I Suppose The Moral Is 'Read Jane Austen'

[redbrunja]

beforetv had a great round up of links regarding e-book sales, reader shaming, the classics, + rebuttals. It's well worth giving a read. My two cents? These elitist ideas about what is worth reading and why it's worth reading are really damaging to the general reading population.

Speaking personally, I feel that it's important to add in a sprinkle of the classics and current lit fic to my selection of genre reading (which I was actually better about doing in my childhood - I randomly picked up Jane Eyre at a super-young age) because a.) I find it intellectually satisfying (i.e. I enjoy doing so) and b.) I really, really love participating in the extended cultural conversation that is only possible when you can recognize the references. To use an example that would make elitist snobs scream, do you know how much more enjoyable reading Bridget Jones' Diary is when you know the author is referencing/riffing on Pride and Prejudice? Or when you have read Sense and Sensibility and thus, when Suzanne Brockmann says that Sophia's favorite book is S&S and her favorite character is Marianne, you are aquiver with squee because oh my god narrative parallels! Romantic relationship parallels! So much insight!

But it is important to note, I am an English major. If someone wants to read romance novels about pirates and only wants to read romance novels about pirates, that is totally fucking okay. And is not somehow inherently inferior (in a way that no one can articulate - or at least articulate without sounding like a total elitist douchebag) from only and exclusively reading authors whose works can be found in the pages of the New Yorker.

Also, because it seems relevant and I love love love this article: Why The Best Kid's Books Are Written In Blood.

Comments

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I do not GET the people who try to shame those who like a genre. I don't even view the Twilight fangirls poorly, because I realize that yeah, I read some less-than-stellar books at that age. Sure, it'd be nice if they read about positive romances, but the bottom line is they are READING. Some blame the modern era, but I remember even back in the day being baffled when I encountered people who simply didn't like to read. Let 'em absorb the vampire smut now, it lets them accept books as a whole, and they can check out the classics when they're ready.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

I do not GET the people who try to shame those who like a genre.

It's just so short-sighted and irrational. Do people really believe that EVERY book of a particular type is bad? Just the sheer numbers of most genres ensure that there is going to be a certain amount of great books in each.

And frankly, I have read my share of terribly-written 'lit' books.

[fairest1.livejournal.com]

I can kinda get the 'WTF' reactions to TwiMoms, because . . . well, it reaches a point where they should be old enough to know better, and there's far better vampire and/or werewolf erotica if you're old enough to appreciate it, but the tweens and teens? *holds up copy of My Babysitter is a Vampire from own tween years* They have every excuse.

[whisperingwasp.livejournal.com]

I think I read the last article before. I never get tired of reading it. :) I just love the way the author debunks all the criticism he got from his more conservative readers.

But it is important to note, I am an English major. If someone wants to read romance novels about pirates and only wants to read romance novels about pirates, that is totally fucking okay. And is not somehow inherently inferior (in a way that no one can articulate - or at least articulate without sounding like a total elitist douchebag) from only and exclusively reading authors whose works can be found in the pages of the New Yorker.

Some of the best book I've read are not on the best seller lists and I regret nothing. One of my favourites, 'Samurai Girl', is a bit cheesy but I love it because I just can't stop reading it and I can't wait to get the fifth book. I say that if someone can find a book series that gets them reading, they should ignore the haters and stick with it because I feel they would miss out on a lot if they didn't.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Some of the best book I've read are not on the best seller lists and I regret nothing.

As a general rule, most of the books on the best-seller list are NOT good, regardless of the measuring stick. Best-selling books are what appeals to the broadest number of readers. Which means they are sometimes good and interesting and sometimes just inoffensive.

[whisperingwasp.livejournal.com]

I see what you mean, sometimes a most read book isn't necessarily a well written book or a book that everyone is going to love. I think Twilight is a key example of that, although it's nice that it's gotten teenage girls to read more.

Which means they are sometimes good and interesting and sometimes just inoffensive.

*nods* I see a lot of fluffy pieces on the shelves which I tend to ignore unless they've been highly recommended.

[qualapec.livejournal.com]

It is a topic that never ceases to feel like sandpaper on my face.

This is the bane of my English class existence. My 9th grade English teacher said sci-fi wasn't literary, for example. Last year, my creative writing prof and I got into a handful of arguments about what constituted "art", namely when I was defending a classmate that wanted to write books for children about a race of lizard people...who he was frankly a little disrespectful to. His critique was pretty much, "Okay, you can write that, but you have to change everything about it" which isn't constructive imo.

