Can concept alone sell you a book? i.e. 1984

[waryan]

I'm curious because I'll check out what later seemed like the worst written book simply if the concept is something really different and interesting like (1984; orwell, THE ROAD' mccarthy, CRASH; ballard, FIGHT CLUB; pallahniuk, HEART OF DARKNESS; conrad, FEED; anderson)

In studying screenwriting I've heard it said that more likely than not if a screenplay is horrible but the concept/premise is original it could still be purchased.

Anyway I guess anything such as 1984, Left hand of Darkness would be "speculative fiction" but I suppose reading about that type is what brought this question on.

What gets you guys to pick up a book? Is it concept and if so what kind of concept- something more romantic or naturalistic ("In a dystopian universe the government enforces people to endlessly sing karaoke...") or ("During war torn Europe a disparaged family seeks to reunite with a son who ends up fighting on the enemy's side...) or perhaps ("The feministic analysis of a woman and her trials in everyday culture") etc. or is it something else?

I know if I read something ambiguous such as the latter example I usually won't end up with that book, but I'm curious to hear everyone's tendancies.

Personal examples are greatly welcome.

[JBI]

More people talk about 1984, and quote Animal Farm than have read the books. Most people pretend.

[aeroport]

If it's nonfiction, an interesting 'concept' is obviously appealing. However, conceptual fiction holds very little interest for me. If I am not reading because the characters are interesting, it's hard for me to justify.

[johann cruyff]

Hmm,I didn't think 1984 or Animal Farm were badly written at all.

As for the concept selling the book...yes,I guess it does.I,for instance,bought and read House of Leaves purely for its fresh(although I later learned that it's not as new and original as you might've first suspected) concept,even though I'd usually never even consider such a book in the first place.

[Shannanigan]

I read 1984 and Animal Farm before knowing anything about their concepts, a family friend bought them for me and no one ever told me about the "meaning" behind the stories...it wasn't until later that I started to think about it, and then I heard they were popular books, so I looked them up online and was "wowed" by what I found.

I enjoyed them even without the concepts.

Anyway, more to the topic...I don't know if it matters if we here would buy a book based on concept, the truth is, the masses will. Sad but true.

I bought "Blink" because it sounded like a cool book, then hated it. I can't get my money back...so yeah, I got suckered, like a lot of people, and bought a book on concept that (in my opinion) sucked.

[kelby_lake]

I think the majority of people would read a book with a strange concept and perhaps the content might overrule the poor writing

[sprinks]

Most often I read books based on concept, things that are unusual or interesting. Right now in Lit we're reading a book where the concept is quite intersting, but the beginning is so badly written that it took me 3 goes of reading it before I could go any further!

[kandaurov]

1984 is a masterful book, but you're very right when you say that concept sells. For example, if I were to 'sell' 1984 to someone, I'd mention not only the 'dystopia' premisse, but also the 'Newspeak' feature: that appendix on Newspeak is to me the definition of genius, and this concept of 'language/conscience narrowing' definitely sells among linguistic researchers. As a further example, I've recently been reading books recommended by fellow litnet members which deal with chess. You can say that, in my case, the 'chess' concept sells.

[kandaurov]

Oh, and of course the previous posters are also right when they say that a good concept alone doesn't make a good book. I'd just like to point out that a concept sells, yes, but in some cases it's all you've got when you're considering reading a book, so the decision can depend on whether the premisse is good or not, which is not too bad a criterion.

[waryan]

great comments everyone- I agree it's often hard to find a book that holds both a gripping premise and the insightful writing often found in great literature. No doubt 1984 is so popular because on top of the concept Orwell could write a good book.

I'm always taken in by concepts such as that of M.T.Anderson's feed which was referenced in an amazon review for a book I was reading. Feed is essentially a young adult fiction novel that is set in the future where School is privatized and there is no limit to corporate sponsorship- i.e. the "Feed" is a chip implanted in the teen protagonists' heads which scroll "pop-ups" and advertisements endlessly in their minds. Anyway, point in case, great concept- poorly executed book IMO, but I bought the book based soley upon this reference and learned of these concepts, only then to learn that perhaps sometimes I should simply admire the ideas and then go back to something more worthwhile.

On the other hand I enjoyed THE ROAD by Cormac M. for both its concept and its execution. I hate to sound so superficial though, yet I am a real speculative fiction junkie I guess and it spills into whatever I choose to read.

Though I think as far as concept-oriented stories go, I guess dystopian novels are more highly respected in literature as Orwell, Burgess and others have set standards with it but that is certainly up for debate!

[Joreads]

Unless a book is recommended to you the only thing you have to go on is the concept. I loved Animal Farm and 1984 but I read them long before I was mature enough to understand them. I have since gone back and re read them. The Road was IMO one of the best books that I have read in a long time. It actually kept me up at night for a whole week thinking about it.

Concepts sell at least they do to me.

[kelby_lake]

concepts sell if the concept works. if you had an idea about a dog that can turn into different road signs and kill people whilst emitting yellow fog, the concept is a bit bizarre and may not work.