The MLP Arena
Pony Talk => Off Topic => Topic started by: karrie91 on December 19, 2012, 04:54:15 PM
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I came across an interesting article while browsing the internet.
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/28/the-power-of-young-adult-fiction/adults-should-read-adult-books
Quoted article:
The only thing more embarrassing than catching a guy on the plane looking at pornography on his computer is seeing a guy on the plane reading “The Hunger Games.” Or a Twilight book. Or Harry Potter. The only time I’m O.K. with an adult holding a children’s book is if he’s moving his mouth as he reads.
I’m sure all those books are well written. So is “Horton Hatches the Egg.” But Horton doesn’t have the depth of language and character as literature written for people who have stopped physically growing.
I appreciate that adults occasionally watch Pixar movies or play video games. That’s fine. Those media don’t require much of your brains. Books are one of our few chances to learn. There’s a reason my teachers didn’t assign me to go home and play three hours of Donkey Kong.
I have no idea what “The Hunger Games” is like. Maybe there are complicated shades of good and evil in each character. Maybe there are Pynchonesque turns of phrase. Maybe it delves into issues of identity, self-justification and anomie that would make David Foster Wallace proud. I don’t know because it’s a book for kids. I’ll read “The Hunger Games” when I finish the previous 3,000 years of fiction written for adults.
Let’s have the decency to let tween girls have their own little world of vampires and child wizards and games you play when hungry. Let’s not pump Justin Bieber in our Saabs and get engaged at Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland. Because it’s embarrassing. You can’t take an adult seriously when he’s debating you over why Twilight vampires are O.K. with sunlight. If my parents had read “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” at the same time as I did, I would have looked into boarding school.
Now this just.. offends me on so many levels. And it really bothers me. I know I'm not the only one in the world but I know a lot of people here read, so I wanted to see how you guys feel about this. To me, I just don't understand what's so wrong with reading Harry Potter, or Fablehaven, or any other YA fiction series. They're not supposed to be educational like this man claims.. they're for enjoyment. They're wonderful stories that you shouldn't have to be young to enjoy.
I don't think I've actually ever read an adult book. I'm not even sure what an adult book is. I guess maybe the books where there's a murder and some detective solves it? I don't know.. I've always been into youth fantasy and I just can't figure out how it's 'embarrassing' to be into it. Since when are books supposed to be an entirely educational experience. I always thought it was a hobby.. something to do for fun. I just can't figure out where this guy gets off thinking this way?
And then to come and learn he hasn't read any of the books he's talked about. I haven't read The Hunger Games myself, but I did read Twilight, and while I'm not a fan, I see NO reason why it can't be enjoyed be anyone 18+. My mom loves Twilight and so does nearly everyone I work with. Really, it's no different than someone being a fan of The Notebook or any other Nicholas Sparks book for that matter.
I don't feel I should be embarrassed and judged for reading a Harry Potter book. And his whole thing about a man looking even more worse for reading that instead of porn on a plane. That's just plain insulting and ridiculous.
What exactly is an adult supposed to do? I'd really love to see what his definition of an adult is.
I hope this suits better here than in What's Your Problem. Because it's technically not a problem for me lol. Just something interesting I came across that I'd thought I'd share.
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This guy sounds like an idiot. It also sounds like he is really insecure about adults reading "kids" books. I read and enjoy lots of things made for "kids". He would probably have a huge problem with a whole community dedicated to "little girl" toys like MLP too. I wouldn't take to heart too much of what he said. Not to mention what does he consider an adult book? One of non-fiction only?
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I definitely don't agree with that author. I read mainly teen books and I'm 22. I find the material to be much more interesting and easy to read. I have read very few "adult" books as I find them tedious to read. I want to read to have fun not to learn. If I wanted to learn I would be reading non-fiction books... then I can feel like I'm in college again lol
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That's just silly. Books of all kinds are also meant to be enjoyed - true some are lighter than others, but that doesn't mean they can't be enjoyed by people of all ages. His article is a bit on the ridiculous side. I mean I have my own personal collection of children's books because I adore the illustrations.
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I've read some of the "How to Train Your Dragon" books. They are hardly high literature, but they are fun little stories read. I also enjoy Philip Pullman's works (usually classified as YA) to be quite amazing, and "The Hunger Games" was quite interesting as well.
Reading can be as much about escaping as it is about learning. There's no harm in getting caught up in a good story.
... And heck, by this guy's standards, reading his article was a waste of time in its own, apparently! Maybe I should have gone to pick up some Chaucer instead! ;)
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Umm, I'm currently re-reading the Harry Potter books atm. Also a Saddle Club book as we got them for DD and I'm seeing if she is old enough to enjoy them. So in that case, I'm "screening". Great big raspberry to that guy. ;)
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That guy sounds totally insecure-
Or maybe he is hoping to get people all upset. I kind of think the latter...
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What's with this guy? You become an "adult" and suddenly you /have/ to read classic literature and non-fiction books only?
Personally, I find YA books much easier to read. I tore through the Hush, Hush series over the summer and am making a valiant attempt to read through the Unicorn Chronicles again (I NEED to know how the series ends!). Reading is reading no matter what "age group" it's for.
