Tagged: discussion
Discussion: Violence in Literature
Yes, today I want to talk about violence in literature. More specifically, my thoughts on it in YA literature.
I personally think teens are capable of handling much more than most people give them credit for. Yes, violence in a story can be awful but as long as there’s justification for it in the narrative I don’t see what’s wrong with including it. If it becomes gratuitous (i.e. there’s no real reason for it other than to gross the reader out) I think that’s a little too much for Young Adult literature. It’s too much even for adult literature when it becomes gratuitous.
Basically, as long as the violence is ‘justified’ (makes sense in the context of the story and either conveys character or plot elements) I’m generally okay with it. Sometimes I have to put a book down because it’s so disgusting, but in general I don’t think I’ve ever come across that in YA.
So what do you think of violence in literature? Do you think the amount of violence in YA should have limits simply because of the target age group? Or do you think it’s the parent’s job to monitor what their kids are reading?
Discussion: Separating the Creator From Their Work
This is definitely one of the more controversial topics I’ve discussed here on The Mad Reviewer but it’s also one that I don’t quite have a concrete stance on.
Basically, what happens if the creator of some of your favourite works (be they books, movies, comics, whatever) has opinions you disagree with strongly? Personally I couldn’t care less about the political and/or religious views of most authors as long as their books don’t preach at me constantly. As for authors in the past that have let sexist, racist and homophobic views seep into their work I always take it with a grain of salt because their views were generally consistent with the times.
At the same time, because of his vocal and financial support of anti gay groups I have hesitated in picking up any novels by Orson Scott Card. I know he’s a giant in the science fiction genre and is by all reports an excellent writer but it feels wrong to me to support someone who is so hateful. In my reviews I never let an author’s personal life colour my opinion of the book, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t pick up a book because I vehemently disagree with an author’s very public stance on an issue.
In general I’d have to say I don’t care about what stances an author takes in public or private. That’s their business. Yet sometimes when people espouse such hatred I don’t feel right lending support to an author by giving them a review and therefore publicity on my blog. It’s a complicated subject to be sure.
What do you think of this topic? Do you choose not to support creators whose views you disagree with? Why or why not? And if so, is it only in certain circumstances like when they actually financially support groups you disagree with? Or do you not care about the views of your favourite artist/author/director because you separate them from their work?
Discussion: Beta Reading
Beta reading is when an author gives someone their manuscript to look over. Most beta readers don’t get paid and they only critique things like characters, pacing, plot holes, etc. Some beta readers are authors doing it for other authors so they can return the favour. Sometimes fans of authors volunteer to be beta readers so they get a first-hand look at the story before everyone else and have a say in helping it along.
Personally, beta reading for free has never really appealed to me. I’m not so interested in any author that I would volunteer to read their rough manuscript for free. I certainly do read ARCs but those are at least somewhat polished before they get into my hands and I can actually do a review for them so my time is worthwhile. Unless JK Rowling herself asked me to beta read, I don’t see myself doing it for free in the future. If I were paid to do it, that would be another story.
What I want to know now is: would you ever beta read? Why or why not? If you have been a beta reader, why did you do it? Who was it for? Did you like it?
Discussion: Re-Reading Childhood Favourites
In the past few weeks I’ve re-read both Angeline and A Girl Named Disaster, both of which I read when I was quite young and absolutely loved. Of course books that you liked as a child aren’t usually as good as you remember them, but I was surprised that Angeline was still pretty darn good. A Girl Named Disaster was sort of a disappointment in that I have no idea how I finished it when I was eleven or twelve because it bored me to tears this time around.
So re-reading childhood favourites can be disappointing, but it can also be a great experience as you rediscover some of that childhood magic. What I want to know is this: Do you re-read some of your favourite books from when you were a kid? If so, how did you like them this time around? Or do you try to avoid re-reading childhood favourites because you have the feeling they’re not as good as they were the first time around?
Discussion: ARCs
For those of you who aren’t hip to the book community lingo, ARC stands for advanced reading copy. Basically, before books are published authors send out a certain number of copies to reviewers to generate hype for when the actual release date is. Bloggers seem to love them, publishers like giving them out to a certain extent and most self-published authors are eager to send them. But not everyone seems to like them.
From a blogger’s perspective I do like ARCs. It’s nice to get physical copies in the mail because, hey, free books. It’s also nice to get ebook ARCs from my favourite self-published authors because it’s very hard to wait until the actual release date for a book you’re excited for. Some bloggers say they feel pressure to get and review ARCs but personally I’ve never really felt that pressure. Maybe I just have too much of a “I don’t care what most people think” attitude.
What I want to know now is: If you’re an author, would you say there are substantial benefits to sending out ARCs to bloggers? What are some of the benefits? As a book blogger, do you feel pressure to seek out and review ARCs? Do you like the idea of ARCs in general?