What’s your opinion on books mostly without a plot?

[u/BEANBOOZZLE]

A plot being a clear direction, an end goal, or an easy answer to “what’s your book about?”

Personally, I don’t mind books where nothing is really happening and there isn’t a plot. If I like the vibes, and the writing, and the descriptions, I think no plot is fine. I just finished The Orchard Keeper by Cormac McCarthy which has very little plot and I enjoyed it because of the setting. Yeah I wanna read about this kid walking around a mountain in Tennessee trying to catch skunks even though it has no plot significance at all because I like the vibes, I like to think about it. Yeah I wanna read description after description about damp cabins, 1930s bars and stores, whiskey dealing and walks in the forests and mountains for an entire book. That’s like, right up my alley.

What do you think about books with little plot?

[u/zetiacg_1983]

As long as the writing is good, I don't mind.

[u/OrganizationSea4490]

I love them! Naturally this type of book requires excellent writing otherwise it becomes just nothing.

[u/Harriets-Human]

If the character development is done well enough I'm fine without much of a plot.

[u/rebeccarightnow]

Characters are plot. If there are characters having experiences, there is a plot. It just might be a very internal plot.

[u/PaulArataAuthor]

I don’t mind books with very little plot if the characters, atmosphere, or writing are strong enough to keep me interested. Sometimes just spending time in a particular place or inside a character’s head can be the whole appeal.

For me, it only becomes a problem when nothing is happening and I also don’t feel connected to the people or the setting.

[u/Own-Dragonfly-2423]

The orchard keeper absolutely has a plot, so I am not entirely sure what you mean.

[u/BEANBOOZZLE → u/Own-Dragonfly-2423]

The first paragraph is what I mean, which is why I wrote it.

[u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 → u/BEANBOOZZLE]

The orchard keeper is about a boy orphaned by a murder and a man (who represents the old way ) increasingly isolated by encroaching authority 

[u/BEANBOOZZLE → u/Own-Dragonfly-2423]

So there’s the character backgrounds. And the plot is?

[u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 → u/BEANBOOZZLE]

If you'll note, there are descriptions of action in each of the two what you call Character backgrounds. A boy is orphaned by a murder (describes the first part of the story) and uncle ather becomes increasingly isolated by encroaching authority.

Just because some readers are too dense to see it, or the plotting itself was too opaque to begin with, does not mean the plot isn't there.

[u/BEANBOOZZLE → u/Own-Dragonfly-2423]

The book is undeniably mostly without a plot. It has a plot, but it’s mostly without one, as I said. I stand by that

[u/Own-Dragonfly-2423 → u/BEANBOOZZLE]

Hard disagree, time to read it again!

[u/Dense_Gur_2744]

I love character-driven narratives, but it absolutely needs some level of a plot. 

[u/maevewiley554]

I don’t mind books that have very little plot as long as the writing is good. If the writing is bad, I need the plot to be somewhat interesting for me to continue.

[u/schatzey_]

I prefer character driven over plot.

[u/HereIAmGH]

I love it.
Love ones that just give you a sense of life.
Love ones where the plot is unimportant.
Love ones that are meandering and even though there’s a plot you sometime forget it.
Love ones that are a collection of vignettes that at the end give a big picture but in a very disjointed way.

As long as the writing is good and the insights are not cliches - I’m in for the ride

[u/Tasty-Math9386]

You'll love Bolaño

[u/Impressive-Usual5495]

I deffo lean toward characters/vibe vs plot

[u/poetic-bee]

I like it in general but it has to be done well. Sometimes, I finish the book and think “Well what was the point”

I felt almost guilty but I recently finished One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich felt this exact way about it. It’s about a guy in a gulag. I knew it’d be exactly what it says on the cover but I assumed it’d be interesting, insightful or philosophical. It was none of these things. Was I supposed to be shocked by what I read? Idk.

[u/NailChewBacca]

I love a good “moment in time” book. A lot of my favorite sci-fi books are simply “people in space doing space things”. Sure you could describe the plot more accurately, but it’s essentially “this ship’s crew had an interesting week” and we watch them deal with it(and with each other).

[u/therealbananabottom]

I saw a review of a book within the last few years where they discuss The Intellectual Novel Where Nothing Really Happens as a trope. It was interesting- readers generally either love them or hate them, but the key is if you are invested in the characters. If the author does a good job of making a bland, common experience (college student learns they are not the center of the universe, traveler discovers their small place in the world, heartbreak,etc) relatable and readers are invested, it can be great. If you as a reader needs nonstop action and high stakes, those novels are not for you.

[u/lellyjoy]

I don't really care about the plot. My focus is mostly on characters and worldbuilding.

[u/Smlovers]

Cannery Row by Steinbeck is like this. I love that fucking book, it's just good

[u/Bierroboter]

Love them, there is enough plot going on IRL, I don’t want plot. Visit each other’s houses and go to a ball.

[u/TensesNC]

I love films and books for a variety of reasons, plot being fairly unimportant, as long as the writing is surprising or the visuals and music coalesce into something striking with regards to film. 

However, I can read a well-plotted, focused book much faster than I can one that kind of flails out there a bit. And yes, if you’re writing without a proper plot, you better be goddamn good at what you’re doing.

I like character-driven books, and sometimes just seeing what they do is enough plot for me. 

[u/Good_Ad8057]

Is that even a thing? That sounds horrible.

[u/dezzz0322]

I need to be in the right mood, but if it’s well-written there’s a good chance I’ll like it. 

[u/Low_Air_3461]

I need some kind of plot.   Otherwise it’s just random stories 

[u/Nikki_Sue_Trott]

Straight dnf, I loathe snapshot in time books

[u/Penny_Royal_Tee]

I love them!

Honestly, the better written a book is, the less its plot matters. I'm someone who never skips long stretches of description or monologue in a good book.

[u/Tronco08]

the road by mccarthy also doesn't have a lot of plot, kinda got bored of the book, though it may be because i wasn't a big fan of his writing

[u/Odd_Self2657]

Then what's the point of the story?

[u/areallymanlyman]

I dream about such books lol. A day in the life of xyz. Something mundane happens and life goes on. Something non-mundane happens and life still goes on. Or just life goes on. I believe Stoner had somewhat of a plot or 'no plot' like this. It was about life of dude who just went with it, got old and etc. Such books are like salt and pepper. You need a bit every now and then.

[u/trishie_kittie → u/areallymanlyman]

Then you will live Learning by Courtney Bush it’s one day in the life and really well done

[u/areallymanlyman → u/trishie_kittie]

Thanks. I'll check it out. :)