There are really only a few "adult" authors I can stomach.
And the article was in the NY Times: A newspaper for stuffy "adults" (no offense to anyone here that reads it!)
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I did not read the article. I only read the part you've listed here, so I cannot comment on the entire thing. I can say as an English teacher the entire thing is obviously a laughable statement in my mind.
I agree in the respect that certain works depending on audience will have deeper level meanings than other texts, but I can say without a doubt I love YA fiction. I don't believe there is a teacher out there (English or lit based at least) that could deny being passionate about the literature they teach their students. Does that make our maturity childish? I read "adult" novels all the time, but they are not everything. I think sometimes people tend to forget it was one of our childhood favorites that inspired us to read to start with. Right now I'm reading The Outsiders with my students, and it's clearly a YA novel. The story may lack deeper symbolism and ideas in an adult text such as Paradise Lost, but it still packs a punch.
YA from earlier to now have to deal with a variety of issues and peer pressure. Today you have novels like Speak, Cut, Crank ect that speak out to teens and connect with them. The Outsiders is a book that people have loved for so long. The novel itself is based from the 1960s, and my students today can still relate to the gangs and rough homes ect from the novel. In the end will it encourage more kids to read? Maybe or maybe not? I can tell you right now though ten years from now more of those students will probably remember The Outsiders over Romeo and Juliet. It might encourage one to later have their child read and say "I remember this book. I loved it at your age."
I had a co-worker before that hated reading, but she bought her daughter The Outsiders. They read it together and enjoyed it. YA literature may lack some of the deeper meaning or historical aspects, but it packs a great deal of content and understanding. I think a well rounded reader has the ability to pick up almost any book and find something interesting or some sort of meaning. Confining yourself to one genre only limits your scope and imagination.
A good thing to keep in mind is banned books week every year. I don't know if others regularly participate. It's a time when schools and libraries stand up against the banning/challenging and censorship of books. I tend to take that time every year to read pieces of challenged books to my students. One former book being The Outsiders because of themes ect. People that typically challenge these works are those that have never taken the time to read them. When I see things like this I'm always reminded of those people that challenge books. It's simply an ignorance of literature. I feel sorry for those people, but I also attempt to ignore them. You can never win their arguments, and I attempt to leave it be until it interferes with my teaching world. Don't let the stupidity of others bother you.
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No, you're right. It offends me on many levels too. I read Arthur. I read Spot the Dog. I read Clifford the Big Red Dog, Madeline, Caillou, Biscuit the little golden puppy, Kipper the Dog and of course MLP, among thousands others. What's wrong with that? I balance myself between adult books (which mostly consists of programming guides, fine literature like Shakespeare's comedies, and contemporary like Douglas Adams' works (ok, I admit it, serious stuff causes my head to spin, hence I stick to the comedy stories).
What's his problem? I read what I like and I like what I read. He can go lay an egg.
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Maybe I'm going in a little different direction on this but... I rage a little bit when people call Hunger Games a kid's series. If I had a kid I wouldn't let them in the same room as that book. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, and I probably would have read it as a kid, but not every kid has a high tolerance for that kind of stuff. My 11 year old cousin is fighting against so much pressure from her friends to read it, because she says all her friends have been "changed" by the book in a negative way.
Honestly I don't understand what separates all these so called young adult books from typical adult books. Every YA book I've chosen to read has been darker, more complex, and all around more "adult" than most other books I've picked up. I mean, sure, there's the usual piles full of "omg middle/high school drama!!" books on the YA shelves, but books like Hunger Games? Just because a book is about a teenager, doesn't mean it's not good enough for adults, or that the topics they cover aren't adult and serious. I shouldn't have to wander into the land of tween drama for a good third of the books in that section.
Don't judge a book by the age group some idiots in offices decided to sell it to. Seriously what kind of people decided to market Hunger Games to kids?
And on the other hand, I read and enjoy kids books all the time. Not everyone wants to read nothing but classic literature all the time, it's exhausting.
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There are so many negative things I want to say about this guy, but I don't think they're appropriate for off topic or WYP.
Why should it matter to anyone that who reads what for their own enjoyment/entertainment?? Why should someone judge someone else for what they're reading or what appeals to them?
I definitely don't agree with that author. I read mainly teen books and I'm 22. I find the material to be much more interesting and easy to read. I have read very few "adult" books as I find them tedious to read. I want to read to have fun not to learn. If I wanted to learn I would be reading non-fiction books... then I can feel like I'm in college again lol
My exact thoughts! I'm 22 too, and I do the exact same thing! I like reading teen/young adult books because they're fun and entertaining.
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All I can say is so odd. I don't need anyone telling me what I am and am not allowed to read as an adult. Obviously this person has major problems with allowing others to be who they are. Major insecurity. I just read a childhood book of mine that I had not read since I was in 4th grade. I re-read it for the memories since my best friend and I loved the book so much we acted it out for hours during our visits at each other's homes. My husband and I read it together and really enjoyed it. Silly little kids chapter book...read in one evening..but was so much fun to relive. I would take my simple enjoyments and memories over this person's boring life any day.
