Books on the Nightstand discussion
What do you want us to talk/write about?
Well, that's just it, the first part of the review was about the book, which led me to some speculation about the author's character. I can see this scenario happening a lot and I'm wondering now whether GR is going to selectively enforce (which is not really fair) or become more diligent in ferreting out these types of reviews.
I haven't read the book referred to by Janet (or anything by that author). But in a work of fiction, how can you or can you really know anything about author's beliefs? Don't you really just know how he/she writes, which may not be the same at all (that's one of those capital B big questions, which of course doesn't have one answer).
Maybe this article will clarify...I'm not the only one that has questioned this author's beliefs.Diaz may be a perfect man...I met him and he was very polite and engaging but to be able to write this character, Yunior....well, let's just say Diaz seems to be more than a little in his head and I don't think it's unrealistic for a reviewer to speculate about it.
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainm...
Also, this article speaks to my point where it says "Yunior is a gorgeously full-blown character...and at this point it just seems lame not to refer to him as Diaz's alter-ego, so conspicuously do their biographies overlap".http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/boo...
Janet wrote: "Also, this article speaks to my point where it says "Yunior is a gorgeously full-blown character...and at this point it just seems lame not to refer to him as Diaz's alter-ego, so conspicuously do ..."My personal opinion is that it isn't fair to the author to make judgements like that based on their works of fiction. Many writers draw from real life for their fiction whether it is stuff they've experienced or stuff they've witnessed or even something they've just heard about second hand. I feel that unless you hear the author say something that would cause you to label their personal character or something like that, you can't go on a work of fiction. I don't think Goodreads has the time or manpower to go through every review on this site. There were some awful battles where people's lives were being threatened and I believe they want to curtail that kind of stuff.
On a side note, I heard Junot Diaz speak at The Newburyport Literary Festival this past year. He was very polite and engaging. He talked about growing up with his mother and his sisters and how he has seen how badly men can treat women. I left there feeling like he had a great respect for women and that his writings are fiction...not his beliefs.
I'm with Tracey. I won't make assumptions about authors based on works of fiction. The best authors should be able to write characters that are light years from their own experience and feelings, because they are talented. Well enough of that topic for me!
So the two of you think it was wrong of me to question whether he is a misogynist in my review on GR despite the fact that professional reviewers have done so in a prestigious publication like the New York Times? And you believe that GR is within their rights to strike such reviews? I'm not trying to be argumentative but I do have a real problem with that.
Maybe I will flag my own review and see if GR deletes it....lol.
I think everyone has their own opinion about what is fair game for a review and isn't. All that matters is that since this is GR's site, they get to make that determination here. And people will either not like their decisions and leave or will think it's okay and stay.
I agree Victoria. It doesn't hurt to state one's grievances, but, in the end, the rule will not change.
I think they will lose credibility because of it. I won't leave but I will write fewer reviews. Why put work into something that has to be sterilized for the readership?
Janet wrote: "So the two of you think it was wrong of me to question whether he is a misogynist in my review on GR despite the fact that professional reviewers have done so in a prestigious publication like the ..."You can write whatever you want (I was just giving my impression for whatever that's worth) but you have to recognize that this isn't your personal website and that Goodreads may decide to delete it. At the end of the day, they and Amazon are the ones who "own" our reviews and whatever data we chose to disclose. As a courtesy, they should have told people before they deleted the reviews but they are under no obligation.
Ann and Michael...I'm reading Hothouse: The Art of Survival and the Survival of Art at America's Most Celebrated Publishing House, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, which is fascinating and which got me thinking of a possible topic -- biographies or memoirs of things or concepts or companies, not people. What came to mind are things like The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer or Salt or one of those types of books. They're nonfiction, but they're an especially awesome kind of nonfiction. I find them hard to categorize, so wondered if that might make a good episode topic. Hope you are both well!
Tracey wrote: "Janet wrote: "So the two of you think it was wrong of me to question whether he is a misogynist in my review on GR despite the fact that professional reviewers have done so in a prestigious publica..."Oh I realize that but I don't have to be happy about it. Like a lot of reviewers I have just decided to withhold my "product". I also won't put much stock in the reviews here, not knowing whether they are "honest" reviews or merely what GR was willing to allow.
Janet wrote: I also won't put much stock in the reviews here, not knowing whether they are "honest" reviews or merely what GR was willing to allow. Janet, I have never put much stock in what people say about a particular book. One reason would be that some readers only readers read a particular type of book and therefore they may not have read as diversely as some people do. Secondly, reviews are highly subjected. And what I like in a book isn't necessarily what others look for in a book. Now I just leave a blank space in the review section and just review on my personal blog.
