tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post570450980121461581..comments2024-03-25T02:14:50.515-07:00Comments on Cora Ramos Blog: Story as Artifact or Junk?Corahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-85554020847666731212013-02-26T07:41:39.595-08:002013-02-26T07:41:39.595-08:00I think one of your points is part of it--timing. ...I think one of your points is part of it--timing. I agree that not all classics are good reads--that might be part of the fact that in its time it was great, but now, not so much.Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-81572855574395821182013-02-26T05:06:08.730-08:002013-02-26T05:06:08.730-08:00I wonder about this too, Cora. Wuthering Heights i...I wonder about this too, Cora. Wuthering Heights is one classic I just don't get. But I suspect the 'X-factor' in books is something indefinable -- a combination of factors that include uniqueness and timing, in addition to all those writerly aspects such as grand themes and stunning prose that induce a strong emotional response in the reader. I don't think being a "good read" precludes a book from being a classic -- but I'd argue the reverse was not true.<br /><br />As for me, at this stage in my career, I'd be happy for someone to read and enjoy. :-)Ellen Gregoryhttp://ellenvgregory.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-82691980753699582642013-02-25T18:37:35.802-08:002013-02-25T18:37:35.802-08:00Comment by Kris:
Good post. I think you are on the...Comment by Kris:<br />Good post. I think you are on the right track to describe what makes a book, a story, stand the test of time. A story so real at the core, each word an echo from the beat of the author's heart. My desire is to write such a book some day - one that will last like Harper Lee's immortal To Kill a Mockingbird, or even M.M. Kaye's touching The Far Pavilions - which I think of as a fusion, to use a culinary metaphor, blending in this case, women's literature and a bit of chick lit on the way to being a definitive picture of social, political and historical events. Will I ever write something so wonderful? Only if I read and write, and write and read, and . . . picking up along the way a bit of courage to write from my heart. Kris Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-88244444678792783042013-02-25T12:35:55.312-08:002013-02-25T12:35:55.312-08:00Thanks for weighing in Sally. You bring up good po...Thanks for weighing in Sally. You bring up good points. I lean heavily on the side that a book be enjoyable to the reader. That gets into engaging the reader by the writing ability--involving the emotions. But a book can be enjoyable for the moment and then next week be set aside and forgotten. Good point about Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys.Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-91964632201253154092013-02-25T12:18:02.942-08:002013-02-25T12:18:02.942-08:00What constitutes "literature" is so subj...What constitutes "literature" is so subjective. In the 1930s-1940s the Stratemeyer Syndicate published hundreds of juvenile adventure books. Of these books only two series "survived": Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Why those titles and not the others? And these books are strictly entertainment with no great social messages. Yet many of the "great literary" books are still in print only because teachers assign the books for students to grudglingly read and not for popular demand. The best books are the ones that both have a message and are enjoyable for the reader. Sally Carpenterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00068827626295000653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-11853060760443782632013-02-25T09:46:13.300-08:002013-02-25T09:46:13.300-08:00I know what you mean about not wanting to deal wit...I know what you mean about not wanting to deal with heavy drama issues and needing a break and just reading for entertainment. Don't you think Mark Twain accomlished both with Huck Finn? Maybe the secret is the heavy stuff with good story telling skills.Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-86427368298251596782013-02-25T09:38:15.831-08:002013-02-25T09:38:15.831-08:00Thanks for stopping by and adding to the conversat...Thanks for stopping by and adding to the conversation. I'm building my checklist--writing about difficult social issues, being a good story teller (that's another whole issue) and not giving a diddly squat about criticism. :)Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-56706293233053406112013-02-25T09:30:29.917-08:002013-02-25T09:30:29.917-08:00Thanks for chiming in, John. Very thoughtful comme...Thanks for chiming in, John. Very thoughtful comments about universal themes, timeless truths and higher principals being elements that create stories that matter. Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-9903947699605031822013-02-25T09:24:03.827-08:002013-02-25T09:24:03.827-08:00Thanks for your comment. I wonder how many writers...Thanks for your comment. I wonder how many writers think about their writing standing the test of time when they write.Corahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17513930284591250364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-68829500286002478062013-02-25T09:21:08.726-08:002013-02-25T09:21:08.726-08:00Great post, Cora! I have mixed feelings. My books ...Great post, Cora! I have mixed feelings. My books are generally just for entertainment, but once in a while they touch on a social issue. As a reader, these days I read all kinds of books, but my favorites are those which leave me with a smile on my face when I put it down. I've kinda had my fill of real life drama, and sometimes books remind me of the things I'd rather not think about.<br />Marja McGrawMarjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09528164359512905392noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-5837893148291712182013-02-25T08:47:46.512-08:002013-02-25T08:47:46.512-08:00Great write up Cora. I strive to write well enoug...Great write up Cora. I strive to write well enough to have my books last forever, but it takes something very special to accomplish this. I think writers have it in them to write a timeless novel, but are a bit timid to tackle difficult social issues or open up themselves to criticism. As John said, Huck Finn is a classic, which will always be. The author of that book chose to tackle issues and write what he did because he could care less what others thought about him personally, it was the message he wrote about that interested him. And, he was a pretty good story teller.....Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001153274063604397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-2481455724248920592013-02-25T06:23:26.877-08:002013-02-25T06:23:26.877-08:00Good post, Cora, and most writers do want to be re...Good post, Cora, and most writers do want to be remembered for more than writing an entertaining read. What sets great literature, such as Huckleberry Finn, above mere entertainment, is that it deals with important issues, love and death, the plight of humanity. Universal principles, timeless truth. What's memorable about Huck Finn is not the N word, but the novel's defiance of an unjust social system, and a young boy's respect for his companion's dignity. Memorable literature is story that matters.john M. Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175415154857919353noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6687332317991077410.post-11718940560264348392013-02-25T06:07:51.144-08:002013-02-25T06:07:51.144-08:00Cora,
I've often wondered the same thing and, ...Cora,<br />I've often wondered the same thing and, like most writers, I hope that my books will stand the test of time. That's our dream, after all, isn't it? I guess the best we can do is write honestly, from the heart and leave the rest to fate.Patricia Gligor's Writers Forumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801554698484928100noreply@blogger.com