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I love to collect children's books especially the very old ones just to see how much literature in general has changed over the years. I still love the serendipity press series, and I will never be too old for any book.
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I haven't read The Hunger Games or watched the film but I've caught wind that it's about a edgy game of survival and to lose is to die so I figured it was targeted at teens and adults. This person calls it a child's book and all I can think it's awfully dark for a child.
I love all kinds of books. I don't appreciate being told it's wrong for Adult Me to read children books such as Ramona Quimby, Harry Potter, The Baby-sitters' Club, Unicorns of Balinor, American Girl, The Great Brain, Heartland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Peter Pan, The Adventures of Pinocchio.
I buy children's picture books on second hand that have amazing illustrations in them and they're only for me. A few of them I've bought had stories I'd never read before and after I bought them for having cool illustrations I'd read them and whether the stories are weak or not, I like to keep the books for the pictures. Recently, I bought a beautifully illustrated book of Hans Christan Anderson's The Nightingale (probably 15 pages long, the book is 14 inches tall and 12 inches wide, the story has small text consuming most of the space on the pages opposite of the pages with the illustrations) at a thrift store in my town and I had been a fan of the story for a long time at that point.
And I like Dr. Seuss books and I'm 27! *blows raspberry at Joel Stein*
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maybe he should read the books he is talking about before he judges people! i read all kinds of stuff....after i read hunger games, my mom did, then my step dad did.... what i read has no bareing on my intellegence!
:enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged:
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sounds like a total jerk. i read nothing but children's books. and occasionally i'll read a teen book.
pretty close-minded.
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Idiot! Some of my favourite books are in the "Scholastic" club. Harry Potter, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, BSC, Animorphs. The most "adult" I have is VC Andrews, and we have a bunch of sci-fi/fantasy/fiction ones (Wheel of Time, Dragonlance, etc).
Read what you enjoy, it's not affecting anyone else!
I read before bed to wind down, I don't want something super heavy that's going to weigh on my mind all night when I'm trying to sleep. I want something I can enjoy and relax with, and then be able to sleep afterwards.
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This guy sounds like he has a bug up his nose.
I read "adult" books. I read YA books. And you know what? Many of the books I enjoy most are books aimed at a younger audience. They're fun, imaginative stories and a great source of entertainment. I still have my entire collection of Animorphs books and am actively attempting to finish my childhood series of Dinotopia and The Black Stallion. They sit proudly on the shelf beside my Jane Austen and my Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I will continue to read whatever I like, thank you.
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I feel sorry for people with this attitude. They're missing out on a lot of great books. *clutches Harry Potter books to chest*
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This guy is a complete idiot shouldn't be taken seriously.
I can't even count the number of adults I know and work with who read books like The Hunger Games and Twilight, and I've never thought of them as 'Kids' books. Is this idiot even aware that there are editions of the Harry Potter books that are specifically geared and marketed towards adults? How is reading these kinds of books even remotely akin to looking at pornography?
I guess this person would be extremely offended by my reading preferences then, considering I love books like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Dork Diaries, and even books geared towards much younger demographics such as Curious George, Clifford, The Magic Schoolbus, Madeline, Eloise Pinkalicious, Ladybug Girl, Dr. Seuss, Winnie The Pooh, and many others.
Now granted, my job happens to be a profession that affords me the opportunity to read to children often, but I most certainly would not be purchasing these kinds of books if I did not enjoy them myself, and they ARE mine.
What gives this guy the right to decide what people should and should not read? as long as you can read what it says, a book is a book and should be able to be enjoyed by anyone without scrutiny.
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Wow is that person ever judgmental. My belief is that as long as you enjoy reading it, who cares what age range it was written for. I still enjoy plenty of books that are well below my age range and I honestly don't find a lot of adult fiction all that interesting with the exception of fantasy.
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Typical pretentious Brooklynite. Love how to had to mention David Foster Wallace. Jerk. Read what you like dude.
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Man, who cares about the age suggestions. Do what you like, read what you want, don't feel like you have to let things go or like things just because they're in your age group.
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I wonder what he'd say about comic books. Would he pass them all off as children's magazines because they're collections of drawings? :P
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HAHAHAH wow. Yeah, dumb article there.
Honestly, I read YA books now because when I was younger I read a lot of older adult books. SO NEYAH
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I myself am a huge fan of writers like Steinbeck AND I collect children's books. I find kids books fun and endearing. I see children's book thrown out all the time at the elementary school I work at just because they are old. Hello, how does fiction get old? I hate to think that some of the good out-of-print children's books will just be a fragment of the past. I revisit my childhood books all the time.
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It's absolutely shallow for anyone to say such things. Who cares what a person enjoys? The people who care about that are just conforming to the silly standards of society. Life is far too enjoy to deny yourself something you enjoy.
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:P to the writer of that article. Read whatever you like, I say!
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Haha. That guy sure has a lot of butthurt going on there. He obviously needs an injection of pony in his dreary life.
That said, anyone caught reading Twilight or Twilight fanfiction (regardless of age, sex, etc) should be very embarrassed :P :P :P
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my boyfriend got me the entire bella sara series, its hardly a challenge, but its adorable and i love it.
this guy sounds so unimaginative.
