What exactly is the role of the writer in any literature genre? Does the writer provide a glimpse into the world as it stands, realistically harsh and humbling, or does the writer instead supply us with a more perfect world, where the story has a clear-cut ending and the resolution is reasonable to expect? I usually prefer fiction that offers a poetic twist on the harder reality of life. I do not enjoy a tidy wrap-up to a complex plotline. (I also do not like romantic comedies, but I digress.)
For these reasons, Lauren Myracle's Shine was a bit tough to accept consistently. The novel opens with a newspaper article describing a recent hate crime that left a young man in a coma; from there, we go on to meet our narrator, a young woman (and friend of the victim) who determines to discover the truth of the events leading up to the beating.
I take issue with the narrator being a straight white girl with limited experience in the world of sex and drugs. More importantly, I take issue with the presumption of power taken on by the narrator (and the writer by extension) by not giving a voice to the homosexual characters in the novel. Ultimately, I am curious about the writer's purpose in telling the story as she did, and why the characters more directly affected by the crime were only allowed to speak through the perception of the narrator.
I suppose this would be an opportune time to discuss the issue of first-person versus third-person narratives. Any thoughts?
You go girl, go ahead and speak your mind -- it's one of the many things we, your cohort, love about you. But, I digress...(and, since we're digessing, no romantic comedies in casa de Anna either). :) Of course, now that that I consider it, I'm not so much digressing as procrastinating, for you pose intriguing (and difficult) questions my dear...With regards to the role of the of writer, who am I to say? Nevertheless, in the interst of tossing in my two cents, I'd be willing to argue that the authorial role is to do all that you suggest as well as none of it -- and everything in between. In other words, it's an individual dance between the author and each reader at any given point in time (i.e. a book might rock our world during a certain point in our lives, but when revisited later, strike us as simple suckage--if that makes sense). In reference to "Shine," I haven't read it since last year, but from what I recall, I was left more wanting than satisfied. I personally wasn't bothered so much by the narrator being a straight and naive white chick (as that profile is reflective of a significant portion of the population) as I was by the fact that she was, quite simply a pretty crappy friend. (I readily admit that I have a hard time with books in which no one strikes me as particularly empathetic). Thus, I whole-heartedly agree that a main detraction point was our inability to get even a mere glimpse of the victim's side. Of course, that may have been intentional -- no idea, but if so, I'd be interested to hear Myracle explain the why. What I did like about the book -- it's a wonderful conversation starter on many a not button issue (gay rights, hate crime, sexual assault, coming-of-age, the meaning of friendship, the list is endless). I also find the cover art curious -- doesn't really match the story does it, but again, I sort of like that -- I know for a fact that teen readers are as sucked in by the visual component of a text as I am, and it almost seems as if it's an intentional attempt to reel in readers who might otherwise walk away (i.e. romantic comedy chick lit readers) -- an idea I kind of enjoy.
ReplyDeletep.s. sorry for the grammar and run-on sentences -- i like to take liberties. :)
Oops, I almost forgot -- I also wanted to give you a head's up about a book I think you might appreciate (enjoy not being the right word -- you'll see why) that's going to be published in Sept.
ReplyDeleteFollow the yellow brick road...http://www.amazon.com/October-Mourning-Song-Matthew-Shepard/dp/146920651X/ref=tmm_abk_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1338767455&sr=1-1
Thank you, Anna! I do appreciate titles like October Mourning. I saw the Laramie Project at the Overture Center nearly ten years ago, and it impacted me beyond articulation. Perhaps presenting Shine alongside the reality of Matthew Shepard's killing, followed by some clips from the "It Gets Better" campaign would provide a decent survey of modern perceptions of homosexuality...?
DeleteI like what you said about the cover art, because I was also a bit confused by its presence throughout the book -- plus the day-marker pages that depicted a desolate black-and-white scene "in the sticks". I never would have thought of the "chick lit" afficionados being drawn in by the cover...I admit, I was trepidatious about the novel from the get-go because of the cover!
I really like what you noted about the hot button issues -- I definitely chose to focus on the teen homosexuality/hate crime aspect, but there is much, much more going on in the novel. :)
I just wanted to put my two cents in here. While I completely agree and appreciate what both of you have stated here in your comments, I do want to play a bit of the devil's advocate.
ReplyDeleteI think we need to remember who the intended audience is. Young adults, primarily teenagers (impressionable, hormonal, developing minds) are taking these books and they need a way to connect to them. They need a book, spoken by someone like them, to really take the true lesson from within its pages. By telling the story from a young, naive, white girl, who gains power throughout the story, the author is empowering the youth. I think that is key here. There are two aligning themes, acceptance and the power to be who you are. I think that writing this in the first person allows the young adult reader to become connected to and empowered by the book. That they have the POWER to make a change in the world.
With that being said, I feel that the cover art (as you two have discussed) is doing a disservice to captivating a larger audience. A high school boy for instance, (perhaps a very important demographic who should read this type of book) would not be caught dead carrying around a book with a flower glowing on the front.
Supplemental books would be necessary to capture the same messages and themes that this book portrays if we are trying to get the same messages to the boys as to the girls.
Thank you, Kim! I do have a tendency to lose sight of the intended audience -- I often prefer to get fired up for the sake of it. I agree about the potential message of empowerment in the novel...but I still don't care for details of the presentation. I'd be interested in seeing how a different writer would handle such variety of subject matter. Or perhaps a second read would give me a different perspective. And yes, the cover art is unfortunately alienating toward its intended audience.
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