Literary Blog Hop: Dec 1-4

It’s time for the monthly Literary Blog Hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase.  This blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion. This month’s question is:

What work of literature would you recommend to someone who doesn't like literature? 

I generally tend not to recommend literature to those who have no interest in it.I think people should just  read what they like. Read and let read. However, there’s nothing wrong with nudging someone towards literary fiction if the person is looking to explore different genres. I can’t think of any one book that would fit the bill since ‘literature’ is a very general term, encompassing so many different types of books. I think I’d recommend books based on what the person already likes. So, for a friend who reads a lot of romance novels, Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters would be good picks while still keeping within their comfort zone. For someone who loves dystopian fiction I’d recommend Orwell’s 1984. If horror is your choice then I’d steer you towards Edgar Allen Poe and all those who find literature too ‘serious’ should definitely check out some of the great humorists like Mark Twain and Oscar Wilde. Lastly, when I run into anyone who wants to try literature but is intimidated by huge tomes, I always recommend they try out some short stories which are an easy and painless way to test the waters.

So that’s my two cents. I’m eager to read everyone else’s take on the subject. Happy Hopping people.

Literary Blog Hop

The Literary Blog Hop,hosted by The Blue Bookcase is back and I'm very glad. Its a great way to meet fellow bloggers who are interested in literary fiction. This weeks question is:

Must all literary writing be difficult? Can you think of examples of literary writing that was not difficult? 

I don't think any writer sets out to write a book that is difficult to read. If they do, they shouldn't. I think the difficulty arises mainly due to archaic language, cultural differences and sometimes just complicated story lines. But all of this is highly subjective. Shakespeare's language takes some getting used to but his most enduring works are also his simplest which is why they lend themselves so well to adaptations and reinterpretations. Pearl S. Buck's characters and their choices may seem inexplicable and confounding to a modern reader but placed in their cultural context, they make perfect sense and are not difficult to understand at all.

The only difficulty that really slows me down is an overabundance of characters and multiple story-lines that one has to keep track of. However, if the story at the core is one that resonates with me and is engagingly told, I would never resent the effort I put into reading it.

I think works of Louisa May Alcott, Arthur Conan Doyle and more recently Jhumpa Lahiri and Alexander McCall Smith are all engaging and definitely not difficult to read.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. This week's question is:
Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

Ans: I dont read a lot of paranormal or fantasy fiction. Actually I haven't read any since Harry Potter so my knowledge of mythical beings is very limited. However, I've always loved Unicorns. There is something so beautiful and serene about them. Would be nice if they really existed.

Happy weekend everyone.

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee.com and Alisoncanread.com.This weeks question is:

Q. Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from? 

1. Virginia Woolf: Everything about her fascinates me. 
2. P.G.Wodehouse: I imagine an hour spent with Plum would be very entertaining, not to mention amusing.
3. Somerset Maugham : I'm in the process of re-discovering his works and I have a million things I'd love to ask him.

I can probably list another 300 authors I'd like to meet but I'm going to stop now and let you add to this. So, which authors would you like to spend an evening with?

As always, have a very happy weekend ya'll!

Follow Friday

This weeks question is:Lets step away from the besties... what is the worst book that you've read and actually finished?
Hmmmn... I normally don't bother finishing books that I don't enjoy. Life is too short to read through bad books, right? However, Talk to the Hand  by Lynne Truss(review) is a book I read through and was really disappointed with. I wouldn't call it the worst book I've ever read, but it did seem pretty pointless and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Literary Blog Hop

It’s time for the Literary Blog Hop again. This week’s question is:

Should literature have a social, political, or any other type of agenda? Does having a clear agenda enhance or detract from its literary value?

        I’m inclined to think that as a writer one has a tremendous opportunity to put forth one’s world view to a large and varied audience. If the writer feels strongly about a social or political issue and is able to use fiction to highlight this, good for him/her. As long as it is entertaining and engaging, I see no reason to complain. Writers like Charles Dickens, Ayn Rand, George Orwell and almost all the Russian Masters have done this very effectively.

        

        However, when the author turns preachy and starts ranting, it dilutes the impact of the story being told. Literature can be an instrument of change or simply a mirror to existing reality. But in either case, it must be primarily about telling a story and telling it well.