tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post6057415290237022633..comments2023-04-09T05:59:28.385-04:00Comments on Matched: Reviews and Recommendations: Armchair BEA: Literary FictionKristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-12688072981814378412013-06-05T19:55:17.027-04:002013-06-05T19:55:17.027-04:00Thief - sorry!Thief - sorry!Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-18687826286183290372013-06-05T19:54:41.815-04:002013-06-05T19:54:41.815-04:00I've been thinking a lot about your question, ...I've been thinking a lot about your question, so I did a little research. The common core doesn't require that certain books be taught, but it does offer a suggested reading list of books that meet their SLOs. The list is mostly classics like The Great Gatsby, but there was at least one contemporary piece on each grade level's list like The Book Theif.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-28152849126022857582013-06-03T09:51:40.349-04:002013-06-03T09:51:40.349-04:00I'll have to check that out!I'll have to check that out!Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-10133554757571601362013-06-02T20:40:24.141-04:002013-06-02T20:40:24.141-04:00I've read a couple of James' other novels,...I've read a couple of James' other novels, both dealing with Jane Austen, but I do have The Secret Diary of Charlotte Bronte sitting somewhere on my shelves :-) <br /><br />Also, there is a well-reviewed book by Jude Morgan on the Bronte sisters called The Taste of Sorrow, or Charlotte & Emily (the title depends on where you live). I have it here, but haven't read it yet. Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03320886752332455903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-38614833866252366952013-06-02T18:11:23.453-04:002013-06-02T18:11:23.453-04:00His poetry is great! Although I've come aroun...His poetry is great! Although I've come around to Tess, I still love his poetry more. It's more simplistic than his novels but still showcases his evocative use of imagery. Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-25242423608612986512013-06-02T18:10:15.243-04:002013-06-02T18:10:15.243-04:00Contemporary literary novels can be a little out-t...Contemporary literary novels can be a little out-there whereas classic fiction (being classic) deals in tropes and with concepts we're often familiar with. Again I say, life is short - read what you like!<br /><br />P.S. Have you read The Secret Diary of Charlotte Bronte by Syrie James? I think she did an excellent job at representing all three Bronte sisters in fictionalized form.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-70937963506831994702013-06-02T00:20:43.300-04:002013-06-02T00:20:43.300-04:00I didn't see this until now (I need to start c...I didn't see this until now (I need to start commenting with a google account of blogspots!)but I can understand why people would hate it. I think if I hadn't been in love with his words from early on, I might not have wanted to continue. I'm glad you changed your mind though! I need to read his poetry, I think I'd really enjoy it!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07863965277947248892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-46679788097204606572013-06-01T09:34:04.071-04:002013-06-01T09:34:04.071-04:00I should have noted in my comment that I'm not...I should have noted in my comment that I'm not much interested in reading the contemporary authors you've listed. Then again, I don't read a lot of contemporary novels in general, literary or otherwise. I do love the Bronte sisters :-) Funny how I like classic fiction but not contemporary literary novels. Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03320886752332455903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-51824014901641236522013-05-31T19:37:50.404-04:002013-05-31T19:37:50.404-04:00The History of Love is quite possibly my favorite ...The History of Love is quite possibly my favorite book ever.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-17981908112210015002013-05-31T14:46:17.887-04:002013-05-31T14:46:17.887-04:00I really liked that you noted Nicole Krauss. I lov...I really liked that you noted Nicole Krauss. I love her books!Meg @ A Bookish Affairhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15634397276714805455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-1801753236396268392013-05-31T09:37:25.866-04:002013-05-31T09:37:25.866-04:00Thanks, Melissa. Something I didn't really ad...Thanks, Melissa. Something I didn't really address in my post but you allude to in your comment is the pressure many readers (especially those who majored in English or Literature) feel to read everything and like everything - especially if it is a work that is critically acclaimed, which is the category most literary fiction falls into. <br /><br />That's a hard habit to break, but I don't think anyone should apologize for reading what they like. <br /><br />I read mostly YA because, like you, typical adult fiction depresses the hell out of me. At times, it seems its only focus is to highlight the very worst in humanity and represent hopeless situations and characters with little to no agency.<br /><br />With that said, I have read all the authors listed in my post, and although I didn't like all of them, I can respect the aesthetic of their work. For example, John Updike, J. M. Coetzee, and even Henry James are not my cup of tea but are still phenomenal writers. However, I will go to bat for Krauss, Foer, DeLillo, Winterson, and my beloved Bronte sisters any day.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-17220633921508937792013-05-31T09:31:24.991-04:002013-05-31T09:31:24.991-04:00Confession: The first time I read Tess I hated it....Confession: The first time I read Tess I hated it. In fact, I didn't even finish it. Then I re-read it in graduate school and adored it. I did my Master's Thesis on Thomas Hardy's poetry - specifically his Poems of 1912-1913.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-79392385653733661722013-05-30T20:50:53.353-04:002013-05-30T20:50:53.353-04:00I love JSF, his words resonate with me. I've s...I love JSF, his words resonate with me. I've seen so many people mention When She Woke, I definitely need to check it out. I don't purposely pick up or ignore literary fiction, I just read stories that seem interesting to me!<br /><br />Also I LOVE Tess, that's where my blog name is from!<br /><br /><a href="http://ablightedone.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/armchair-bea-literary-fiction/" rel="nofollow"> my ABEA post</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-56746423428702113152013-05-30T20:02:04.994-04:002013-05-30T20:02:04.994-04:00Fabulous post, Kristen. My introduction to litera...Fabulous post, Kristen. My introduction to literary fiction came in my high school literature classes. I loved every work I read, which included Wuthering Heights and The Grapes of Wrath, and was never bothered by required reading. <br /><br />Today, however, I tend to avoid contemporary literary fiction. I used to read a lot of books that critics raved about, and enjoyed them, but these days I find a lot of literary fiction deals with topics I would rather not read about (I read to escape so I don't like reading depressing books). <br /><br />Of course, definitions of literary fiction vary among readers, but I look at it much the same way you do and the authors you've listed are not authors I've read or, if I'm being honest, want to read. That's not to say I won't read any literary fiction, because I will, but I just don't go out of my way to do so. Melissa @ Confessions of an Avid Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03320886752332455903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-40955263252861650402013-05-30T15:41:02.770-04:002013-05-30T15:41:02.770-04:00They are! In fact, some people think that NK and J...They are! In fact, some people think that NK and JSF co-authored or cribbed each other in their best sellers - The History of Love and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - but I've read both, and although they have some similar themes, I've never gotten that impression. <br /><br />In NC, the Department of Education sets out a common core of objectives that must be met at each grade level. I don't know if they dictate the books too (I teach at the college level), but I do know the standards dictate which books can be taught and which cannot.Kristinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09536428856341691610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84786669902051059.post-85236166326511520272013-05-30T15:11:05.766-04:002013-05-30T15:11:05.766-04:00I never knew NK and JSF were married!
I think the ...I never knew NK and JSF were married!<br />I think the way literature in general is taught in high schools should be revamped. Who chooses the books anyways? There are tons of good books out there that would be accessible to tenth graders, but more often than not they are not offered in high school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com