For me, a book's prose is like a movie's music. When it's good, I don't even notice it. When it's bad, I can't pay attention to anything else.
Ask me about the quality of prose in my favorite books? "uh, pretty good, I guess? Easy to visualize what the author was describing?"
Ask me about the quality of prose in books I dislike? "HERE'S MY 50 PAGE ESSAY ON EVERY POOR CHOICE OF WORD, PHRASE, CLICHÉ, IDIOM THE AUTHOR MADE AND WHY HE'S A FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED BEING ANd I'm only on page 15"
(I say "he" because I'm thinking of a particularly terrible (well-selling? somehow??) author who should have his writing license revoked.)
@emdeesee oh no, it's not someone everyone knows is bad. This person's books seem to get a moderate amount of praise.
His writing style is just the exact opposite of my reading taste, I think.
@Ashdroid Does his name rhyme with Bran Down?