In the mind of the characters

I recently read a few articles that bashed some new books. The main criticism I encountered was aimed at the mind of the characters. I tend to read to connect on a deeper level with characters--a level that goes beyond the mere physical. Therefore, the attack--"The character is too meditative"--shocked me. Books are of the mind--are they not? However, the modern critics seem to expect a novel to read like a screenplay. What are they thinking? I am certainly confused.

Cheers!
Allan
www.aazarbock.com