BigWords

I haven't updated much (with Christmas interrupting my schedule), but I promise to update more often: Gary James (BigWords) on Goodreads

It makes a difference from the conversations I have most of my co-workers... One actually asked why I even buy books in the first place as "they all end up getting made into films anyway. It's quicker just to watch the film." I had to restrain myself in case I did anything he would regret.

Wall-E. Don't judge me.

I'm still entirely unconvinced that the economic downturn (cited in the last issue) is to blame, so time investment and attention span seem to be the prime contenders for the real reason. Of course, this means that there is doubt over anyone brave enough to wade into the market with a substitute title now. I've been thinking about this for a while, letting the notion sink in, and it seems to me that the digital community is replacing traditional sources of information. The time investment is probably connected (though not inextricably linked, as some suggest) to the increase in hours people are working - people find time for their hobbies any way they can, and as companies are beginning to cut down on overtime this will see an increase in hobbies being taken up. I still can't square away any of the reasons for the circulation to drop to a point where continued publication of a leading title is considered uneconomical. At some point I will begin looking for a replacement to satisfy my curiosity, but at the moment I'm relying on websites for details of forthcoming titles. Oh, and those "trashy" novels? There a reason I get them digitally where I can. The benefits of downloading titles over picking up physical copies of books lies (thus far) solely in titles with no lasting merit - not that they aren't fun to read - and which would in all likelihood be handed into a charity shop or some such. The best reason I can think of to buy books this way is that very often the author will take a bigger cut of the money.

Odd And The Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman.

This thread is slightly worrying. If I answer honestly, then I run the risk of revealing the extent of my addiction love of books, though refusing to acknowledge the existence of this thread would be ample ammunition for people to cite denial on my part. Hmm... So many things to consider. Do I adjust down, so that it seems a normal expenditure? Nah, that wouldn't do anyone any good. *sigh* This means I am forced to check through my receipts and look at my ever-growing collection to work out exactly how far down the rabbit-hole I've gone. *adds up numbers on fingers* Roughly a hundred and twenty a month seems about right. Before I get any disapproving looks, I must point out that it is less expensive than a drug addiction.

I'm watching Santa Claus: The Movie for some reason I can't quite fathom...

Welcome to the BCF. Is it generally thought-provoking fiction you are drawn to, or is there room in your reading list for philosophical texts as well?

Welcome to the BCF. Being stuck in a house full of non-readers must be a nightmare. At least you have us to talk to about books now.

Welcome to the BCF.

*hangs head in shame* I have never picked up the originals, only the translations. Some of the translations are fine, though the tone of others are less so. There's a set of his novels in a slipcase (in the original French) which has been re-released a few times now, and it is probably time that I bought it...

Joseph Campbell made some good points, though his books have largely become a how to guide for authors to use in the creation of new works. There is something of a backlash against the Hero's Journey format being slavishly followed in new fiction. There are so many books lumped in together as 'classics' that it seems anything is open for inclusion as long as it is of a certain age. I prefer to view titles on their own benefits rather than looking for something in them which might not be there. There is also the consideration of both moral dissonance and archaic terms to overcome if a work is to be truly approachable by the modern reader; reasons largely given for the disappointing breadth of literary knowledge in some school-leavers. A minor (but very important) part of why I refuse to buy current reprints of classics has to do with the covers. I know this has been brought up before (and if someone wants to add the link for that thread, it would help my argument): wrapping a horrible sub-Twilight cover onto something which has managed to sell well for hundreds of years isn't merely a case of pandering to the audience, it is disrespectful to the work and displays a level of arrogance in branding. The novels which are considered 'classics' are NOT tie-in novels, nor should they be marketed as such. Also, regardless of whatever textbooks are suggesting now, the historical use of the term "classic" requires a text to have been in publication, or at least widely read, for no less than one hundred years before the status can be conferred upon it. As much as I would like to call some works published after 1910 classics, I can't quite bring myself to do that.

Rather than something such as a typical modern mystery (with added Leonardo Da Vinci / Knights Templars / ancient conspiracies, etc.) or J.K. Rowling, the greatest schism in opinion can best be found in something which is generally held as "universally beloved" - anything by Shakespeare, Charles Dickens or similar will suffice. Just spend a couple of hours reading opinions ranging from the great adoration right down to petty insults about the author's parentage, and the way people approach texts becomes abundantly clear. The rise in the use of books which set out "preferred readings" have largely shaped opinion about certain works - whether rightly or wrongly - and a great number of people simply parrot off the views of others without considering how they are affected by a work. Also, because it seems to be a recurring theme in literature, there are certain styles of writing which swing in and out of favor massively - the epistolary, for example, was a staple of many readers for the better part of a hundred years, then went out of favor, then back in, and will probably continue to go in and out of favor evermore. On a smaller scale, tastes can change over time, and something which seems deep and meaningful in your teens will often turn out to be a wangst-laden stream of emo wailing - particularly prominent in this category is some of the works of J.D. Salinger (arguments have been raging ever since Catcher In The Rye was first published, and there is no end in sight for that). Changes in situation can improve your mood on some novels which focus on particular moments in a persons life.

Yes, me (don't act surprised) - I was deeply offended at the suggestion that Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen had a script, which was referred to a few times on the commentary track.

Would it be all too predictable for me to say Flashman? Yes, I would hide when there are bullets flying around... If some idiot wants to attribute hero status, then I'm totally gonna take credit.

A word of warning to anyone who picks the book up - do NOT expect the novel to be faithful to the original. He's taken quite a few liberties with the story, and Kim Newman's use of Dracula (ironically, given the Anno Dracula series) actually feels more like the spiritual successor to the original.

That "younger and rougher" tone may not be to King's liking - there was a comment somewhere about him re-writing (parts?) of the earlier books to bring the tone of the series into a uniform style. It wouldn't be the first time that a remastered edition of his books has appeared (The Stand, although very nice, didn't exactly dispense with all of the editing problems the first edition suffered), and I have a dreadful feeling he will turn into George Lucas if left unchecked...

Book And Magazine Collector, a leading reference publication, has come to an end as of issue No. 328 (Christmas 2010), marking the end of an era for many book collectors. The publication ends, suitably, with some ghost stories (because it's Christmas) and I can't help but get the feeling that this is one title whose ghost will continue to haunt bookshops with thoughts of what may have been... I will be the first to admit to choosing certain issues over others - I didn't pick up some of the issues with a more modern emphasis - but the occasional delve into truly rare and beautiful books were amongst my favorite articles published in any magazine over the last couple of years. The Editorial has the following remark: That first part, especially - a decline in book collecting - struck me as odd. When you consider that the economic situation means that more people will be reading instead of (for example) going to the cinema, or day trips to the shops, or taking trips to other parts of the UK - in short, any activity which costs money - then it seems that reading would be on the uptake. I can't wrap my head around the logic that an economic crisis, which has improved in recent months, is to blame. I'll take their word that the situation is dire enough to warrant a cancellation of a title which has improved so dramatically in what is quite a short space of time, going squarebound, with added color pages, more biographical data, elements of cultural commentary and a much more attractive cover design. This may not seem like such a big deal, but if you take a moment to think about the things which the title has survived - the turbulent 1970s, the Thatcher era of quantity over quality, the dumbing down of news in the last decade or so - the standard to which it aspired becomes even more of a cultural loss for Britain, and the book world as a whole. I may have to start buying newspapers for their book sections, though I am loathe to spend money on newspapers... We desperately need some kind of a replacement for the title, before the heritage of serious book information in a monthly publication is lost forever. Something akin to a literary Smash Hits or NME just wouldn't be the same...