Post Merge: December 19, 2012, 11:11:12 PM
maybe he should read the books he is talking about before he judges people! i read all kinds of stuff....after i read hunger games, my mom did, then my step dad did.... what i read has no bareing on my intellegence!
:enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged: :enraged:
this. what ever happened to "don't judge a book by its cover"?
which he is clearly doing.
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whatta pretentious knob
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Oh well, then I won't have to worry about this boring dude taking the last awesome book off the shelf before I buy it then. I win. He loses. Life is good.
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That said, anyone caught reading Twilight or Twilight fanfiction (regardless of age, sex, etc) should be very embarrassed :P :P :P
I haven't read the books. I watch the films because it helps having seen them before reading parody scripts of them by m15m on LiveJournal. Those scripts are so funny!
EDWARD: I AM VAMPIRE. HEAR ME TWINKLE.
BELLA: Oh, wow, I spent like $60 at Sephora trying to get sparkle like that. What is that, Urban Decay?
EDWARD: NO!
BELLA: Oh, so it's a drugstore brand?
EDWARD: THIS IS THE SKIN OF A KILLER, BELLA!
BELLA: FINE. WHATEVER. But the lipstick, that's gotta be Cargo, right?
EDWARD: *FLOUNCE*
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I love all kinds of books! I have read Harry Potter 1, the Hunger Games 1 and Twilight, and I'm 31. I enjoyed the last two very much, HP was a bit boring because I had seen the movie, but nevertheless they make entertaining pastimes. Definitely much better than watching mindless TV or wasting time on social networks.
The beautiful thing about being an adult is that we can read and enjoy whatever WE want and WHEN we want.
That guy is just a sad little man with nothing better to do.
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I will read whatever I want. I don't think there is any problem with adults reading whatever they please, if that be a baby's board book, or a novel, who cares. If it makes you happy, go for it.
I have a bookcase full of childrens books from ones with one word on each page, Dr Zeuss, Mem Fox, and all sorts of other childrens classic and awesome books. I have paid a bit for the occasional childs book too.
I do read novels, but love kids stories as well. I have a heap of my "favourite" childrens books in my bedroom bookcase alongside some of my favourite novels. I don't care if people judge, its their issue, not mine. Some younger literature is great, personally I am not into twilight or harry potter, but I see why it would appeal to some. If you like it, what is the problem?
Its not the person reading the book, its the one judging them that is the problem.
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As long as people read, I really don't care what they grab from the shelves, be it kids books or adults. Research has showed that kids these days don't read as much as before, and this mainly directed at boys and I think it's worrysome as litterature give us so much when it comes to learning words, expressions, different meanings and using our imaginations. So people reading just makes me happy. Then what they read is their own decisions. When I was studying at the university I hardly had time to read anything but the litterature of the classes.. so to relax on the bus home and get away from those books, I read Nancy Drew and the Sweet Valley Twins books. I enjoyed reading Harry Potter (well, the first five, hasn't read the last onces yet *ducks fakies* :P ), as well as the Vampie Chronicles as a teenager.
Reading gives so much.. I'll just ignore that guy and his article because he clearly has no clue. Read whatever and enjoy. Don't let one idiot decide what's appropriate or not.
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I'm gonna say they were probably trolling for hits. You get articles like that from time to time, because enraged people swoop down on them and that's more ad hits to the website.
But even if it wasn't a blatant attempt to rile people up, it doesn't matter what he says. He's not the one holding your wallet while you choose which book to read at the store. It's no one's business what you read. They can disapprove all they want, but as long as you enjoy yourself, that's all it matters. Because it's just entertainment.
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It's been awhile since I've read my Scrooge McDuck comics. I think it's about time to have another read!
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And I was thinking, that NY Times tries to maintain some quality. This article is so bad, on so many levels, that I can only blame it on "portalosis" (phenomenon of renowned newspapers employing lowly skilled "journalists" to provide some content for their websites for cheap).
I don't know, where to start, but...
Books are one of our few chances to learn.
No, they are not, unless he had "The Feynman Lectures on Physics" or similar things in mind. Light literature is made for entertainment, and who is he, to tell other people, what they should enjoy. Pure information, that is contained in fiction books (no matter "adult" or "children") doesn't make anyone any smarter, or more knowledgeable. What is valuable (except entertainment, that they provide) is inspiration, that these books might give, and what's wrong, if someone is inspired by HP... to not search too far, just look how many pieces of art (paintings, music, literature and more) were inspired by those little colourful ponies.
There’s a reason my teachers didn’t assign me to go home and play three hours of Donkey Kong.
This is the moment, where this guy "lost the flamewar". By mentioning "Donkey Kong" as an example of computer game Anno Domini 2012, he just prooved that he is not competent at writing anything about modern culture. Computer games are good example of how fast a medium can mature, and even if they still wait for their "Citizen Kane", not acknowledging, that there are some valuable position among this genre, just disqualifies him as a cultural journalist.
I have no idea what “The Hunger Games” is like
Well, this is typical for "portalosis". "I don't know anything about the subject, but I will still write an article on it."
