That Girl from Derwent dwells on the value of religion this Christmas.
That Girl from Derwent has learned a few more things about prejudice since moving up North.
That Girl From Derwent reckons if you're going to be offensive, you should find a better reason.
That Girl from Derwent considers why it is that some words have wider implications than others.
I was aware of titles such as A Child Called It, but now books such as these have grown into a genre, demanding their own section in high street book stores. A glance over the titles and blurbs of the other books - mostly tales of abusive childhoods - didn’t reassure me that they would offer anything different.
Now, I understand that I could come across as being incredibly callous and insensitive in trying to make my point, so let me say this: I fully comprehend the cathartic nature of writing down one’s own problems and thus confronting them (I’m writing a blog, that’s exactly what I’m doing).
But the fact that these ‘Tragic Life Stories’ have now become an industry, a viable market that publishers can tap into, means that this new genre seems almost exploitative. The increasing number of these books necessitates competition, which means that these authors are vying with each other, albeit indirectly, to get you to read their harrowing life stories.
The fact that these ‘Tragic Life Stories’ have now become an industry means that this new genre seems almost exploitative.
And that’s another thing that puzzles me – the demand for these books. There must be people who read them, otherwise they would not be in circulation. But surely one would not want to read more than one or two of these stories? By the end of book two you would be emotionally exhausted and depressed.
I can perhaps understand reading titles such as A Child Called It, which has been singled out by critics and the public, but to me reading anymore doesn’t seem worth it. So although I won’t fail to offer my sympathies to anyone who needs it, I won’t be reading their book.
You must log in to submit a comment.
