Why is popular fiction crap?
I just finished reading Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha. It was recommended to me ages ago, but I never thought of reading it until the movie came out. I always like to read the book before I see the movie, mostly because I feel most movies suck the life out of books simply for commercial profit. But that's an argument for another day.
Memoirs is a nice little book for reading on a bus or a train. There's nothing too complex about it, and every nuance is explained for the reader, just in case they are too dumb to get it on their own. I'm not saying it's a bad read. It's even a charming story and worth reading if you are interested in Japanese culture or the role of a geisha in society. While I am not the one to critique the research, there are glowing reviews of its accuracy and insight. Regardless, it's no intellectual giant. The writing is almost completely without proper metaphor. If there is one, it is shortly followed by a lengthy explanation, detailing everything the author wants me to think of when he gives me the image.
This is not new. Popular fiction has been overexplaining things for ages, it seems. Whereas the author used to be the one who was intelligent, now the power is in the hands of the readers. In earlier years, if you didn't 'get' what you were reading, you assumed it was your own fault and tried to elucidate matters on your own time. Now readers simply dump books that require any kind of a mental workout. So authors spend too much time explaining everything to the reader to avoid the possibility their book will be sidelined for being too intelligent.
What is it with the dumbing down of society?
I realize that complaining about Memoirs being too simple right after I complained that Everything is Illuminated is too vague is a complete cause for my dismissal as any kind of semi-legitimate critic, but I never pretended to make sense.
Read Memoirs. Better yet, see the movie. You aren't missing anything epic, but it sure is a sweet little book.
Memoirs is a nice little book for reading on a bus or a train. There's nothing too complex about it, and every nuance is explained for the reader, just in case they are too dumb to get it on their own. I'm not saying it's a bad read. It's even a charming story and worth reading if you are interested in Japanese culture or the role of a geisha in society. While I am not the one to critique the research, there are glowing reviews of its accuracy and insight. Regardless, it's no intellectual giant. The writing is almost completely without proper metaphor. If there is one, it is shortly followed by a lengthy explanation, detailing everything the author wants me to think of when he gives me the image.
This is not new. Popular fiction has been overexplaining things for ages, it seems. Whereas the author used to be the one who was intelligent, now the power is in the hands of the readers. In earlier years, if you didn't 'get' what you were reading, you assumed it was your own fault and tried to elucidate matters on your own time. Now readers simply dump books that require any kind of a mental workout. So authors spend too much time explaining everything to the reader to avoid the possibility their book will be sidelined for being too intelligent.
What is it with the dumbing down of society?
I realize that complaining about Memoirs being too simple right after I complained that Everything is Illuminated is too vague is a complete cause for my dismissal as any kind of semi-legitimate critic, but I never pretended to make sense.
Read Memoirs. Better yet, see the movie. You aren't missing anything epic, but it sure is a sweet little book.
posted by Linz at 11:18 PM
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