaged*, so it's totes OK that he's a controlling asshole! Seriously? #literarypetpeeves
— Beth Woodward (@beththewoodward) 19 October 2013

3.

Frankenstein was the name of the doctor, not the monster. #LiteraryPetPeeves
— Logan (@ChasingTwisters) 28 November 2013

4.

Metaphors or similes which go too far and are not comparable with whatever the author is comparing them with #LiteraryPetPeeves
— LNotlob (@MissNotlob) 20 June 2017

5.

It irks me when fiction set in the past uses contemporary slang. I have a hunch they didn't say "crazy fast" in the 1800s #literarypetpeeves
— christina (@TNTina) 1 February 2011

6.

Preternaturally self-possessed teenage protagonists or narrators. #bookrageous #literarypetpeeves
— Hawksian (@Hawksian) 1 November 2010

7.

@bookrageous Esoteric references used ONLY to make author seem intelligent + the reader to feel unhip or just plain dumb #literarypetpeeves
— Wendy Wishon (@javarama) 30 October 2010

8.

#literarypetpeeves People who have never written anything longer than a tweet, but still criticise actual authors (Dan Brown haters)
— Chaotic Kordran (@KordranKeAzir) 23 June 2017

9.

#LiteraryPetPeeves I book with no description of the main character, or the description comes after you picture them in your head.
— Lea Baynes (@Leaarsenal14) 23 June 2017

10.

"@MsAnnAguirre: This sex scene has used the word moist (or variants of it, ie moisture) six times. #nothot #whybookwhy" #literarypetpeeves
— Krista Hudson (@kristaraelynn) 25 January 2013