Discuss a work of literary merit that you hated when you were made to read it in school or university. Why did you dislike it?
Easy. Jane Eyre.
I don't usually hate books. There are those I disliked but could see the literary merit in them. I could understand why others liked them and just figured they weren't my cup of tea. No one can like every book they read, right? So no big deal.
Jane Eyre, however, is so bad it fills me with rage. Rage that I had to read it. Rage that my brilliant university professor who was able to make any book seem wonderful, couldn't do that with Jane Eyre. Rage that I may have to teach this in the future. Rage that it is considered literary. Rage that it even exists.
Yep, I can be a person of great, irrational extremes sometimes. I have no idea what it is about this book that I disliked so much. I apologise to those of you who are sitting there is a rage directed towards me because you love this book. I just don't get why it is considered an important text. Sure it's old.. and there are gothic elements and feminist elements and Jane is supposed to be 'endearing' (gah!)... but I just don't get it.
There have been other books I read at school and did not like... The Hobbit (forgive me) being another... I also remember a book called Midnight, about a bushranger, that almost put me in a coma. But I doubt very much that was 'literary'.
The way I see it, literature is subjective and sure the critics and academics might tell us that such and such a book is a classic and is amazing and all that, but that doesn't mean it is. It just means from an academic point of view, it meets the standards of what is considered 'classic'. It doesn't make it a fun, entertaining or breathtaking read.
The Literary Blog Hop is hosted by The Blue Bookcase. This week's question is:
What is one of your literary pet peeves? Is there something that writers do that really sets your teeth on edge? Be specific, and give examples if you can.
Bad sex.
Yup, bad sex.
I don't consider myself a prude, I have nothing against sex in novels and if it adds to character and plot development then by all means, write away! But what I cannot stand are sex scenes that are stupidly long, tacky, gross, dumb or overly graphic.
So many authors seem to miss the mark when it comes to writing sex scenes.
Examples:
Australian author of The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas was recently nominated for the Bad Sex in Literature award. I can understand why. Using the "F" word or the "C" word in a sex scene is tacky, in my opinion. I guess if you are trying to show the sex is tasteless and senseless then it could work (and it this case it really was) but I just found it to be bad.
I recently read, The Atlantis Code by Charles Brokaw. The main character in this book was a university professor who seemed to be a cross between Robert Langdon, Indiana Jones and Fabio. In once scene, a much-younger-than-him-woman throws herself at him and they get all hot and heavy in the bathtub. He treats her like he is *ahem* stuffing a turkey.
Although I really love the Sookie Stackhouse series I did struggle with Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris. That is a whole book of bad sex! I guess when you bed a vampire it's bound to get rough. I only kept reading the series because I had bought a seven book boxed set, and I am glad I did because once you get past the bad sex, it's quite a fun series.
So there you have it...
I really think that it takes a certain talent to pull off a sex scene in a novel... books that allude to or describe briefly, tend to work better in my opinion.
Have you come across any really bad sex scenes in novels that make you want to gag/throw the book away/laugh out loud?
Another difficult question! I don't think it is possible to pick 'just one' poem. There have been so many poems and poets that have influenced me that I cannot possibly focus on one. So instead, I am going to talk about those poets that have influenced me the most.
The first poet I came to love (and still do) is none other than Dr. Suess! He taught me how to read, how to love books and fueled my desire to devour every book I could get my hands on. My mum used to get me to read a book to her every morning and Dr. Suess was one of my favourites. I still enjoy his rhymes.
I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind.
Some come from ahead and some come from behind.
But I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready you see.
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!
~Dr. Seuss
When I was a teenage I went through a Sylvia Plath stage. I was angsty and Plath was good company. I think she is probably the best friend of a lot of teenage girls. Although I still have a respect for Plath, I no longer hold her in the same regard I once did. Which is kind of sad but understandable. It's been years since I have read anything by her though.
I am terrified by this dark thing
That sleeps in me;
All day I feel its soft, feathery turnings, its malignity.
~ from Elm by Sylvia Plath
In my senior year of school I had the most fantastic English teacher. He is part of the reason why I decided to become a teacher myself. He was so passionate about literature and poetry. His favourite poet was Coleridge, so we studied him closely. This guy loved Coleridge so much, he named his first son Samuel (that is true love!). His enthusiasm was infectious and I grew to love Coleridge too.
And I had done a hellish thing, And it would work ém woe: For all averred, I had killed the bird That made the breeze to blow.
~ from Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge
Edgar Allen Poe has been a long time favourite of mine. I love horror stories and the macabre, so Poe is right up my alley. My mum has a big book of stories and poems by Poe and she used to read them to me when I was young. I especially remember her reading his most famous poem, The Raven. I have fond memories of Poe and he is a poet I will continue to read.
Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door- Only this, and nothing more."
~ from The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe
For the past few years I have been enthralled with the beat poets. Allen Ginsberg and Charles Bukowsi are amazing. I love my big book of collected poems by Ginsberg.. every now and again I will pick it up and read a few poems. They make me smile, frown, think and laugh.
I believe that all poetry is best read out aloud. So here is a video of Ginsberg reading the first part of Howl. I always felt Howl should be read a bit faster, more breathless.. almost manic.. he nearly gets there.
Bukowski... I have conflicting feelings about Bukowski. In one respect his poetry is just amazing. It is so raw and honest. I love the way he writes. On the other hand, I was watching an interview with him once, and his girlfriend said something he didn't like so he called her horrible names and started kicking her really hard. It was disgusting.. I DO NOT agree with, or condone physical violence against women (or anyone for that matter).. so for a while there, I could not bring myself to read anymore Bukowski.. but regardless of his obvious flaws as a human being, he is a genius.
I guess his flaws and the hard life he lived acted as a breeding ground for his creativity. I have come to the conclusion that I can love his poetry, but that has nothing to do with how I feel about him as a person. What he is like as a person is really irrelevant I guess.. although sometimes it's hard to differentiate because he more than likely wouldn't have written such brilliant poems if he was not that way he was. It certainly gives me something to ponder.
I think that about covers my favourite poets. There have been others I have studied, read, taught and enjoyed but these guys have influenced me the most. So I will leave you with one of my favourite poems by Bukowski. Enjoy.
Blasted apart with the first breath
running out of days
as the banister glints
in the early morning sun.
there will be no rest
even in our dreams.
now, all there is to do is
reset
broken moments.
when even to exist seems a
victory
then surely our luck has
run thin
thinner than a bloody stream
toward death.
life is a sad song:
we have heard too many
voices
seen too many
faces
too many
bodies
worst have been the faces:
a dirty joke that no one
can understand.
barbaric, senseless days total
in your skull;
reality is a juiceless
orange.
there is no plan
no out
no divinity
no sparrow of
joy.
we can’t compare life to
anything—-that’s
too dreary a
prospect.
relatively speaking,
we were never short on
courage
but, at best, the odds
remained long
and
at worst,
unchangeable.
and what was worst:
not that we wasted
it
but that it was
wasted
on us:
coming out of
the Womb
trapped
in light and
darkness
stricken and numbed
alone in the temperate zone of
dumb agony
now
running out of days
as the banister glints
in the early morning sun.
I just discovered the Literary Blog Hop over at The Blue Bookcase. I absolutely love this idea! In the past I have taken part in the Book Blogger Hop over at Crazy for Books. Although I have enjoyed the hop, I stopped taking part because it seems to be filled with only YA or paranormal romance blogs. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against those who read and blog these genres of books, but honestly, all these blogs are starting to look the same to me.
I prefer blogs that are eclectic as they tend to hold my interest longer, plus I just think that a healthy reader reads a variety of books,... I mean, you wouldn't eat ONLY cheeseburgers right? you have to throw some vegetables, fruit or chicken in there occasionally if you want a balanced diet! Ok, enough of my poor analogy, point is, variety is very important. Or maybe I just get bored too easily. Either way, the Literary Hop seems to provide access to blogs that have much variety.
This week, the question we all need to answer is:
What makes a contemporary novel a classic? Discuss a book which you think fits the category of ‘modern classics’ and explain why.
Oh wow, that is a hard one.. what makes a contemporary classic?
When I think of modern classics I think of novels like 1984 by George Orwell or The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Books that are well written, challenge a social ideology or make the reader think and question, and stand the test of time. These books are not always necessarily well received by all.
I guess books written pre-1970's can be considered modern classics.
As for contemporary novels, I don't think we can label a book a classic before it has proven that it can stand the test of time.
Sure there are some books I have read that I loved, and felt that they encompassed the points above, automatically pushing them into 'classic' territory, but really, I cannot be sure. As much as some books meet these points, I hesitate to label them such until they are still being read and celebrated in another 30 years.
This is why I have a problem with books like, The Road by Cormac McCarthy being labelled a modern classic. Sure it raised some good points and people seem to love it, but does that really give it the right take its place in the classics category already? I don't think so.
There are some books that I personally feel will end up being modern classics, such as Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro, Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides, We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, and Atonement by Ian McEwan but only time will tell.
What do you think? Are there any contemporary titles that you feel deserve the title of modern classic?
