I thought this was a very fine book review blended with some commentary on our present cultural moment. I particularly enjoyed: “an era in which writers are more invested in constructing the identity of a writer on social media than they are in writing.” As the dismal reception of much of Hollywood’s latest offerings suggest, there’s a big audience out there for stories about authentic human experience that aren’t thinly disguised ideological sermons. Perhaps some of those writers should get off social media and try to write something worth reading.
But they’re not really writers, just playing at being their idea of what a writer might be, without the remotest baseline of experience or talent which might propel them beyond a few ticks in their social media ‘output’.
In order to write, or undertake any meaningful creative act, one must first have lived. The world is full of ‘creatives’ who shy away from the kind of lived ecperience that might enable them to actually create anything worthwhile.
I’m not sure that it does counter my point, which hinges on the word “lived”. Some poets reach quite an early peak without having had much experience of the world – and yet their internal experience allowed them to produce work which has stood the test of time. Another such is Gerard Manley Hopkins. The Bronte sisters also spring to mind in the longer form.
They were able to develop what’s sometimes referred to as a “hinterland” within their confines, whilst i’d argue that the social media focus of today’s young aspirational writers mitigates against that. I’ll grant that my claim may be seen as a generalisation, but nonetheless valid.
I’m not sure that it does counter my point, which hinges on the word “lived”. Some poets reach quite an early peak without having had much experience of the world – and yet their internal experience allowed them to produce work which has stood the test of time. Another such is Gerard Manley Hopkins. The Bronte sisters also spring to mind in the longer form.
They were able to develop what’s sometimes referred to as a “hinterland” within their confines, whilst i’d argue that the social media focus of today’s young aspirational writers mitigates against that. I’ll grant that my claim may be seen as a generalisation, but nonetheless valid.
But they’re not really writers, just playing at being their idea of what a writer might be, without the remotest baseline of experience or talent which might propel them beyond a few ticks in their social media ‘output’.
In order to write, or undertake any meaningful creative act, one must first have lived. The world is full of ‘creatives’ who shy away from the kind of lived ecperience that might enable them to actually create anything worthwhile.
I also liked this review more than many, and the book sounds interresting enough to order a copy.
J Bryant
9 months ago
I thought this was a very fine book review blended with some commentary on our present cultural moment. I particularly enjoyed: “an era in which writers are more invested in constructing the identity of a writer on social media than they are in writing.” As the dismal reception of much of Hollywood’s latest offerings suggest, there’s a big audience out there for stories about authentic human experience that aren’t thinly disguised ideological sermons. Perhaps some of those writers should get off social media and try to write something worth reading.
Richard Craven
9 months ago
“For that, he would undoubtedly be indicted by certain literary puritans today — for failing to make his female narrator sufficiently disempowered, or for writing in the voice of a woman at all.”
White male authors need to make it their business to write in female voices deliberately in order to offend the woke scum.
Unfortunately, the woke scum occupy the publishing houses so a white male author will find it difficult to get published as it is; let alone with deliberate provocation of the so-called “progressives”.
Unfortunately, the woke scum occupy the publishing houses so a white male author will find it difficult to get published as it is; let alone with deliberate provocation of the so-called “progressives”.
I read male writers almost exclusively now and they write females far better than women do. I think men just like women more.
Richard Craven
9 months ago
“For that, he would undoubtedly be indicted by certain literary puritans today — for failing to make his female narrator sufficiently disempowered, or for writing in the voice of a woman at all.”
White male authors need to make it their business to write in female voices deliberately in order to offend the woke scum.
James Kirk
9 months ago
” a tech-facilitated authoritarianism”. Might borrow that.
I detected an atmosphere captured by Le Carré’s Honorable Schoolboy in the Far East around the late Vietnam war time.
James Kirk
9 months ago
” a tech-facilitated authoritarianism”. Might borrow that.
I detected an atmosphere captured by Le Carré’s Honorable Schoolboy in the Far East around the late Vietnam war time.
Richard Pearse
9 months ago
Yes, another (albeit interesting) book review – has anyone else noticed that most of the articles on UnHerd (including by my favorite writers) are, essentially book reviews that try to make a point out of what the book says?
Richard Pearse
9 months ago
Yes, another (albeit interesting) book review – has anyone else noticed that most of the articles on UnHerd (including by my favorite writers) are, essentially book reviews that try to make a point out of what the book says?
I thought this was a very fine book review blended with some commentary on our present cultural moment. I particularly enjoyed: “an era in which writers are more invested in constructing the identity of a writer on social media than they are in writing.” As the dismal reception of much of Hollywood’s latest offerings suggest, there’s a big audience out there for stories about authentic human experience that aren’t thinly disguised ideological sermons. Perhaps some of those writers should get off social media and try to write something worth reading.