He was a cool guy normally, but all of the things we read or watched in that class had this ridiculous emphasis on shallow sex, violence, and a disconnected, incoherent narrative (mostly the result of drug use on part of the narrator). One that I remember in particular was this one about a beautiful, middle aged woman trying to get over her drug problem by fucking a fat, homeless, greasy, possibly crazy guy who was always threatening to kill her. That is NOT art. That's wishful thinking, and it seriously grated against me that that bullshit would always get more respect than romance, YA, or children's lit.

I think it's amazing that the most open minded view I've gotten about imagination and creativity is in the video game design class I'm taking now. Granted, games haven't had the chance to be elitist yet, and they've been constantly laughed off from an academic standpoint, so it makes sense that the emphasis there is on the Everything is Okay end of things, but it's given me a whole new perspective on what 'imagination' means to people, and how theater of the mind relates to creative writing. It helps articulate a lot of the things I've always felt about people being all snooty about one genre over another and solidify why that's pointless/not okay.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that kind of attitude used to really bug me as well. Luckily, once I hit a point in higher education, most of my teachers didn't have that bias.

when I was defending a classmate that wanted to write books for children about a race of lizard people...who he was frankly a little disrespectful to. His critique was pretty much, "Okay, you can write that, but you have to change everything about it" which isn't constructive imo.

That's totally unconstructive! All that says is that there is only one way to write a good story or one type of story that's worthwhile, which is total bullshit.

this ridiculous emphasis on shallow sex, violence, and a disconnected, incoherent narrative (mostly the result of drug use on part of the narrator). One that I remember in particular was this one about a beautiful, middle aged woman trying to get over her drug problem by fucking a fat, homeless, greasy, possibly crazy guy who was always threatening to kill her. That is NOT art. That's wishful thinking,

Oh, that is BLATANT wish-fulfilment. I kind of have the feeling this teacher was writing to his kinks, and that was it. Bastard.

[zombie_boogie.livejournal.com]

This is a good post. I agree that I think it's valuable to have some knowledge of the literary canon if only to enrich the rest of your pop culture experience. As another example, I am not religious but I've found it useful to have a knowledge of the Bible and other religious texts, as well as mythology, as the references are everywhere in literature, film, etc. You can watch and read something like Game of Thrones and have a greater appreciate for what GRRM is doing with the narrative if you get that he is playing with Classical tragedy, as well as traditional fantasy. That said, I love to read things that would probably be considered "low" art. It sucks that genre fiction gets such a bad rap.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

As another example, I am not religious but I've found it useful to have a knowledge of the Bible and other religious texts, as well as mythology, as the references are everywhere in literature, film, etc.

Exactly. Sometimes there is an advantage to understanding what the allusions are being made too, even if you don't proscribe to the source.

That said, I love to read things that would probably be considered "low" art. It sucks that genre fiction gets such a bad rap.

It really does. Especially because it hamstrings debate both about the classics and about genre in general. Like, Nathanial Hawthowrne? Is a terrible writer. But NO ONE ever talks about that. It's all, 'wah, wah, he felt guilty that he was related to a judge who condemned people during the Salem witch trails, boo!'

[mollivanders.livejournal.com]

First of all, thanks for the community rec! There's another good book comm called bethdies that I wasn't able to keep up with but it's an online reading club you might enjoy.

And just a resounding yes to the idea that while classics are good, they are not the only thing you should read. Wuthering Heights itself was so shocking and lurid that there was a backlash against its publication and - gasp - written by a woman no less! Harry Potter is forever one of the best stories I have ever read or will ever read. I read all the Star Wars books as a kid to the point where my parents who encouraged my reading at every turn were telling me I wasn't allowed to read them for a fixed amount of time. So I covered them up (like porn!). Do you remember those cloth book covers? I remember reading one of the books (possibly rereading) and laughing and clearly enjoying the (fairly advanced material) and when my mum asked what I was reading, I faked being sick and ran to my room and hid the book. That should never happen. All reading is fair game. People can rant about how kids play too many video games or they have bad after school activities but when kids want to read more than anything, that's labeled as a problem too. Read the classics. Read the Star Wars.

tl;dr irony of ironies.

[redbrunja.livejournal.com]

. So I covered them up (like porn!). Do you remember those cloth book covers? I remember reading one of the books (possibly rereading) and laughing and clearly enjoying the (fairly advanced material) and when my mum asked what I was reading, I faked being sick and ran to my room and hid the book. That should never happen. All reading is fair game

Oh, that is a funny, tragic story. But yes; all reading is fair game, and I really think people have some very arbitrary judgments about what people should be reading and how much, yadda, yadda.