Let’s have the decency to let tween girls have their own little world of vampires and child wizards and games you play when hungry
Hello gender stereotypes. One would think, that NY Times is above such things.
Let’s not pump Justin Bieber in our Saabs and get engaged at Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland.
Actually no. We don't want to be sad, boring sobs, such as this man.
Because it’s embarrassing.
For him. Anyway I'm happy, that I'm not in his skin, beeing embarassed by so many things, having to watch every step to not break the rules... :yikes:
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Let’s not (...) get engaged at Cinderella’s Castle at Disneyland.Because it’s embarrassing.
But what if that's my dream? It's not actuallty, but I have tons of friends who would dream of a romatinc and cute wedding, and hell, why not at Disneyland? I know I'd love to participate in one! Personal freedom much?
I have nothing to add to the "only read adult boks" because I agree with pretty much everyone here. Read what you want. Reading is enjoyment to me. I'd rather spend hours wandering around Harry Potter's school than 10 minutes torturing my brain on some "adult" books that are supposedly so much more intelligent and all...
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Joel Stein is a critic of everything. Man, I would be a disappointment to him. Not only do I read almost exclusively YA and kids, but I sold it for ten years, I blog about it but all my friends are ya and kid lit writers and gasp! I am writing ya too.
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This guy is stupid. I am an adult and most of what I read are books like The Hunger Games, The Twilight series and I have a book series of The Unicorn Chronicles which is meant for older kids to maybe young teens. Who cares what this guy thinks. He even said he hasn't read The Hunger Games so he can't give an opinion on it if he hasn't read it.
I wonder if he would say the same thing if teen girls were reading adult books.
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He's boring.
I have a lot of fantasy books, a lot are for 'adults' and I've also got my fair share of stuff aimed at teens as they're good stories
If a story is good to me it doesn't have an age limit.
I read for fun, I read to escape real life for a bit so excuse me if I want to read a 'kids' book rather than something meant for 'adults'
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I think what the author was trying to get at is that there are thousands of talented authors out there, with amazingly wonderful books. But they are overshadowed and ignored because popular marketing in popular fiction over the last few decades has focused on the "all-ages fantasy" book titles like Harry Potter, Twilight, etc.
It's much easier to market the novels that are shorter and can be finished in a few days. It's quite easy to convince 14 million teens they need to read "Twilight" as it's trendy to do so, what with the movies and the large fan community. Not so easy to convince those same teens to pick up a 3000 page epic sci-fi about time travel, ethics, love, human behavior, and quantum physics when there is no movie, no TV show, no t-shirts, and certainly no legion of fans to shriek about how awesome it is.
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Sounds like a very shallow man :(
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First of all, you're not really supposed to "learn" anything profound from fiction. I mean, yeah, you get the life lessons and crap, but fiction and NON fiction are two different beasts completely. If you want to actually learn something, pick up a text book.
Second, the only "adult" fiction that I've ever read were in my high school lit class and were so boring that I pretty much avoid ALL fiction that is not marked "fantasy." Reading fiction novels should be for entertainment and pleasure. If you gain life lessons or insights, that's wonderful, but most people that write fiction just have a story to tell.
Since The Hobbit so recently came out in theatres, I'm curious to know what the author of this article thinks of Tolkein's work - if that's "adult" or for "tweens". Since he seemed to make a stance that only "older" literature was "mature," I'm thinking that he would consider it adult material. Well, the cartoons from the 80's proved quite clearly that even those deep stories could be "simplified" for a younger audience and still tell essentially, and for the sake of this argument, the exact same story.
Quite frankly, I've never read any Twilight or Harry Potter or Hunger Games. I tried Harry Potter and just couldn't get into it from the first chapter - nothing against how it was written or what the story ended up being about, it just wasn't my cup of tea. However, I do know that there are people who greatly enjoy all of these series. I don't read much fiction anymore, due to college creative writing classes permanently skewing my ability to shut my editor up, but I still don't think that age should have anything to do with what you read. (That's a lie - some "adult" books should not be read by young children, certain degrees of sexuality, violence, and crude language ought to be introduced to one's reading library later than other selections. I dunno. Maybe this guy likes violent, trashy romance novels?)
He just wants to cause a stink and gripe about something. I don't have much room in my life for people this closed-minded.
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Who cares what some random guy says? We are mainly adults (women and men) who collect ponies and dolls! Guy would have a coronary over that! If I collected thimbles or spoons from each state I'd be normal, but instead I collect children's toys and read books like HP, Neverending Story, The Princess Bride etc...
At least they're well written. The last best seller I read geared toward adults was terribly written (50 shades, baby!)
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Someone may have already mentioned this, but The Hunger Games is not a "kids" book. I would say it's appropriate for 16+, which is not an age range that includes "kids". First of all, this guy is lumping every human being under the age of 18 as a "kid" and second of all, he doesn't seem to know anything about the books he's bashing since The Hunger Games is quite complex and involves mass amounts of death, suffering and growing pains in a society that's trying really hard to kill off its young citizens.
