Recently, due to the fact that I could not find anything overwhelmingly compelling to read on my nook, I began re-reading some of my favorite classic novels. Now, I don't expect everyone on earth to enjoy 19th century novels the way I do....with their anachronistic looks at society and their (to others) dreary depictions of daily life, but I think that in reading books like Agnes Grey and Howard's End, I am beginning to notice a loss of true fiction in modern literature.
To make it today, it seems your novel has to have some genre or kooky twist.... just to get noticed. Amongst the most famous of today's authors.... James Patterson, John Grisham, Nora Roberts.... even these guys have to sometimes go out there to get some readership (and I think they suck)...hell Patterson is writing teen novels and supernatural novels (I say writing, most of his books are written by someone else). What happened to fiction without a twist?
Agnes Grey which was written in 1847 by Anne Bronte, is about the life of a young girl who is trying to help her financially struggling family. There are no grizzly murders, there are no vampires, werewolves, or even overly strange occurrenAces, the story is about a person's life and how a struggling family makes it in 19th century England. It is a well written and compelling novel and to me, well....since I do have a history degree.... its an interesting glimpse as to how people in the 19th century saw their own world.
I miss that type of fiction. There are writers to boast that they write real life fiction, like Jodi Picout, but even her novels are contrived....there is always a twist or a shocking ending to make you... think. It reminds me of watching the film A.I. and realizing that Speilburg just wanted to make me cry at some point, because if you make someone cry in a movie...it has to be good, no matter how contrived the scene is that gets you there.
There needs to more more Agnes Grey and less Duh duh DUHHHHHHH in fiction.
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I like to think there's room for both in the literary market, though that's probably a bit idealistic. I do feel the despair of selling Picoults, Pattersons, and Sparks to people, day after day, as the kind of fiction I like (experimental, small press work) also lacks a presence in chain bookstores. But I guess the current notion is that you can't tell the same story over and over without putting some kind of spin on it, and unfortunately, said spin is too often done for the sake of it and contributes little relevance to the idea of a cohesive story.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I think we're in an age where people need a "catchy hook" to keep them interested in anything, whether that means choosing Palahniuk over any Bronte or reality TV over a well-crafted script. Personally, I gravitate towards literature that makes me think, but that thought can cover many subject areas. I can appreciate realism in straight-up storytelling just as much as I can appreciate something with no plot but a great rhythm of language. So yeah, there should be more equal space for everything, ideally, instead of the same "easy" stuff crowding bookstores.
Are you saying that people are lazy and having short attention spans? That they need to be pulled in from the very beginning and don't invest time into a book like they should? Nooo. I find that hard to believe. :)
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more Sam.
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