Posted by anniebananie on February 16, 2002, at 2:39:14
In reply to personal accounts » anniebananie, posted by jane d on February 15, 2002, at 7:32:09
Jane,
> Perhaps we should compare notes on Noonday Demon even if it isn't ever selected.
Sure, I'd be up for that.
> I did read Lauren Slater's books (not the latest) and didn't care for them much.
Then you would probably really dislike "Lying". I find some of her writing florid (it kind of turns my stomach) but she addresses some things that I've never seen anybody else get to, so for that I hope she keeps writing and writing and writing.
>I find I react to these books in two ways. Either I really identify with the author or I feel that the author is a complete alien and the book leaves me totally cold.
I'm curious about what makes these accounts work or not for different people. It's got to be more complex than how similar the author's experience is to the reader's.
> I really do think it has something to do with the quality of the books. Perhaps it is just that the authors are relying on instant acceptance from people who have experienced the same thing and don't bother to make their writing generally accessible. Perhaps their editors are afraid to be too critical since the subject is mental illness.
Wouldn't it be great to know? And how come most of them are written by women? That's one of my concerns -- that men think of them as "chick" books.
> I do worry that if we try to discuss these books here people who relate to a particular book will interpret criticism of the book as criticism of them.
Might not these same people interpret criticism of any book they like as criticism of them? I know what you mean about the vulnerability that comes from identifying with a personal account, but I'd like to think that anyone who joins a book club is sophisticated enough to understand that disagreements are part of a discussion, that sometimes you can gain an appreciation for something that didn't do it for you when you hear what others appreciated about it, sometimes the other way around.
Maybe Noonday Demon is a good idea -- you get both personal account and loads of impersonal info.
Take care,
Annie
poster:anniebananie
thread:2
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/books/20020206/msgs/180.html