Melissa W wrote: "Janet wrote: I also won't put much stock in the reviews here, not knowing whether they are "honest" reviews or merely what GR was willing to allow. Janet, I have never put much stock in what peop..."
Good idea Melissa but I think if everyone did that, GR (and Amazon) wouldn't have much of a website. A lot of people do come here to find something to read and they value the opinions of the members. I see that GR has come out with some clarifications to the changes in their TOS which seem to be designed to ameliorate but I'm not going to write another word (of review) until the dust settles and I see for myself whether it's being handled to my satisfaction.
Interesting article in Shelf Awareness today about how reading fiction gives you better social skills. They link to an article that has an opportunity at the end to participate in a study....which of course, I could not resist. Not entirely off topic as it could be used as the basis for an episode.http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10...
@Conny, I suggest reading Anne Lamott. Bird by Bird if you write, but read any of her books for a warm, comforting, we're-all-in-this-off-kilter-world- together tone. :)
I have a couple...Are Film Adaptions the ultimate prize?We all know that there are many book prizes but is the ultimate prize for authors an adaption of one of their books to film or TV? We all know who Cormac McCarthy is but do we know him more for "No Country for Old Men" film adaption or the novel version?Ian Fleming is remembered for James Bond but is he really remembered for the James Bond film series?Also, Whatever happened to the coffee table book?Are they a dying breed?
Have you ever done an episode on ghost stories? It might be a great fall/Halloween seasonal feature. Several possible approaches: "classic" ghost stories worth reading, newer stories, novels—rather than short stories—that fit this theme, what's the difference between a "ghost story" and horror or other genres? Can a ghost story be humorous?
Like the idea of an episode on ghost stories :)
Savvy wrote: "Ann and Michael,I know that you've touched upon this a little bit, but I think a really good podcast could be made out of exploring how the Internet is changing our relationship with books (buyin..."
To follow up on Savvy's idea, I would love to hear an indepth "insiders" discussion about the migration to ebooks and it's affect on the book publishing industry, booksellers, and on the authors. It would also be interesting to hear your perspectives on the self-publishing industry in the internet age (the good, the bad, and the ugly). I have never read a self-published ebook, but I hear there are some new stars that have risen this way. I'm wondering if either of you have ever read a self-published book and if there are any self-published authors you recommend.
In this week's New Yorker there was a great article about Jennifer Weiner. . . I'd love it if you guys talked about it. Lots of issues about women's fiction and what is "literature". . .and then just funny lines like "I went to Israel when I was 15. There were five Jennifers on the trip so I was known as the fat Jennifer. In this land known for its suffering, no one suffered more than me." And "I could write The Odyssey and the critis wd say 'chick lit in Greece'."
I wold love to talk about 'the books that you could not put down' or what I refer to as 'cancel all appointments, I'm not leaving this chair' books!!!
Mod
which I have been trying, single-handedly, to keep in circulation at my library. I now have two converts who are helping me spread the word.The second would be The Shoemaker's Wife
. Those two were my word-of-mouth books for last year.
I would definitely put The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat on the list.
How about a discussion of fiction -vs- nonfiction reading in general?
How do you define "well-written"? When someone tells me how well-written a book is, I immediately think of a book that has beautifully created sentences gleaming with figurative language. I look forward to books that entice me to linger over each sentence and that enrich my understanding of language.Then I read the book with the "well-written" label to find that it would better be described as "well-plotted." Everyone has their own idea of what excellent descriptive writing looks like. I like complex sentences with challenging vocabulary, while others prefer streamlined, clean sentences with simple wording. Even so, there is a difference between stylistic language and the ability to write a good plot twist.
I am with you Melissa. Cormac McCarthy is one of those writers you describe. Salman Rushdie is dense but what a writer.
I prefer clean prose. Although prose can be entertaining, there must first be a story...or plot, if you prefer. Some writers "get in the way" of otherwise great stories when they attempt to impress readers with their skills. I believe stylistic language is like a rich spice, and should be used with a certain degree of discretion.
Just a thought. Writers that you thought were dead but are actually very much alive and visa versa.
