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Airerûthiel · 10-20-2003, 01:22 PM

As an avid reader and a future novelist, I request to be allowed a rant against the Big Read. I'll apologise for getting carried away prior to writing because it's inevitable:

I totally agree with that report at TORN. But that programme was so anti-modern, anti-fantasy and anti-children's literature! I'd love to see the look on that panel's faces if something like The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe won (it's the closest I could get to filling all those categories). But it was the ageist comments that really got to me over all the others.

Whenever the alleged 'experts' were discussing the book, one woman in particular kept saying, "Read this book before you are 13 or 14" - it was always those years for some reason - "because after that it's rubbish" or words to that effect. Utter, utter (bleep) in my opinion. I was part of a group of 30 12 and 13-year-olds who were given Jane Eyre as a set text for English class, this being the age group recommended by this woman to have read it by. Only one person - yours truly - wanted to finish the book once we'd read all we were required to. Anyone in the education system will know you cannot put something like that in front of many teenagers because they simply will not read it properly - it's not something to be enjoyed, it's something to get through.

The comment about 'no more than one book per author' is good for some reasons - be honest, who really wants to watch four virtually identical documentaries on Harry Potter books? - but stupid for others. It's meant to be the top 21 that we voted for - not publishers, not writers, not BBC executives - us, the reading public of Great Britain (and of course the international voters).

And speaking of Harry Potter...Goblet of Fire to go through to the final 21?! What is the issue with these people? Just because it was the most recent at the time of the poll doesn't make it the best - that must be Prisoner of Azkaban - and if anything, it should be Philosopher's Stone, as that was the one that kicked the whole thing off.

Right *deep breath* I think that'll be all. Thank you and good night!

10-20-2003, 01:22 PM	#12
Airerûthiel Wight Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: The Long Lake Posts: 228	As an avid reader and a future novelist, I request to be allowed a rant against the Big Read. I'll apologise for getting carried away prior to writing because it's inevitable: I totally agree with that report at TORN. But that programme was so anti-modern, anti-fantasy and anti-children's literature! I'd love to see the look on that panel's faces if something like The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe won (it's the closest I could get to filling all those categories). But it was the ageist comments that really got to me over all the others. Whenever the alleged 'experts' were discussing the book, one woman in particular kept saying, "Read this book before you are 13 or 14" - it was always those years for some reason - "because after that it's rubbish" or words to that effect. Utter, utter (bleep) in my opinion. I was part of a group of 30 12 and 13-year-olds who were given Jane Eyre as a set text for English class, this being the age group recommended by this woman to have read it by. Only one person - yours truly - wanted to finish the book once we'd read all we were required to. Anyone in the education system will know you cannot put something like that in front of many teenagers because they simply will not read it properly - it's not something to be enjoyed, it's something to get through. The comment about 'no more than one book per author' is good for some reasons - be honest, who really wants to watch four virtually identical documentaries on Harry Potter books? - but stupid for others. It's meant to be the top 21 that we voted for - not publishers, not writers, not BBC executives - us, the reading public of Great Britain (and of course the international voters). And speaking of Harry Potter...Goblet of Fire to go through to the final 21?! What is the issue with these people? Just because it was the most recent at the time of the poll doesn't make it the best - that must be Prisoner of Azkaban - and if anything, it should be Philosopher's Stone, as that was the one that kicked the whole thing off. Right deep breath I think that'll be all. Thank you and good night! __________________ 'If they give you ruled paper, write the other way' - Juan Ramón Jiménez I love pirates!