But they’re not really writers, just playing at being their idea of what a writer might be, without the remotest baseline of experience or talent which might propel them beyond a few ticks in their social media ‘output’.
In order to write, or undertake any meaningful creative act, one must first have lived. The world is full of ‘creatives’ who shy away from the kind of lived ecperience that might enable them to actually create anything worthwhile.
And a decade from now no one will read them or even remember their names.
I broadly agree with both of you, although I think the poetic recluse Emily Dickinson may stand as a counter-example to Steve’s claim.
I’m not sure that it does counter my point, which hinges on the word “lived”. Some poets reach quite an early peak without having had much experience of the world – and yet their internal experience allowed them to produce work which has stood the test of time. Another such is Gerard Manley Hopkins. The Bronte sisters also spring to mind in the longer form.
They were able to develop what’s sometimes referred to as a “hinterland” within their confines, whilst i’d argue that the social media focus of today’s young aspirational writers mitigates against that. I’ll grant that my claim may be seen as a generalisation, but nonetheless valid.
Steven Crane did not go to war.
I’m not sure that it does counter my point, which hinges on the word “lived”. Some poets reach quite an early peak without having had much experience of the world – and yet their internal experience allowed them to produce work which has stood the test of time. Another such is Gerard Manley Hopkins. The Bronte sisters also spring to mind in the longer form.
They were able to develop what’s sometimes referred to as a “hinterland” within their confines, whilst i’d argue that the social media focus of today’s young aspirational writers mitigates against that. I’ll grant that my claim may be seen as a generalisation, but nonetheless valid.
Steven Crane did not go to war.
Writers must be readers.
And a decade from now no one will read them or even remember their names.
I broadly agree with both of you, although I think the poetic recluse Emily Dickinson may stand as a counter-example to Steve’s claim.
Writers must be readers.
I also liked this review more than many, and the book sounds interresting enough to order a copy.
But they’re not really writers, just playing at being their idea of what a writer might be, without the remotest baseline of experience or talent which might propel them beyond a few ticks in their social media ‘output’.
In order to write, or undertake any meaningful creative act, one must first have lived. The world is full of ‘creatives’ who shy away from the kind of lived ecperience that might enable them to actually create anything worthwhile.
I also liked this review more than many, and the book sounds interresting enough to order a copy.
I thought this was a very fine book review blended with some commentary on our present cultural moment. I particularly enjoyed: “an era in which writers are more invested in constructing the identity of a writer on social media than they are in writing.” As the dismal reception of much of Hollywood’s latest offerings suggest, there’s a big audience out there for stories about authentic human experience that aren’t thinly disguised ideological sermons. Perhaps some of those writers should get off social media and try to write something worth reading.
“For that, he would undoubtedly be indicted by certain literary puritans today — for failing to make his female narrator sufficiently disempowered, or for writing in the voice of a woman at all.”
White male authors need to make it their business to write in female voices deliberately in order to offend the woke scum.
Unfortunately, the woke scum occupy the publishing houses so a white male author will find it difficult to get published as it is; let alone with deliberate provocation of the so-called “progressives”.
I read male writers almost exclusively now and they write females far better than women do. I think men just like women more.
The most popular, Jonathan Franzen .
The most popular, Jonathan Franzen .
Unfortunately, the woke scum occupy the publishing houses so a white male author will find it difficult to get published as it is; let alone with deliberate provocation of the so-called “progressives”.
I read male writers almost exclusively now and they write females far better than women do. I think men just like women more.
“For that, he would undoubtedly be indicted by certain literary puritans today — for failing to make his female narrator sufficiently disempowered, or for writing in the voice of a woman at all.”
White male authors need to make it their business to write in female voices deliberately in order to offend the woke scum.
” a tech-facilitated authoritarianism”. Might borrow that.
I detected an atmosphere captured by Le Carré’s Honorable Schoolboy in the Far East around the late Vietnam war time.
” a tech-facilitated authoritarianism”. Might borrow that.
I detected an atmosphere captured by Le Carré’s Honorable Schoolboy in the Far East around the late Vietnam war time.
Yes, another (albeit interesting) book review – has anyone else noticed that most of the articles on UnHerd (including by my favorite writers) are, essentially book reviews that try to make a point out of what the book says?
Yes, another (albeit interesting) book review – has anyone else noticed that most of the articles on UnHerd (including by my favorite writers) are, essentially book reviews that try to make a point out of what the book says?