Whether or not we are writers, we are all readers. I happen to have a very low threshold for inaccuracy. Part of this was learned early on when I was assigned to a military unit where getting it wrong meant mean people could die. Getting an MS in International Relations and a law degree didn’t make me any less sanguine. My husband refuses to accompany me to a movie when it concerns a subject I know too much about. I have been known to mutter loudly, “Objection” during a court scene, point out problems with Army uniforms, or that a setting is supposed to be on a beach on the east coast, and the sun is in the wrong position.
I realize I may not be the rule, but when you read a book where there is an inaccuracy, no matter if it’s a contemporary that has a character going the wrong way down a street in New York City, a wrong statement of the law in any period, or a word or phrase that didn’t exist in Regency England, does it bother you?
How important is accuracy to you as a reader? How bad does it have to be before you decide to either put the book down or not read that author again?
ellaquinnauthor
I usually highly value accuracy, but there have been times where I get so lost in the story (in a good way) that I don’t mind or care about any little blips in my accuracy radar.
I think it depends on the quality of the writing, the level of emotional interaction I have with the story. I can forgive quite a lot. That being said, one must draw a line. If a historical story is nearly fifty years off in its technology etc, then that does bug me enough to set things aside. Thank heavens there aren’t that many atrocious books like that out there. I mainly walk away from something when I’m not emotionally engaged. It could be completely totally accurate but dry as dirt. And that’s just no fun lol!
Hi Lauren. I agree. That’s the reason I don’t like reading history books. But I want the major historical facts of historical fiction/romance to be correct.
Inaccuracies drive me nuts! As you might have gathered already. Especially when the answer is on Wikipedia and takes 2 minutes to find. Inaccuracies of flora and fauna – the famous Hampshire skunk for example, or the leaping horn on a side saddle, or the clerical collar, or chocolates. All it takes is a little thought on the subject of “Just because that’s what it’s like over here, now, doesn’t mean it was always like that there, then.” I’m afraid I’m an irritated highlighter, and have been known to e-mail an author. It’s most annoying when it’s a good story well-written, because it breaks the voluntary suspension of disbelief.
As you know, Doreen, I tend to think like you do when in comes to lack of research. Sometimes I wonder if historical romances are more inaccurate than historical fiction and if that isn’t the reason it’s taken more lightly. Thanks for commenting.
Inaccuracies in movies will always garner me to voice protest, or at the very least, point it out to anyone within earshot.
Books, not so much. Unless they are glaringly obvious, flying in the face of all that is holy (LOL), and just disregarding the facts, and counting on the reader to be ignorant, I’m in it for the story. Oh, I’ll take note of the inaccuracy, there is NO doubt there. But I’m forgiving if the story is really good.
Jenn!
Hi Jenn, I can cope with a few inaccuries, everyone makes mistakes, but to base a whole plot point or ending on something that just could not have happened drives me nuts.
I’m not so picky in books as I am movies. Maybe I lose myself more in books than movies, but either way I can overlook errors pretty easily. Usually we get a laugh out of it and wonder how did they miss that?
Jennifer, I wish I could be more like that. Thanks for commenting.
I am a great fan of research–a History major with several degrees, I’ve done a lot of research. And I love doing research for the books I write, though I’ve found it’s always good to have a second eye even then. If I’m reading and know the period and see an obvious mistake, I’ll overlook it if it’s only one or two. If it’s something I’d question, I might look it up. But most of the time, I’ll take research at face value. It takes a lot to make me quit a book or an author. I’m still not sure how, in Johanna Lindsay’s Mallory series, the illegitimate son of the head of the family is going to inherit the title, but the books say he is. That’s still got me scratching my head, but I like that series and will probably continue to read it.
Interesting that this post comes now because yesterday my husband and i were watching Deep Impact and at the end, when the first huge wave is supposed to hit, there’s a shot of cars choking a highway and a road sign says “Virginia Beach 6 miles.” We looked at each other and said “Not even close.” The roads leading to VA Beach don’t look even vaguely like that terrain. And I’d always wondered how Elijah Wood and the girl got to the hills so quickly–it’s at least a 4-5 hour drive from the ocean! LOL But I still watch the movie–it’s a good story.
