A coworker and I were discussing the impact that language and writing style can have on your enjoyment of a book. I also find that language and writing style impact what I can tolerate reading.
I am a squeamish person with a healthy imagination, therefore I can't watch horror movies. However, because of the language and writing style, I had no problem reading the graphic details of the experiences of a burn victim in "The Gargoyle" by Andrew Davidson. And I mean graphic. The details of what happens to your skin when it burns, the medical process of trying to heal a burn victim. Yeah, so grateful that isn't me. But it's because of the writing style, the somewhat-detached tone of voice of the main character, that allows me to read it.
The same goes for "The Resurrectionist" by James McGee. The book is about the history of the study of anatomy. Therefore, there's dissection and the digging up of dead bodies. And I (the squeamish person) found it to be the most fascinating and enjoyable book of the whole Matthew Hawkwood series.
I don't like to read murder mysteries/police procedurals for this squeamish reason. The few that I have read have not had the language and writing style necessary for me to distance myself from the graphic content. I also intentionally avoid them to happily maintain my naiveté.
Read on,
Paula
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