Re: the literary life
Thor Cameron (my_colours@hotmail.com)
Thu, 08 Oct 1998 17:43:38 -0700 (PDT)
Hi, Camille,
First let me say that when I state that I am in high umbrage, I want you
to know that I'm sayinng this in good humour. I have noticed a few
touchy people here, well, everyone has their touchy points, I guess.
Anyway, I'm not one of the overly-sensitive types, no backpedalling
required.
I have taken note of your postings, however, and thought that Plath
would be a good point for me to take a stand.
Yes, you're right, no matter how big & expensive my house is in
SylviaPlathLand, I must admit that The Bell Jar is in the lower rent
district. Still, there are some interesting people that live on the
wrong side of the tracks.
I'll be the first to admit that, though her poetry is like a bleeding
angel, her prose is a bit lacking stylisticly. However, the point, I
thought, needed to be made that the content of a book can be, and in
this case truly is, far better that the actual words used to tell the
story.
I'm rambling now because I've just finished Catcher yesterday.
Although I read it years ago, this is the first time I've been able to
really read it. Also, I'm sure you know, I'm in Will's class, and
today, we went over some really terbulennt stuff that still has my
stomach all knotted up.
It's kind of strange, but in class sometimes, and most especially today,
I felt so vulnerable, so moved, and it's almost oscene for Salinger to
do that to me in public. Posting here is much safer.
I'll close now, though I want to post so much more.
After today's class I just want to curl up with a blanket and a hot cup
of cocoa.
Will introduced me to SaligerLand both in class and online.
Thanks, Will.
Namaste,
Thor
> OK, Camille,
>
> I'm in high umbrage and feel that I must take issue with you on
several
> points. You see, I built a very large house in SylviaPlathLand and
live
> there frequently.
> First, Bell Jar is in No Way a "female catcher".
Oh, don't worry - I in NO WAY made or could see this analogy - it's just
something I read somewhere. This is the sort of analogy people make so
librarians can know which books they should nestle together on the
Paperback stand. I was curious to read it to see whether this analogy
stood
up, and I definitely thought it didn't at all.
> Secondly, although like Salinger, Plath drew upon her experiences with
> being committed, etc., Bell Jar is, ultimately a work of fiction.
Plath
> herself was the first to stand up and say that the cruel, controlling
> mother that she wrote about was not her mother, who she was very close
> to. Yes, there is insight into Plath in that book, but careful how
far
> you take that.
> Lastly, "mediocre"? Well, no accounting for taste, I suppose. I will
> grant you that her writing style was not the best that I've read.
I think Plath is a very fine poet. But a fine poet does not a novelist
make. Phillip Larkin wanted to be a novelist, but *his* novel was
mediocre.
TS Eliot wrote some of the world's best poetry but some of the world's
most
mannered and inscrutable theatre. The point I was making was about the
point to which a writer should or does use their own life, and the
division
between autobiography and utilisation. I think Plath stepped over the
line
into autobiography - she was simply putting her own thoughts into the
mouth
of a representative character - whereas Salinger seems to use his own
experiences in a manner more akin to sculpture than assemblage.
I was expecting to enjoy the book, too. I put it down to experience, but
I
think Plath was a far better poet than novelist.
No umbrage should be taken! I'm sure you're not keen on some of my
favourite reading material too (:
Camille
verona_beach@geocities.com
@ THE ARTS HOLE www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/6442
@ THE INVERTED FOREST www.angelfire.com/pa/invertedforest
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