I have just finished 'Disturbing the peace' by Richard Yates , and in last year I also read 'Crossing to safety' by Stegner, 'Mrs Bridge' by Evan S Connell and 'The Hunters' by james Salter. I plan to read Stoner in my bookclub in a couple of months. I know Yates became known again from the film Revolutionary Road, and here in the UK Stoner became the must read book last year, similarly 'Crossing to safety ' had a big surge and Salter also had a lot of publicity. I'd be really interested about other classic writers or books that have gone under the radar as on the basis of those writers that 12 months ago I hadn't heard about there must be loads more. Everyone repeatedly hears about Roth, Updike, Wolf, Mailer et al but these other writers and books were excellent.Thanks and love the podcast , my TBR list goes up every time I listen!
Linda wrote: "The first one that comes to mind for me right now is The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat which I have been trying, sin..."I LOVED The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat, too! And definitely recommend it whenever I get the chance.
Would love a segment on good, recent books and audiobooks to enjoy while celebrating Women's History Month 2014! Thanks for all your great suggestions over the years! :)
As the owner of a new Nook, I'm concerned about its future. This week there was a report about B&N doing a big layoff in its Nook division. I need help understanding the ramifications of all this.
One of the other ereading places (sorry can't remember who right now, not B&N) announced they were closing their ebook site but all their customers' books were being transferred to the Kobo platform. I'm sorry I don't remember who it was. But hopefully if anything like that happened with the Nook, they would do something similar. There's probably not much use worrying about it in advance. Maybe I wouldn't invest too many dollars in Nook books though.
Victoria wrote: "One of the other ereading places (sorry can't remember who right now, not B&N) announced they were closing their ebook site but all their customers' books were being transferred to the Kobo platfor..."I believe it was Sony. They basically gave up their North American Ereader support and gave it to Kobo.
Mod
http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/...
I've always found that the book was better than the movie based on it but now I've been proven wrong. I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and then saw the movie and the movie was better! Can you think of any other examples of the movie being better than the book?
While I thought the books were fine in their own right, I enjoyed the movie versions of The Thorn Birds and Gone With a little better than the books. I've read both books twice and really liked them, but I think the movie streamlined GWTW a bit. And the miniseries of The Thorn Birds focused more on the relationship between Ralph and Meggie. While the book was more of a family epic. So I don't think the books were bad by any means; I just liked the movies a little more. I also liked the movie version of The Devil Wears Prada better; I really didn't care for the book at all.
Kathy wrote: "I've always found that the book was better than the movie based on it but now I've been proven wrong. I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and then saw the movie and the movie was better! Can y..."The Last of the Mohicans!
Kathy wrote: "I've always found that the book was better than the movie based on it but now I've been proven wrong. I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and then saw the movie and the movie was better! Can y..."I thought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was better in the movie version.
I just saw an interesting topic on a discussion board - would our literary tastes be different if we lived in different countries? Now, I realize BOTN listeners live in many different countries, but I think (?) the majority of us live in the U.S. What is the difference between our reading habits and those of other countries? What makes a book a European best-seller, and an American "meh"? And, is that changing at all with the rise of the internet and our increasing ability to see/hear about/buy books from all over the world?
Claire ... great idea!! I have friends in several countries around the world ... and we often do not agree on what makes a "good" book.
Claire wrote: "I just saw an interesting topic on a discussion board - would our literary tastes be different if we lived in different countries? Now, I realize BOTN listeners live in many different countries, bu..."Great topic, Claire. Along the same lines, I think Americans are not exposed to books from other countries in the same frenzied, mass-media way as say, the latest James Patterson novel. However, publishing companies do tend to push memoir-type works from other countries, especially from authors who have experienced war, impoverished existence, or other hardships. Same goes for distribution of other types of media for storytelling (e.g., film and TV).
Janet wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I've always found that the book was better than the movie based on it but now I've been proven wrong. I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower and then saw the movie and the movie was ..."I think this is only true for the original Swedish language movie adaptations of the trilogy. IMO the English-language version by David Fincher was not nearly as strong as the first book.
I have to confess I haven't seen the English language version, so yes, I was referring to the Swedish adaptation.
Ann and Michael,I just posted a question in the announcements section asking what is the novel you would buy and give away to others? It could be to strangers or friends.
I read
last year and I have bought at least ten copies since reading it and given it to co-workers. At least half of them told me they liked the book. Also, I have given away copies of
and
with similar results.I would like to see a segment answering that question. I'm really enjoying the podcast and it gets me through my work day.
Marion
Books on the Nightstand
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I think if you are writing a review about the content of the book rather than about the author himself, you should be fine, even if the author writes in an autobiographical manner.