Didactylos reviewed Watching the Dark by Robinson, Peter
Review of 'Watching the Dark' on 'Goodreads'
2 stars
I am quite upset really. It has taken a while for the penny to drop, but it did while reading this. I had noticed for a while a level of intrusive and pointless detail in fiction set in the modern era, and could not understand why an accomplished writer did not realise there was no need to describe the specific wine, the track of an album being listened to or the details of the brewing of a pint of bitter. Finally a bit of googling came to my aid and I discovered that nowadays, just like films, product placement is a new way for publishers to earn a little extra. Suddenly the book is actually an advertisement feature and I feel significantly used.
I abhor this manipulation and it coloured my enjoyment of the narrative - I kept spotting the placements and ignoring the storyline. Having said that the narrative …
I am quite upset really. It has taken a while for the penny to drop, but it did while reading this. I had noticed for a while a level of intrusive and pointless detail in fiction set in the modern era, and could not understand why an accomplished writer did not realise there was no need to describe the specific wine, the track of an album being listened to or the details of the brewing of a pint of bitter. Finally a bit of googling came to my aid and I discovered that nowadays, just like films, product placement is a new way for publishers to earn a little extra. Suddenly the book is actually an advertisement feature and I feel significantly used.
I abhor this manipulation and it coloured my enjoyment of the narrative - I kept spotting the placements and ignoring the storyline. Having said that the narrative was pretty pedestrian and the outcomes clearly obvious from half way through.
Goodbye Peter Robinson - I had been a fan of your writing when it was written for the right reasons.
