On Thu, 20 Nov 2003, Miller, Jeffrey wrote:
> > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Julia Thompson > > Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 11:39 AM > > To: Killer Bs Discussion > > Subject: Re: author review > > > > > > > > > > On Wed, 19 Nov 2003, Kevin Tarr wrote: > > > > > The op-ed writer takes the literary world to task for > > awarding bad but > > > popular authors like Stephen King. While I can understand > > his point, > > > what is the list opinion: is it better that more people > > read even if > > > it's not highbrow works? Isn't this the same argument used against > > > comic books or rock n roll? > > > > I haven't read the article, may get to it at a later time, though. > > > > My opinion is that whatever works to hook someone on reading > > is a Good > > Thing. The trick is to persuade them to go on to "better" stuff. > > ..without telling them to do so. :) Yeah. My father knew what I was reading and enjoying, because I *talked* to him about what I was reading and recommended that *he* read a few certain books, mostly because those were the ones I liked best at that time, and he didn't recommend a book and put it in my hands very often, but when he did, the way he did it was like he was giving me a gift, and I'd be very eager reading those books, at least initially. (The Vernor Vinge book he put in my hands did not disappoint!) My mother's way of recommending books made me a little less inclined to dive into them immediately. Then again, she recommended a lot of them to me, and there was only so much reading time available. Also, her taste is different from mine in more ways that my father's was. > > Here's a question that just occurred to me: why will I > > happily put up with crappier writing from a mystery writer > > than from a science fiction > > writer? Maybe I'm taking the science fiction more seriously > > and want the writers of same to do so as well? > > Maybe your expectation of the level of quality is in play? I know that > I personally don't like reading mysteries - I find them to be either > "contrived" or forced into a set narrative structure, where all that > differs are the details of the twist at the end ;) I don't read mysteries for the mystery so much as the characters, and in some cases, the setting. I don't *care* so much who did it as how the heroine is going to extract herself from the dangerous situation she's just put herself in in trying to find out who did it. :) Julia _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
