More on YA
I share this with hesitancy because I’m not sure if I want to get caught up in this. It only frustrates me, really. On the other hand, I feel like I need to speak my mind if only for myself.
Anyway, a couple of days ago I wrote a post about an attitude toward YA literature I’ve been encountering lately. Since then, it has only gotten worse. The New Yorker Book Bench column started a three series review of a YA novel. Now, while I am very glad they chose to review a YA novel in their column, thus spreading the word about these great books, their attitude pretty much canceled out the positive aspect of it.
It is very obvious to me that none of the writers in these pieces have read much YA literature. Their blanket statements are offensive and just plain wrong. I’m completely in agreement with people having their own opinion about things, but do some research first. Don’t write a review about a book, make blanket statements about its genre you know nothing about and proclaim it as accuracy. I would think on a website like The New Yorker, this type of thing would just not happen. I was wrong.
Not only is the attitude toward YA literature disdainful and quite offensive, their attitude towards teens themselves and those who read YA literature is degrading. As though “young readers” do not have the mental capacity to understand complex themes or enjoy 3D characters. As if “young readers” are not really people yet and adults shouldn’t expect more form them than petty, self-obsessed actions. They make it apparent they know nothing about teens and don’t remember what it’s like to be one themselves.
Here are some of the comments:
And, really, deep down aren’t all Y.A. written to make bookish kids feel better about being bookish?
My answer: No.
They’re perfect evidence of another characteristic of Y.A. literature: condescending to the reader.
My answer: Sorry, but NO. If you’d researched YA literature, you would realize this is wrong. Sure, some YA might be condescending to the reader, but the YA I’m reading, which is a lot by the way, is most definitely not condescending in the least.
I tend to think of young-adult fiction as sort of facile—a straightforward style, uncomplicated themes and morals..
My answer: Like I said before, you really do need to go out and read some YA.
I assume that anything branded “young adult” needs to have a plotline that captures a teen’s attention, and also needs to be not too long or challenging.
My answer: This is just wrong. I mean, have you seen Harry Potter novels? They’re bigger than my head. And this doesn’t apply to just HP. There are many, many YA novels in the 500-page area. Those popular Twilight books you mentioned? Those aren’t short books either. Nor are quite a number of other very popular YA novels which you probably haven’t heard of because you did zero research. Or course, some are shorter, just like adult novels. Length is not what makes them YA. Also, teens are reading Shakespeare and really heavy stuff in high school. They can handle challenging. They like challenging.
I still can’t imagine kids Lily’s age actually reaching for this book over “Tropic of Cancer.”
My answer: This quote was in regards to a teen picking up this particular YA novel over Tropic of Cancer. Which again, just illustrates how much these writers don’t know about teens. They are picking up books in the YA section. If you’d done any research at all, you’d know this.
If you want to read the articles, here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
I feel like I should end this with some sort of closing statement, but I have nothing except: If you’re going to write a piece where you make blanket derogatory statements about a certain type of literature, at least make sure you’ve read some of it first.
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Comments
Differing opinions aside, the really depressing part is that, like you said, The New Yorker just didn’t seem to worry about accuracy in this one.
I’ll probably never read the novel they’re discussing, simply because I’ve never really been a fan of contemporary novels about the super privileged–whether it’s YA or Adult–but to assume that it’s “condescending” and “uncomplicated” just because it is written for teens is just lame.
I hate all of this hierarchical labeling that goes on. But, I guess it makes it easier to dismiss something out of hand if you can label it as “other.”
YA novels are definately not condescending in the least bit, at least not the stuff I write. You are not the only one upset by this article, and that is for good reason. The author of the article did not do his homework. If you want to read a book for young readers tat isnot condescending check out my book on amazon or on my website (the name of the book and my website are listed below).
Tony Peters
Author of, Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://www.eloquentbooks.com/KidonaCase.html
Wow. Just…wow. I don’t really have any coherent response to this, even though I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve seen this attitude far too often. From close friends, even. From the New Yorker, though…ugh.
This reminds me of an article I read a few months back in the Times–and why didn’t I blog about it? No idea. I might now. But it mostly addressed the attitudes of authors of other genres toward YA writers. If you want to be both pissed off at the world and proud of the company you keep, go here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/books/review/Rabb-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&sq=YA&st=cse&scp=1
(apologies for the lack of html and linkiness–I’m just about off to bed, and my brain is too fuzzy for it!)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news on this, but The New Yorker is consistently wrong about the things it prints and is not all that different from papers/magazines that are more obvious about their wrongness. Granted, you’re right that they shouldn’t be that way, but The New Yorker is not nearly as reputable as you might have hoped for.
I admit, even though I’ve seen a lot of people talking about this recently, I haven’t followed the links. To me, it sounds like after decades of slamming the romance genre, the pseudo-intellectuals decided to pick on YA, too. Feh. Some people just feel the need to seem superior, as if by putting down others it somehow raises their opinion of themselves.
Kind of reminds one of middle school. Maybe they should have read more YA back then so they could cope now. ;o)
I’m just glad that fans of YA are not afraid to speak up on its behalf.
Beth Fehlbaum, author
Courage in Patience, a story of hope for those who have endured abuse
http://courageinpatience.blogspot.com
Ch. 1 is online!
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