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50 Best Author vs Author Put-Downs


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I found this article earlier and it's really interesting to see how authors over the years have spoken of their fellow authors. This is a list of the 50 best author vs author put-downs of all time, and it's a bit surprising!

 

http://www.examiner.com/book-in-national/the-50-best-author-vs-author-put-downs-of-all-time

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Its a bit surprising to see just how forceful some of the comments are, and most are coming from great, timeless authors! We all know Mark Twain was a bit of a jerk in real life, so its not surprising to see his name on the list of 'according to's. This one made me want to smack the computer though.

 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, according to Edward Fitzgerald (1861)She and her sex had better mind the kitchen and her children; and perhaps the poor; except in such things as little novels, they only devote themselves to what men do much better, leaving that which men do worse or not at all.

 

 

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I love Jane Austen but this quote does crack me up:

 

Jane Austen, according to Mark Twain (1898)

 

I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read 'Pride and Prejudice,' I want to dig her up and hit her over the skull with her own shin-bone.

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I remember King causing quite a stir when he said 'The difference between Stephenie Meyer and Joanne Rowling is that Meyer can't write worth a darn' :lol: He did say a bit more which was complimentary towards Twilight though but people just pick up that quote and assume he is jealous of someone stealing his attention or something.

Edited by Rawr
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I remember when Terry Pratchett poked fun at JK Rowling for saying she did not realise she was writing a fantasy novel [obviously wrt Harry Potter].

 

He wrote to the Sunday Times:

 

"I would have thought that the wizards, witches, trolls, unicorns, hidden worlds... would have given her a clue?"

 

Personally, I liked that, a lot!

 

 

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Its a bit surprising to see just how forceful some of the comments are, and most are coming from great, timeless authors! We all know Mark Twain was a bit of a jerk in real life, so its not surprising to see his name on the list of 'according to's. This one made me want to smack the computer though.

 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, according to Edward Fitzgerald (1861)She and her sex had better mind the kitchen and her children; and perhaps the poor; except in such things as little novels, they only devote themselves to what men do much better, leaving that which men do worse or not at all.

 

Unfortunately, this was what most male authors (and just males) thought at that time, Lily! :blush: I guess it was just socially unacceptable, probably because women didn't have the educational opportunities that men had, so they were supposed to be more stupid. I specifically remember Southey (I think) telling Charlotte Bronte to give up writing because she was a woman. Dear Jesus, imagine if they had...

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Unfortunately, this was what most male authors (and just males) thought at that time, Lily! :blush: I guess it was just socially unacceptable, probably because women didn't have the educational opportunities that men had, so they were supposed to be more stupid. I specifically remember Southey (I think) telling Charlotte Bronte to give up writing because she was a woman. Dear Jesus, imagine if they had...

 

That's very true! It's really amazing how things have changed in the literary world the last 100-150 years with women writing, books being mass published and distributed and now the internet/eBook market. The theory these days is that if you want to write something, regardless of your 'class', age, race or gender is that you go for it and make it the best you can. It doesn't matter where you came from, you just do it.

 

Rawr, I remember hearing about the Meyer/King thing back when it happened. There was a LOT of backlash against King, which is surprising with how popular of an author he is (and the fact that his comment was pretty darn true regarding her writing.)

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I love Jane Austen but this quote does crack me up:

 

Jane Austen, according to Mark Twain (1898)

 

I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read 'Pride and Prejudice,' I want to dig her up and hit her over the skull with her own shin-bone.

 

This was my favourite too :D

 

Thanks Abby! I've had myself a good little chuckle :D

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