Why does amazing writing sometimes overshadow a weak plot in a novel?

[Robert_T]

I just finished a novel with a truly stunning prose style, but I found the actual plot and characters to be almost nonexistent. I’m left feeling conflicted because the writing itself was so beautiful it kept me turning pages, yet the story felt hollow. Has anyone else had this experience, where the author's way with words completely overshadows everything else?

[IsabellaEB]

Yep, I’ve had that. The language could glow for pages, and the plot still felt thin.

[Scarlett_R]

I stuck with it to the end hoping something would click, but I mostly remembered the sentence music and forgot the arc.

[Sofia.L]

Do you think the problem is the book or the reader's expectations?

[Grace.W]

I tried slow reading, underlining a few lines, and it almost worked as a lullaby, but the next chapter pulled me right out again.