Which is worse?
Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or
Reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?
I must say I’m truly stumped on this one. It’s probably because I’m way to judgmental when it comes to reading. So, if I love a book a lot I tend not to read anything else by the author for fear that it will be terrible and thereby taint the book I love. And if I don’t like a book by an author it’ll take a lot of convincing to read something else by them. I guess I just don’t know why I would want to put a book I love into jeopardy by reading something else and maybe not liking it or disliking something else and torturing myself because if one was buy what are the chances I’ll like something else by them?
But then you get favourite authors who write with varying degrees of greatness. Take Douglas Coupland for example. I love Douglas Coupland and enjoy his writing. Some of his novels I enjoy more than others – jPod (loved) Miss Wyoming (not so much) – but that doesn’t mean totally disliked the novel. And there are other examples of this I could talk about but I’m sure you get my point. I didn’t enjoy the book as much as ones I’ve loved but I also wouldn’t say it was terrible.
I guess this is another answer I’ll have to chalk up as one I just don’t know the answer to.
Now that I’ve gone back and read the question after that very long rant I guess I’ll really answer the question (oops). I would have to say it would worse to find a book I love then hating everything else they read. That’s why if I love a book I generally don’t read anything else by that author.
That's the Book! 
I guess there is always that book that will be your favorite no matter what the author writes.
That’s true, it’s just difficult to risk loving the book because of something else they wrote.
What matters to me is whether I’ll venture into another book of a new author (or new “old” author) if I didn’t enjoy the first. It’s about building the credit. I do believe in second chances. 🙂
I’m extra cautious about reading another if the author is not good in my book. At least I wouldn’t buy it but borrow it.
Expectation is a huge factor. Once I have liked a book, my expectation mounts. Whether the author is my favorite or not, I’ll be bummed out if the book doesn’t hit the mark.
Expectation does play a big part. If I’m really interested in the story I guess it wouldn’t matter if I liked the previous book or not.
The finding and loving then hating is worse.
Yeah, I think that would be the worse of the two.
I agree with Matthew: expectations color my reading a lot. With a new author I don’t really know what I’m going to get, when I start the book. With an author I already like, s/he’ll have to live up to my expectations.
Agreed, I find that if I really love a book the author has to work harder on the next one.