Book blogs are harming literature! or, Here we go again...

 

Have you heard? Apparently the head judge person, a/k/a God of All Things Literary, for the Man Booker Prize feels bloggers aren't equipped to discuss literature, that we're actually harming it by expressing our opinions. Woe is me! I have so much power and I'm wielding it for evil!

Who knew? I did, that's who, and now you've gone and spoiled my dastardly plan, you rotten bastard, by telling the world.

In reality, this is round 100 in a rather dreary, tired and overwrought attempt by professional book critics to squash "amateurs" who write about books, share what we like and don't and what we feel the author does well or badly. Meanwhile, these same poor critics are apparently left twiddling their thumbs, nothing to do, upset the average reader's attention is split between high-brow publications like The New York Review of Books - which should rightly be called The New York Political Diatribe - The Times Literary Supplement, etc., and lowly book blogs. Because you can't read books and have an opinion without a byline, silly stupid people! And, should you dare read, you must never tell a soul what you think. Clearly this is so, because what serious writer doesn't base  his or her entire career on our opinions?

Again, amazing the power we hold for such an ignorant bunch of mouth-breathing idiots.

Fun as it is to rip into these stick up their arse types - who, unwittingly, make such easy targets -  it's time to put credit where it's due. It's people like Peter Stothard who ruin literature, imposing their own arbitrary and subjective opinions deciding what's good writing and what isn't on the basis of what's understood a bit too easily - that which tells a gripping and linear story - and what's so obscure only a critic can differentiate how great a piece of writing it is. What we uneducated bloggers can't seem to get through our thick skulls is the fact the more obscure a book the better, never mind how affected the style, how ridiculously overloaded the metaphors and "poetic" language that, when examined, makes absolutely no sense at all, held up to the light of day. Heresy, isn't it.

Ah, but here's the rub. Who, exactly, is to blame if readers find what we have to say worth their time? Could it be the same audience who would be reading your high-brow opinions, otherwise? Oh, dear... We'd best stop forcing them to read our blogs and lead them back into the fold. Because surely no one reads both articles written by professional critics and the offal we book bloggers churn out. Who could be interested in more than one opinion?

Clearly, we bloggers had best pull up stakes and let the professionals do their jobs. Dry your tears, Mr. Stothard! It will all be fine once we bloggers stop taking attention away from the people whose opinions count. Then we'll see what a resurgence there will be in literature, how much it will improve once we've been silenced! Perhaps we should even stop reading, stop buying books. Surely even that taints Literature with a capital "L"? Or are you okay with allowing us access to books?

But you tell me, while I wipe the drool off my chin. I'm far too ignorant to make suppositions.

Awaiting your reply.

 

 

Comments

[Bluestalking]

The Rushdie thing's a joke, by the way...

[Salman Rushdie]

Keep doing what you do.

S.

[EM Hum]

Yes, because nothing will help literature more than keeping it an elite secret so the general public cannot get a hold of it or speak of it. Then they will cry that no one is interested in books anymore.

There are people like that in every field. Some people need so desperately to feel special. I bet he's a pain in the ass to the people who know him personally (not that they'd say it to his face.)

Keep on keepin' on, Lisa. He can kiss your keystrokes.

[Lisa]

Danielle, exactly. I read the BIG CRITICS when I'm so inclined and I read the blogs. It's fun mixing them up to see if there's a consensus. But lots of critics are blowhards trying to sound erudite and much of it's an old boys' club. I'm still amused he's so threatened by bloggers. Poor dear!

[Lisa]

George, thanks so much! And isn't she brilliant? Waiting impatiently for her next book.

[George Fitzgerald]

To hell with Stothard! What an asshole thing for him to say. You introduced me to Jesmyn Ward's writing .. I owe Stothard nothing; I owe you many many thanks!

[Danielle]

I think the year wouldn't be complete without a little Booker controversy. It is irritating to think that some people believe only a few select people can talk about books--who does he think buys them anyway? It seems to me it's all apples and oranges--different people writing about different books (and sometimes the same books) in different ways and I think the world is large enough for both types to get along just fine.

[Lisa]

Mona - you lovely thing! Thank you. I expect karma will balance things out with Mr. S. who also has a blog, by the way. Irony!

[Mona]

At the risk of Stothard thinking I am stupid, I stalk Bookstalking to help me choose books I want to read. Of course, I also enjoy knowing that you have a life!