Most bad books get that way because their authors are engaged in trying to justify themselves. If a vain author is an alcoholic, then the most sympathetically portrayed character in his book will be an alcoholic. This sort of thing is very boring for outsiders.

Summary

This quote suggests that many bad books result from authors attempting to defend or rationalize their own actions or characteristics. When authors are self-centered and have flaws like alcoholism, their books tend to overly sympathize with characters who share these traits. However, this predictable pattern becomes uninteresting for readers who are not a part of the author's personal narrative. Essentially, the quote implies that when authors prioritize self-justification over engaging storytelling, it leads to uninteresting and lackluster books.

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