Great post and great question, Ella!
I won’t mention names, but lately I’ve read several books where the author had not done a lick of research, and it drove me crazy. The writing has to be really strong for me to overlook the inaccuracies.
Like others have said, it depends on the book (I’m not a movie watcher, really, so I won’t comment). If a book is very well-written and otherwise engaging, and if I can tell that the author really did do research and may have just missed something, I’ll let it slide. BUT. If the story is riddled with inaccuracies and anachronisms, it will pull me out so fast I’ll get whiplash. I recently read a book set in 1533 and told from the POV of Madge Shelton, a cousin of Anne Boleyn. Within the first 2 or 3 pages, Madge and her tiring woman were talking about going into the house to take tea. Uh, hello? It’s 1533. Tea didn’t arrive in England until Catherine of Braganza brought it with her in the mid 1600s, and even then it didn’t take off until decades later.
Although that left a bad taste in my mouth, I let it go. The story bumped along with little bits and pieces here and there that made me shake my head, but nothing so bad I wanted to hurl the book at the wall. And then I got to a conversation between Anne and Mary Boleyn where Mary referred to her children as Henry and MARY. ???? Who in their right mind would write a story set in England, in which Anne Boleyn is a major character, and not bother to learn the names of those children? And it’s not like they were just throwaways. Ok, so they didn’t have huge roles in this particular book. But they both went on to become incredibly important figures during the reign of Elizabeth I. It was laziness, pure and simple. At that point I finished the book, because I was already far into it, but I doubt I’ll ever read anything by that author again.
As a historical fiction writer myself I find it kind of offensive that someone could get away with being so lazy and still get published. I spent months and months researching my story before I started to write it, and even now I go over it chapter by chapter almost weekly to make sure it’s accurate. Maybe I worry about it TOO much, but I don’t want to be that author with the bad reviews because I couldn’t be bothered learning about the period in which I chose to set my story. I figure if people pick up my story, it’s because they like the time period, and I want to do it justice and make them feel that reading it was worth their time.
Courtney, Thank you for commenting. I agree with you. For those of use who put so much time into research, it’s disappointing so see others who don’t.
If it is something I can see or tell is wrong it bugs me. Unfortunately I don’t always notice these things. But there was a book that supposedly was based in Texas, I’ve lived here most of my life. The characters supposedly were from TX and she wrote “he got on the 45″ I’m screaming no we don’t say it like that. We say the freeway or 45 no “the” in there. If I was telling somebody how to get to Austin from here I’d tell them get on 190 and take the exit for 35 then follow 35 south until you get to Austin. In Teaxas we don’t say the word “the” before the freeway number. We say get on the freeway and go towards Temple for example to tell them to go north lol. Everytime I read that I sat on my fingers to keep from emailing the author and saying hey just FYI in Texas it doesn’t work that way. I thought it might be rude lol. I like the books it was just that one error that sent me up the wall. I backed up read it and went wait we don’t talk like that.
CK, But that’s what research is about; making it right so that the reader doesn’t get thrown out of the story. A lack of research tells me that the author either thought his/her audience was stupid or didn’t care.
Back many years ago when I was just a reader, I didn’t know if something was inaccurate – not really. As long as I felt like I was back in that era, that was good enough for me. When I started writing historicals and doing research, I realized the importance of it. Still…my stories might not be 100% accurate, but at least 90%. lol I definitely make sure all the big stuff is accurate. And I have a great friend who is a walking Encyclopedia (YOU!). And just like you, Marion, if I’m watching a movie and I notice something not right, that upsets me more than anything! My husband is getting tired of it, too. lol
Marie, Thank you. Though I feel sorry for your husband.
I’m willing to go along with small inaccuracies in books, but something big or totally impossible will make me stop reading.
