Literary vs. commercial novels - CrimeSpace2024-03-29T06:10:12Zhttp://crimespace.ning.com/forum/topics/literary-vs-commercial-novels?commentId=537324%3AComment%3A257875&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI'm very much afraid that thi…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-05:537324:Comment:2675262011-02-05T22:00:57.329ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
<p>I'm very much afraid that this is what happens when anyone mentions my name in the UK, and I have a British publisher. Not that I've ever had Chabon's success.</p>
<p>Now the French are tad more amenable to my books.</p>
<p>I'm very much afraid that this is what happens when anyone mentions my name in the UK, and I have a British publisher. Not that I've ever had Chabon's success.</p>
<p>Now the French are tad more amenable to my books.</p> Hi I.J. - I can see that, ord…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-05:537324:Comment:2675082011-02-05T21:24:04.151ZMark Porterhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MarkPorter
<p>Hi I.J. - I can see that, ordinarily, I get miffed when too many liberties are taken with historical fact. I did <em>l</em>ove <em>Yiddish Policemans Union,</em> however.</p>
<p>I probably helps that living across the pond means I am often insulated from the worst excesses of hype. I have no idea why it is but when I mention Chabon here, most people look at me blankly.</p>
<p>Hi I.J. - I can see that, ordinarily, I get miffed when too many liberties are taken with historical fact. I did <em>l</em>ove <em>Yiddish Policemans Union,</em> however.</p>
<p>I probably helps that living across the pond means I am often insulated from the worst excesses of hype. I have no idea why it is but when I mention Chabon here, most people look at me blankly.</p> I did try it. There was so m…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-04:537324:Comment:2672462011-02-04T18:56:19.536ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
I did try it. There was so much publicity about it at the time. But I couldn't get into it at all. I need my novels to be reality-based.
I did try it. There was so much publicity about it at the time. But I couldn't get into it at all. I need my novels to be reality-based. Ah, yes. Sorry. Alternate h…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-04:537324:Comment:2671982011-02-04T18:54:51.145ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Ah, yes. Sorry. Alternate history. My mind was elsewhere. :) I still don't relate well to that.
Ah, yes. Sorry. Alternate history. My mind was elsewhere. :) I still don't relate well to that. Only in the sense that Chabon…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-04:537324:Comment:2672062011-02-04T15:46:08.905ZMark Porterhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MarkPorter
Only in the sense that Chabon took as an historical reference and plot device that the Jews had been allowed to settle in Alaska, rather than Isreal. It has nothing at all to do with sci-fi. It is a brilliantly written, hard boiled noir detective story.
Only in the sense that Chabon took as an historical reference and plot device that the Jews had been allowed to settle in Alaska, rather than Isreal. It has nothing at all to do with sci-fi. It is a brilliantly written, hard boiled noir detective story. That one was an alternate uni…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-04:537324:Comment:2671892011-02-04T15:20:25.542ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
That one was an alternate universe story, wasn't it? I don't like SF.
That one was an alternate universe story, wasn't it? I don't like SF. I agree, I.J.
It comes down…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-04:537324:Comment:2670882011-02-04T08:47:49.685ZMark Porterhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MarkPorter
<p>I agree, I.J.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It comes down to taste when reading and pride when writing. Most of my work is comedy. The timing of the punchline and the set up require some work. It isn't accidental when people laugh out loud. Then again, some of them just seem to come from nowhere.</p>
<p>You are absolutely right, however. I would cite Michael Chabon's <em>Yiddish Policeman's Union</em> as a great crime plot, written in prose that I wanted to memorise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I agree, I.J.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It comes down to taste when reading and pride when writing. Most of my work is comedy. The timing of the punchline and the set up require some work. It isn't accidental when people laugh out loud. Then again, some of them just seem to come from nowhere.</p>
<p>You are absolutely right, however. I would cite Michael Chabon's <em>Yiddish Policeman's Union</em> as a great crime plot, written in prose that I wanted to memorise.</p>
<p> </p> Yes, but clearly there's no r…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-03:537324:Comment:2669912011-02-03T22:24:20.278ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Yes, but clearly there's no reason why any novel cannot be both. I will say that it takes a lot longer to get the language right, and publishers don't really pay enough to take that much trouble. For that matter, most readers just like to swallow the book, gristle and all.
Yes, but clearly there's no reason why any novel cannot be both. I will say that it takes a lot longer to get the language right, and publishers don't really pay enough to take that much trouble. For that matter, most readers just like to swallow the book, gristle and all. I once saw a TV interview wit…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2011-02-03:537324:Comment:2669892011-02-03T22:15:46.431ZMark Porterhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/MarkPorter
<p>I once saw a TV interview with Salman Rushdie in which he was asked to sum up the distinction. He said that a great literary novel is often beautifully written but short on plot and a great poplar novel is often brilliantly plotted but badly written.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I like both. It always depends what I am in the mood for. In terms of writing, I just do what comes naturally.</p>
<p>I once saw a TV interview with Salman Rushdie in which he was asked to sum up the distinction. He said that a great literary novel is often beautifully written but short on plot and a great poplar novel is often brilliantly plotted but badly written.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I like both. It always depends what I am in the mood for. In terms of writing, I just do what comes naturally.</p> Got to have spirit! And sales…tag:crimespace.ning.com,2010-12-30:537324:Comment:2595712010-12-30T18:54:32.640ZI. J. Parkerhttp://crimespace.ning.com/profile/Ingpark
Got to have spirit! And sales are lousy for a lot of us.
Got to have spirit! And sales are lousy for a lot of us.