My favorite series is the Artemis Fowl series. Yep, it's a "kids book". Nope, I don't care who knows that I read and enjoy kids books. If a book is well-written, enjoyable and thought-provoking then I'm more than happy to read it no matter who the target audience is.
Being embarrassed by everything everyone else does that does not affect them is exactly what makes this guy a douche and a waste of anyone's precious brain cells. I really don't give a rat's rear end if this guy thinks I'm an embarrassing adult. I do as I please and he can be as upset about it as he wants to, because his emotions concerning my lifestyle don't bother me any. That dude is going to have an aneurysm if he's stressed and embarrassed over every adult that doesn't act the way society says they should. He's so immature about it he doesn't even realize how immature he really is.
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I'll read what I want and let silly people write whatever silly articles they want. Doesn't offend me - just makes me giggle.
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honestly, I dont think this person has a right to tell me what I should and shouldnt read.
I also believe he fails with the different genres and what they fall under.
Am I still a kid for preferring action/adventure/fantasy books? Am I no less of an adult for not liking the same content my mother does?
*shrugs* Just do what you do and keep on reading. This person doesnt know any better.
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To me, this guy is just a butthurt hipster who needs to get off his high horse because people are reading more Young Adult books that are more popular than his book.
Sounds to me, somebody's jealous.
The Hobbit was written as a children's story, so does that mean all adult Hobbit/LOTR fans should be ashamed that they like a children's series?? (Made a lot of money from their movies and books)
The Hunger games has kids killing other kids, and it's apparently considered a book for a younger audience, so does that mean children at the age of 12 or even younger should be ok with watching Battle Royale, since it's the same genre/age group as The Hunger Games apparently?? (Made a lot of money from their movie(s) and books)
Harry Potter has magic. Apparently as a child, you can have a huge imagination, but once you hit adulthood, all your imagination should be denied/hindered and you have to act 'Mature' the whole time?? (Made a lot of money from their movies and books)
Twilight.....yeah. (Made a lot of money from their movies and books)
The level of unwarranted self-importance on this one, yeesh.
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That's no good at all. I don't care what age group the book was aimed at, if it's a good story, I'm going to read it and I am not embarrassed about it. Heck, if I want to read a book written for infants, I'm going to do it and nobody can say anything. If this guy is so offended seeing certain books in my or anyone else's hands, he can look the other way!
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It's an article that was written and published to get a reaction. This will probably be posted on Reddit, tons of people are going to read it, the page is going to get a huge traffic spike, and some of those people are probably going to bookmark this guys page so they can keep going back to it and feel like they have something to feel self righteous about.
Don't follow the link, don't leave a comment, don't give the guy the time of day. It's a troll who wants attention. Ignore it.
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Adults
should read adult books. read what they want to because they have earned that right, as adults.
This guy is probably just mad that HE didn't come up with something like Twilight, Harry Potter, etc., and make a gazillion dollars. :razz:
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Don't you love when hipsters insult books they've never read? And this is going to sound random, but is it a thing we're supposed to be impressed by when someone knows who David Foster Wallace is? I've been hearing hip youngsters tossing his name around a lot lately. I mean, I know who David Foster Wallace is. I've read some of his work. Am I supposed to be thinking I'm better than everyone else now? Because if I'm entitled to smart-people treatment because of this, then I'd like to know!
:rain: This guy is waiting for my sarcasm to die down
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Don't you love when hipsters insult books they've never read? And this is going to sound random, but is it a thing we're supposed to be impressed by when someone knows who David Foster Wallace is? I've been hearing hip youngsters tossing his name around a lot lately. I mean, I know who David Foster Wallace is. I've read some of his work. Am I supposed to be thinking I'm better than everyone else now? Because if I'm entitled to smart-people treatment because of this, then I'd like to know!
:rain: This guy is waiting for my sarcasm to die down
I bought a house so I'd have a lawn to tell the hip youngsters to get off of it! j/k, but I'm so over having to be cool, and I would hope that most "adults" are as well, while we're on the subject of adults and what they should or should not do :)
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he's being a presumptuous twizzle, everyone should have the right to read whatever they want
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The guy sounds artsy-fartsy to me. He can keep his world of layers upon layers of modernist psychobabble and symbolism that isn't really there, thank you very much. Believe me, I'm an English major, and I was forced to read a bunch of critically acclaimed nonsense that just seemed like a load of crap to me. In my experience, people like this who get a kick out bragging about their own highly developed literary palettes don't have any real wisdom to offer about finding a good pathway in life. They're usually as poorly adjusted as the messed up characters in the books they read. They may sound smart, but their lives are almost always a total disaster.
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Do you know what this guy said after he wrote this article?
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Poor muggles. I feel bad for them.
But they do make me laugh :lmao:
Also, I would read Horton Hears a Who on a plane. And I would read it in the rain. And on a train or in a tree, Seuss is just that good, you see.
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As someone who "grew out of" kids and YA books earlier than a lot of others, I completely disagree with this article. Sometimes you need "fluff" and you need "children's books". They can pull you out of a hectic world and bring you into one where there is no foe to be defeated or where good always triumphs over evil. In the same way that catching a children's show in the AM can often remind and help re-institute ideals forgotten or buried under a heap of stress (such as be kind to others, appreciate the small things). Books can offer the same advantage.
