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Episode 87: Comforting vs. Confronting Reading
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I am at work as I type and desperate to go home, so I will make this short and hopefully come back and respond with better thoughts about confronting vs. comforting later. But I am thinking of The Slap, which I know you have read and liked...as did I. I have read your review a few times. I think that is an intentionally confrontational book, but boy did it tick a lot of people off.
I just wanted to say THANKS for posting. I was going start a thread called "CRICKETS" (as in "all I hear is") because there has been so little discussion here on The Reader's Goodreads Group lately. We have over 300 members...where is everyone?


Ruthiella, I didn't like everything about Moon Tiger but I did like the aspects that dealt with the character's dementia/memory loss. In a similar way I loved May Sarton's As We Are Now which is a story of a woman who has been put into a nursing home. Really makes one confront one's future.
Sam, as you may know, I love me some cosy books. But I also like confronting books. Despite having a hard time with graphic violence I did enjoy American Psycho. Although like Simon said on the podcast, I'm not sure I could read it a second time.


I was a little surprised, when a lot of women in another group had issues with adultery and unprotected sex in an erotic story - I mean - it's a story! :-)
I just saw no point in American Psycho, I've given Ellis a few tries, and his books are just not for me.
As I commented on Simon's blog, I've had to stay away from books where bad stuff happens to kids, after becoming a parent myself. It's scary how it can make you worry etc even more than you're already doing!

I did try to read Lolita, but couldn't finish it. I have two girls so maybe it's not for me right now. It could just be where I am in my life right now.
I recently I loved HHhH and I feel like that is a confronting novel in many ways. I highly recommend it. It's a book that forces thought and discussion for the reader and that's a good thing.

I have a short list of books that I thought were good and worth reading, but which I never want to read again. They are: The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks, Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis and The Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Despite my feeling about Less Than Zero, however, I will read American Psycho someday (and probably add it to this list).
I read less ghost or horror stories now than when I was younger, but I still like good dystopian novels precisely because they are frightening.
As for comfort reading, I think one of the best examples of that for me is The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sheriff (which I won on Thomas’ blog…thanks Thomas! I meant to send you a thank you note, uh, 3 years ago). It is a really simple, straightforward yet charming tale about a family’s two week vacation, there is no drama or conflict, just lovely detail. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim is also quite a restful read and also about a vacation, but more of a fairy tale than the former book. I also find Dickens quite comforting, even though bad things do happen and Bleak House even made me cry.
Ruthiella wrote: "I also find Dickens quite comforting, even though bad things do happen
..."
A good point. What one person finds challenging may be comforting to someone else. Nor can every book be easily categorised as either comfortable or confronting: within the same covers one may well find the happy and the sad, the pleasant and the deeply unpleasant.
Graphic violence and horror are not my bag. I read crime not out of an interest in seeing violence described, or even from a desire to probe the darker side of human nature, but rather because I like the puzzle and the sense of resolution that a good mystery can provide.
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A good point. What one person finds challenging may be comforting to someone else. Nor can every book be easily categorised as either comfortable or confronting: within the same covers one may well find the happy and the sad, the pleasant and the deeply unpleasant.
Graphic violence and horror are not my bag. I read crime not out of an interest in seeing violence described, or even from a desire to probe the darker side of human nature, but rather because I like the puzzle and the sense of resolution that a good mystery can provide.

I like to read challenging or difficult things interspersed with comforting reads (such as Agatha Raisin, thank you Simon) or rereads of old favorites. I don't mind horror, so those sorts of books do not confront me. I enjoy complex language, so that isn't difficult, either. I find books that experiment with the form or structure of the novel to be more challenging.


I don't mind complexity, but I find "showy" experimentalism to be confronting. I was interested in A Visit from the Goon Squad until I saw the chapter in Power Point. Please. Just No.

I might hate it, but I am kind of intrigued by a chapter in PowerPoint.



I did not notice the lack of quotation marks in Wolf Hall but I do remember having to think very hard about which "he" was meant.
Mantel clarifies this in Bring Up the Bodies (apparently because people complained) by using “he, Cromwell” instead.

I felt this about The Gargoyle. I found the graphic descriptions confronting but was convinced it would end in redemption or something interesting. When the book stuttered to a halt I realised the author simply got his jollies from writing about pain. It made me feel dirty and I have been a lot more cautious about confronting books since then.
Also does anyone remember what the book was called that Simon was talking about the person with alzheimers? I thought he said The Night Tiger but can't find the book anywhere (I know it's coming soon but I want to make sure I have it on my TBR).