Today I opened up my copy of the book that everyone is talking about. It was this month's book club pick. While I really disliked the first few pages I tried to keep in mind the reasons why I joined our little book club... to be introduced to things I might not normally pick up myself.
I quickly found myself having a really big problem with Kathyrn Stockett.... after some searching online I found out there are a few other people who sort of agree with me.
Despite our disagreements, I think how we perceive of the past (in the present) is as important as the actual past. I plan to continue reading the book. If for anything else as a useful piece to analyze with my students.
How about you? Have you found any so called "bestsellers" alarmingly horrendous or problematic?
I'm right there with you.
ReplyDeleteThe last "bestseller" I read (again for book club) was the Paris Wife. And... I didn't like it. I thought it portrayed Hemingway's first wife as a dopey pushover who was completely overwhelmed by the "genius" that surrounded her. If she was that dumb, why use her as a main character? Except to push her around and highlight all of the literary figures that ran in her circle. The character was so stupid (her narration and her dialogue with EHem), that I ended the book congratulating Ernest for dumping that broad for someone less dense.
Was this historically accurate? Hardly. Even EHem wrote about her more interestingly. Instead it turned into just another story about a poor woman who was wronged by an incorrigible man.
Hmm, haven't read it. I have had many people tell me I must, but I am always wary of bestsellers. It took me years to read the Harry Potter books because I couldn't let myself believe in the hype. I haven't had many problems with bestsellers because I rarely read them. HP and Eat, Pray, Love are probably the only ones I have read recently. Oh, and Twilight, but the problems in that are a whole other discussion!
ReplyDeletethanks for the post Andrea...it's a good reminder that what we read about the past affects our present day interpretations of it. And I took the link you provided too; it was such a gentle, articulate letter/paper. And certainly, i don't really want to see the movie now (or read the book). The last bestseller i read....i think was Eat Pray Love. I liked it, definitely didn't love it...and thought the hype was overrated.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much for that link. The writers from the ABWH so beautifully articulated some of the things that made me uncomfortable about not just the movie (which my dad took me to see for a nice little activity, and it was fine, but both of us agreed a pretty vapid movie) but the uneasy feeling i get about hundreds of middle aged white women coming in the bookstore where i work on a daily basis looking for this book. We never have it in because it is too popular to hang out in a used bookstore for long. Ugh. I have so many problems with it and I haven't even read the book. I was squirming in my seat in the movie when she teaches the little girl "I is smart, I is good, I is important..." or whatever the hell. Although I did love all the black female actors, they were each intensely watchable and engaging. Part of my complaint is the over-simplifying of the tale in general, and the generic use of silly gimmicks to try to make it more readable. Anyway good luck with your book club! Sadly a lot of readers aren't as willing to dig under the layers. They think, what is wrong with this? It is portraying how these women were wronged. They don't want to uncover the deeper larger issues or, for that matter, apply them to today's society and ills that continue and fester, whether race relations or gender or sexuality issues. Andrea I wish WE could be in a book club together!!!
ReplyDeleteHeather-- I know! I'd have too much fun hashing out books with you :) And we could get our Latin America fix too, as many in book club don't fancy my interest in magical realism.
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