You say, "light" like it's a bad thing...
In the world of fiction reviews, there is deep, raw and there is light and unworthy of note. Deep and raw are Oprah picks. "Light" is what you buy at the grocery store, and viewed with a note of disdain. Fiction reviewers often speak with an air of your mother, "Read this, it's good for you." When you can't understand 60% of the verbiage in the review, I know the book is the literary equivalent to brussel sprouts and life is short!
Let me say I am a big lover of great fiction. I just don't like to be told what it is, when it isn't. My very favorite review term is that it's an "important" book. You know what? "Anna Karenina" is an important book. This one, not so much. Here's just a few words from some literary reviews:
peripatetic
despairing and resilient (what the heck?)
libidinous
brief, tragic encounter (a favorite!)
vernacular dialogue
obliquely revealed
plumbs the existentialist questions
And I want to read any of this, why?
Here's the thing. I'm a smart girl. I went to college. I graduated. I worked in the Silicon Valley, and I know what a Hybrid IC is (it's not a car), but I'm comfortable with myself. I don't have to prove to myself that I'm intelligent by reading a book where I want to shoot myself at the end. (Unless, it's Thomas Hardy, he's worth it!)
Life is filled with pain and raw emotions, yes, we all seek to better ourselves, but if on occasion, you want to read light, nix the guilt and enjoy!
7 Comments:
If I need a dictionary to read the reviews, I should probably pass. I've read literary fiction. It's wonderful writing...and depressing. I need to read some "terrible" writing by Stephen King or Tom Clancy to get out of my funk.
Amen, Kris! Right now, I'm reading Diann's HOT FLASHES AND COLD CREAM and let me tell you, it's JUST what I need right now. I'm laughing out loud--even reading parts of it to my hubby, bless his heart, and enjoying getting lost in the humorous and realistic world Diann created for my enjoyment! Bring on the light reading...it sure serves an important purpose! :)
I love the pic. Yes, nix the guilt and enjoy. :)
Rachel
YEAH!!! I have a difficult relationship with the literary fiction gathering dust on my bookshelf. I think I'll go give them away tomorrow.
I love light! I love fluff! I write what I read! I confess to a secret fondness for Harlequin Presents romances!!!
Camy
Hummmm, I never feel guilt about reading what I read. Of course, I also don't read literary reviews. Ignorance "is" bliss I guess in this case. I read fiction for enjoyment and non-fiction to learn. No guilt here...
Very nice picture!
I cant seem to read books that are grammically incorrect or something. I guess I've read to much
I read the Bible and the news for deep. That's enough.
For fiction, I'll take a Stockingdale over a Mulvaney any day.
I'm also reading _Read for your Life--Literature as a Source of (I forget)_ recommended by my instructor in a Christian counseling course, for the healing therapeutic universal feelings brought out by literature.
I can believe it, but the teariest I want to get is with lines like at the end of _To Kill a Mockingbird_: "And he would be there when Jem woke up in the morning." *sigh*
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