I’m sorry to say you sound very similar to my husband. I carefully choose which TV shows and movies I’m willing to watch with him. He’s also a lawyer, so I never watch anything with courtroom scenes, and his father is an Annapolis grad who spent 20 years in submarines during the Cold War. Needless to say, I never watch movies with submarines (I nearly cancelled our engagement after we watched Hunt for Red October).
We generally stick to movies and shows we can watch with the kids.
LOL. That’s great. I totally understand your husband’s point of view.
Inaccuracies drive me crazy, too. It’s my daughter who warns me before a movie to not mention them to her. lol. For example, in The Bounty Hunter, Gerard Butler filled up his own car with gas while driving around Atlantic City, NJ. You can’t fill your own car in NJ. Little things like that bother me. If I find more than, say, three things in a book that is either an anachronism, inaccurate, or plain dumb, the book hits the wall.
Hi Callie,
Exactly.
I will say that inaccuracies do bother me. I try my best of course not to let them in my historicals, or even modern contemporary. I too have been upset with a writer who had the LAPD servicing an area where the Sheriffs hold sway, and then her further plot device was having her heroine arrested in the most bizarre circumstance with the use of undercover cops. The writer thought it looked good on paper I’m sure, but it made no sense for the Police (Which should have been Sheriffs) to spend all that money instead of two plainscloths and two uniforms knocking on the door and taking the girl into custody.
There have been other instances that make me crazy overtime as well. In my own writing, I sometimes may use a non-regency phrase that has slipped in and gotten past my writing (in tongues–Read my drawing room conversations) my editing, and my readers prepublication. Just saying (a term I hope I haven’t subjected any to in my regencies yet. Nor cool!) But there might be a few others and I hope should anyone ever find them they will send me a note.
Thanks so much for posting. None of us are perfect. It is the constant inaccuracies that get me going.
That’s a very good question, Ella. I think I can forgive a “little” inaccuracy in a book when the author enthralls me with his/her story. But if it’s an inaccuracy that’s flagrant and that could be easily researched, I get antsy and negative.
Hi Carole, Thanks for your comment. Mistakes I can tolorate. But when an author doesn’t care, well…
Inaccuracies will drive me nuts if I allow it. I agree with a few other ladies that I will make certain allowances in books versus movies. But, I don’t like reading blatant inaccuracies in books where they could have been avoided with a little bit of research. In my opinion, research goes a long way. Nice post, Ella.
Thanks Melissa. I have to admit, I am more tolorant of inaccuracies in movies than I am in books. Thanks for posting.
I can forgive inaccuracies in the minute details only an obsessed researcher (Guilty!) might know. However, there are so many resources available to a good writer that mistakes in the basic rules and mores of an era tend to irk me and smack of “lick and a promise” writing. Some romances touted as Regency romances are merely contemporary romantic comedies dressed up in Regency drag. For me to read those the writing has got to be beyond stellar to keep me reading.
I am quite certain my manuscripts are not 100% historically accurate, but it is not for want of trying. My personal library of Regency research books stands at 189 books. I have also created over twenty notebooks of printouts of material from classes and websites and blog postings on such subjects as Regency Weapons, Regency Clothing – Men’s, Regency Clothing – Women’s, Regency Culinary Arts, Regency London, Dog Breeds of the Regency, Regency Transportation, etc. I am constantly adding to these. (Can you tell I am just LITTLE bit OCD?)
I appreciate great story-telling, a great romance, great characterization and when it is coupled with great research you just know that book is going on my keeper shelf!
Louisa. Perfectly said. Thank you for commenting.
Ella–well said, as always. I’m a forest person–not as concerned with the trees. There are those who might call me a dilettante for that reason. But I absolutely go insane when modern sensibilities are imposed on the past. People in the past had the consequences of their actions imposed on them without a second thought, without any regard for fairness. Louisa has the right of it, I think, when she notes: “some romances touted as Regency romances are merely contemporary romantic comedies dressed up in Regency drag.”
Angelyn, Thanks for commenting. Needless to say, I agree.
i’m a big fan of researching my material also. fortunately, nothing i’ve written so far has required tomes of research. i find it fun, though, to learn new things.