The only real reason I don't read YA books myself is because I often find them holding less detail, paragraphs more like that of a screenplay than of a long book. I'm also very into the urban fantasy genre and found far too many books focus on a love story than the actual urban fantasy. Though, that's not always true.
Other than being more intricately detailed/written with longer word content, the only real difference between YA and "adult" novels is maturity content. Adult novels often deal with worries of the world outside of high school and deal with matters like sex in a more frank discussion. You often tend to have darker/edgier stories... YA in itself has become grittier over the years as compared to some of the novels written for the same age group a decade or so ago. Much more like it's adult counterparts. In some ways I find that good, but in other ways it is a bit disheartening.
I don't read YA much anymore, but I absolutely adored The Hunger Games and thought it was an excellent read. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, genre label, and certainly if you haven't even bothered to read it at all.
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I'll admit there are times I get a craving to read a YA book that has a high school setting. But stupidly, I feel like I am going for something that I'm not 'supposed' to, like I shouldn't enjoy something for the younger crowd. But oh, how I love high school stories!
I need to just get over it and read some! Ooooh....forsee a trip to Barnes and Noble soon!
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Here's a literati's opinion. Take it or leave it.
A lot of "adult" fiction is crap these days anyway. YA books are the last bastion of well-written fiction, I've found. Give me Redwall, Harry Potter, or the Hunger Games series over the latest snore-fest of a James Patterson or Nicholas Sparks book.
(My apologies to any fans of the latter two authors. I just can't get down with their work.)
It's also worth mentioning that many classic novels were originally intended as work for children or young people. Lewis Carroll or Charles Dickens, anyone? Even Gabriel Garcia Marquez wrote stories for children which are now lauded as literary classics.
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I feel sorry for him and his incredibly boring life. He's obviously lost contact with his inner child and doesn't know how to have fun.
Excuse me while I gleefully plan another trip to Disneyland (we have no kids) and re-read the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce :biggrin:
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Excuse me while I gleefully plan another trip to Disneyland (we have no kids) and re-read the Tortall books by Tamora Pierce :biggrin:
Ah, I adored Song of the Lioness when I was younger and read the Protector of the Small series when I was... 16 I think? Is there any other particular books in that universe/by Ms. Pierce you would recommend?
Now I'm getting the urge to read The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Corville. Oh, two new (and final) books came out for the series. Hmmm. Guess those'll be going on my wish list.
Um, what was I saying about usually reading adult fiction? :P
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wow.. who cares what anyone likes to read o__o that article is just.. wow
i almost always read YA books and im 26, im sorry i just love fantasy thats not so so serious, some of my favorite series are, "magyc" by angie sage, "the edge chronicals" by paul stewart, "monster blood tattoo" by D.M. cornish... i also love the "warriors" series but iv finished them T.T haha i dont care WHAT people think of me when they see me reading these books :p and honestly if they dont like it then i dont need em XD
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I am always bothered when people think that things need an age range. Nothing needs to be stamped with a certain age. I mean think about the fact that everyone here in this community, collects toys made for children. We all enjoy what we do and it makes us incredibly happy! And books are the same way. I see no problem in reading a book made for a younger age group. They can be just as well written and just as well thought out as any "adult book". I think people should always do what makes them happy and stop worrying about whether you are "too old" for something. You are never to old to make yourself smile.
Actually, young adult books are my favorite genre because they are so well written. I don't know what his problem is. I have a whole book club dedicated to reading books made for middle schoolers and high schoolers.
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My mom read the Harry Potter series to me when I was younger. As I got older, we would each read a chapter or two aloud to the other person. That, to me, was one of the greatest bonding experiences of my life. And we both lord the books! She also read the Hunger Games at the same time I did. Think she tried Twilight, but didn't get too far lol.
Bottom line is, why shouldn't adults be allowed to enjoy YA books? And just because something is "for adults" doesn't automatically make it more deep/ intelligent.
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@Zannid: try her Immortals series as well. love them!
im refusing to get up on my soapbox for this idiot. besides, everyone has already said everything i had to say, and much prettier, with apostrophes and stuff too!
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This reminds me of that dumb commercial where a guy is eating that chicken noodle soup with the star shaped noodles and his brother mocks him for liking something so kiddy, and then whips out, I dunno, a can of Progresso's chicken noodle soup or something.
What's so bad about continuing to like something you liked as a kid?
I read adult books, I watch adult documentaries, blah blah blah, but I also love rereading The Hundred and One Dalmatians or Harry Potter. Sorry, I didn't realize it was an offense against nature in this guy's eyes. Oh noes!
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It's true, this guy's mind would be forever altered if he stood too close to my bookshelves.
"Oh... My.... GAAAAWD! You've - you've shelved Arabian Nights next to the Bible! And augh! Babysitters Club books next to Tolkien! Stop, no, not the Isaac Asimov on the First Muppet Dictionary!"
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I prefer YA fiction a lot of the time over "adult books" because to me, most adult books are BORING. I love books written about talking animals or more fantastic things like that... For some reason, not many adult authors write about these.
