Character-driven novels always beat plot-driven ones in my book club

We read 'The Goldfinch' and 'The Martian' back to back last quarter. Everyone in my group couldn't stop talking about Theo's messed up life for weeks after, but nobody cared about Mark Watney's potato farm after two days. Character depth makes people argue about what they would do in that situation, not just whether the science checks out. Has anyone else's club had a clear winner between these two styles that split the room?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_betty1mo ago

Gotta disagree with you here honestly. My book club read both of those too and it was the complete opposite reaction. We spent three meetings arguing about the plausibility of The Martian's orbital mechanics and whether Watney's oxygen generation math actually worked. The character stuff in The Goldfinch dragged for me, like I get it, his mom died and he has issues, but the plot just meandered. A tight, propulsive story like The Martian gets people talking because everyone wants to fact check it and figure out if the science is real. Your mileage may vary but for our group, plot wins every time when it keeps the conversation moving past the first ten pages.

cole_hall1mo ago

I mean, is arguing about orbital mechanics for three meetings really a win though? That sounds exhausting, not like a fun book club.