Do you read popular fiction novels? Shame on you! And shame on me, because I do, and I love them!
Have you ever come across literary snobs who openly frown upon those who read popular fiction? I have – many times. I have also noticed that literary snobs are often old literature students who drag their degree alongside them, long after they have left their respective and ‘reputable’ universities. It is almost as if they are told to never stoop to the level of the common reader – this act will be frowned upon, and one must frown upon those who commit the crime of enjoying anything placed under the banner of popular fiction. They are also often heard speaking of books that they have read and telling others of books that must be read – but hardly ever do they describe why ‘this such book’ is a recommendation from their personal perspective. The recommendation is backed up by the literary prise it won – not by the way the book made them feel, or how they personally related to it… or better yet, why they think that by you reading it, it will add value to your life because of potential relatability. It’s all about being able to tick it off the list of books read – that ought to be read. This after all puts you in good stead at functions where you will be rubbing shoulders with other scholars of like mind… right?
Okay, okay… this here above is a broad sweeping statement, and of course it is not always the case – but generally I have found that ‘Students of Literature’ are often complete snobs and are not ashamed to make themselves visible as such. Readers of popular fiction, however, are often made to feel ashamed and try to make their reading choice invisible to others.
Now look here, I love popular fiction, but I am not a die-hard fan that poo-poos other genres either. Why then, I ask, do certain people look down their noses at others who enjoy popular fiction? Why is one judged by the books they read?
As a young un’ I studied literature through studying drama at Trinity college. I was introduced to a broad world of literature, and I lapped it up. I am now an avid reader – never am I without a book – however, one close to me will often see that I am devouring a book that has been put into the ‘popular fiction’ category. Some of my favourite authors are not popular fiction writers per say – like Andre Brink – a South African author who wrote of the dark times of Apartheid. He is one of my favourite authors for the way he tells the story, always highly descriptive of the smallest detail, which then plunges you into the emotion of the time, place, and person. Then, I think the book I enjoyed reading more than any other was ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini – he layered this book in the most complex manner that I could only admire, for in its complexity one found simplicity and storytelling at its best. Reading his book made me feel as if I was witnessing the unwinding of a delicate golden spiders’ web. Beautiful! Another few favourites of mine are The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, The Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith, The Golem and the Djinni by Helene Wecker… and so many more incredible titles – pages filled with captivating stories…
…And I have enjoyed many books written by popular fiction novelists – and I take my hat off to them, because they write for people who simply love to read, to escape; and so many of these writers have a brilliance at doing just that. They effortlessly take people into the world inside the book, and hold their reader there, until the reader is unable to read any more for the day and can’t wait to find the time to pick up their book again as soon as possible. Some of my favourite authors in this category are Lesley Pearse, Lucinda Riley, JoJo Moyes, Santa Montefiore, and Jodi Picoult… to name just a few. Their books never disappoint me – they make me feel (I worry, I cry, I smile, I love, I hold my breath) – and they make me escape, which is like a delightful time-out me-time moment that I relish.
The reason I tend to read books by each of these respective authors and others alike, is that I know they will always be a beautiful story; in a story-telling format. They will be layered with past and present time, balanced with hardship and peace, and infused with love. Love stories are often given a bad rap in the world of modern literature. Is love not THE most complex human emotion – does love not actually govern everything we do, everything we say and govern every action and reaction we have to everything? In the darkest old and modern stories, the absence of love often drives the story without mention of an obvious love affair. In political stories, is it not love that drives the decisions made, views shared and is it not love that creates the history told later? … even when it is not portrayed as a ‘love story’. Hmmmm…
I have a slight problem with many contemporary fictional novels. Many of these made available to the public are awarded prestigious book prises. Personally, I feel that many new young writers have a need to try find the most warped character imaginable to write about. The story line is often about dysfunctional relationships inside strange suburbs or deranged individuals operating on a ‘different’ level. They are different – they are mysterious in their ways, in how they speak, in how they communicate and in the warped world they live in. Don’t get me wrong – such characters exist and are worth writing about, but I personally get irritated when the tone of the story is set around these characters throughout the book, instead of the character of ‘difference’ living in a normal world, and the story revealing itself from this point of view. Do you see the difference? I find that these modern novels have one flavour or one greyish colour and the flavour and colour or ‘tone’ do not change from beginning to end. It feels like many young novelists are trying too hard to come up with a more outlandish character to his peers – the more their characters make you uncomfortable, the better they are – and so they push – and me the reader is left feeling exhausted by the end of the read, pushing through each page because the novel has been given an award by The British Book Awards or the like. With annoyance, often I feel I must finish – surely there is a reason it has won such awards? I find that I have been reading on and on, waiting for a change in tone, something clever or different to happen, and it does not. And yes, a lot of these writers are celebrated – for their uniqueness – but I don’t see why – obviously not always, but often?
And then in another corner of the writing room, popular fiction novelists are frowned upon by certain ‘high-brow’ literary scholars. These popular fiction novelists also have dark, seedy, dangerous characters in their books – but they place them in a relatable world, and I personally find this far more pleasant to read. The colours or flavours constantly change – the tone takes you on an emotional journey that is constantly changing. Their ‘formula’ is far more like literature of the past; it’s just the language that has changed. Have I read ‘old’ literature you may ask? I have and I loved reading them. I had the fortune of inheriting my grandmothers book collection – invaluable treasure!
Old books- treasure!
Let me add here that my husband – a reader of non-fiction predominantly, often teases me when he sees my hands lovingly holding a popular fiction novel. He says, ‘so… what is Juan doing?’ He always uses the name Juan – as if this is the only appropriate name to be given to a scandalous ‘romance’ character. We have a giggle. He has no problem with my choice of books – only that I go through them so quickly!
So… to conclude – now that I have had my personal rant at literary snobs, and new writers who try too hard – I would like to thank all the ‘popular fiction’ novelists of our day. They bring so many people the break they need from their own lives, and the pure pleasure of reading beautiful (even if fraught with pain and treachery) stories. So often you choose to create a fictional story around a real historical event, and often by doing this you peak your readers interest in wanting to learn more. What else happened during that war? Where is this beautiful village on the map? Etc… You all have a talent of unmeasurable quality. Your research is visible and appreciated. You are all magicians of words! We applaud you!
Lastly – each to their own right? Quite – and respect one another for their respective choice. People read different types of books for different reasons. Some like escape, some like thought provoking philosophy, some like mystery, others like political analysis… and so on. Thank goodness we have so many talented writers out there, able to cater for readers’ diverse interests. Enjoy what you choose to read and never feel ashamed of it. If you are ever made to feel ‘less than’ for your choice, think about this… is it possible that the person frowning upon your choice might be a person devoid of emotional experience? Are they perhaps stuck in academia, unable to reach emotional depth? Its possible and it may come across as superiority in knowledge, when in fact it is simply a lack of emotional relatability. Perhaps?? Perhaps not. So… just enjoy your read – you never need feel ‘less than’ for your personal choice – in anything!