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Now I'm getting the urge to read The Unicorn Chronicles by Bruce Corville. Oh, two new (and final) books came out for the series. Hmmm. Guess those'll be going on my wish list.
Yes, you must get them! I picked up those 2 last year, and loved it! So glad the series was finally finished. I won't spoil it, but what happens to Clara near the end I never saw coming but is great!
:heart:
I keep meaning to make "Luster" in MindCraft, heehee.
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LOL he published a book !!! did anypony noticed it's title??
LOL
this might be a way for him to promote it.
BLEH!
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I understand where this guy is coming from. Two of my partner's cousins ran out to see that newest Twilight movie on the first day it was out. I felt completely and utterly embarrassed for them--one is 32, the other is 27.
But that's because it's Twilight. I do agree that teen romance novels really aren't appropriate if you're over the age of 18, but I'm not going to tell people what to read.
Harry Potter is just another fantasy story, so I don't see it as "kiddy" as Twilight even though it may well be (never read it or watched it). Hunger Games I know nothing about, either.
But, for some reason, I feel that Dr. Seuss is probably better than all of the aforementioned. :P I'd rather be caught reading The Lorax than Twilight.
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It's an article that was written and published to get a reaction. This will probably be posted on Reddit, tons of people are going to read it, the page is going to get a huge traffic spike, and some of those people are probably going to bookmark this guys page so they can keep going back to it and feel like they have something to feel self righteous about.
Don't follow the link, don't leave a comment, don't give the guy the time of day. It's a troll who wants attention. Ignore it.
This...It's ridiculous satire. He writes satirical articles quite often, apparently. I don't think he really believes this. He's just trying to be ridiculous and write to get a rise out of people.
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Okay, that person is just a plain idiot who has no idea how to live.
You read what you want. Period.
Second of all, it is perfectly alright to read youth fiction just as it's perfectly fine to read children's illustrated books. If you see an adult reading these somewhere, have you ever stopped to consider that maybe, just maybe, that person actually writes things like those, thus, has to read those types of books as well? Even if that is not the case, how about being a bit less judgmental?
Third of all, The Hunger Games is NOT for kids. It's a late teens/young adults series. It has BLOOD and GORE, people DIE in as many imaginable ways possible and it is quite interesting on many levels, if may I add. Same for Harry Potter, since you can tell the story grew from a fantasy thing for kids to something more mature over time.
Also, "I appreciate that adults occasionally watch Pixar movies or play video games. That’s fine. Those media don’t require much of your brains. Books are one of our few chances to learn. There’s a reason my teachers didn’t assign me to go home and play three hours of Donkey Kong."
This is clearly stated by someone who doesn't understand crap about animation nor has never even been close to video games. This person is assuming far too much because you CAN learn a lot from animation and games as well and books are NOT the few chances to learn at all.
Seriously, from which hole did this person come from?! D: And people like this have far too much attention nowadays.
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Check this article out, where he complains that Indian inmigrants now live in his old hometown: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1999416,00.html
He's also been plugging a book he wrote called "Man Made: A Stupid Quest for Masculinity", the title of which should make obvious what the rest is about. To me he doesn't come off as a highbrow hipster, more a bigoted right-wing zealot who would like it better if everyone in the world was a white American male.
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Wait, are you positive this is satire? I hope it is, but I'm not sure...
Not only was the book thing insulting, but also the remark about video games not requiring the use of your brain. This ***** has obviously never played Zelda or Portal. Those games break my brain all the time! Even Kirby games have their moments!
Why is it so hard for some people to respect others' opinions? Adults reading the books mentioned are not hurting anyone, so leave them alone. Simple as that!
Edit: Yeah, total satire, total troll. The article Domingo posted proves that when he starts talking about all the "cool" things he did as a teenager. Can I have a bat to hit this person with? You know, just so I can knock some sense into him?
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I'm curious to know what he means by adult books? Does he mean books that are written for adults regardless if they have any themes, symbolism, or what not or books that you read for literary purposes?
Anyways, I'm not much of a reader, but when I do read it's for fun. Though, I do find my tastes skewing to older literature rather than more modern stuff, so I can't really comment on adult vs young adult fiction. :unsure:
Is currently on a King Arthur kick right now, and it's interesting, I found myself enjoying The Once and Future King and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight more now then back in high school and college when I was required to read them. Though, in the case of The Once and Future King, having to read that sucker in just four days because I didn't realize that the Myth and Legend class had a required summer reading list and the test was within the first week we got back might have something to do with my enjoyment of it.
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I'm an author. I write stories in an area between child and adult. (possibly young adult, haven't gotten a successful coverletter so I'm unsure) But oh my goodness.
Someone on the internet telling me I'm not allowed to read what I want to read? Really?
I read whatever is in the subject matter of my interests, whether that be picture book for easy reader or a classic revered by millions.
Apparently my favorite book series is for youth. I always thought tDiR could be enjoyed by everyone but it's listed as youth.
By this person's logic I shouldn't be reading it!?
Gahhhhh. I am so very offended right now. People need to mind their own business.
You can't tell me what the f-RAINBOWS I can and can't read thank you very much.