The Hilary Mantel and Royal family furore
Has anyone else heard about Booker prize winner, Hilary Mantel's, controversial speech on Royal Bodies, presented for the London Review of Books? I saw it yesterday in my twitter feed and clicked on it out of interest. As someone coming to it as a cultural historian, as a writer and as someone who comes from a country that has little love left for
( Read more... )
I am able to grasp academic argument. But I didn't see this article as such. To me, academic is related to a group of individuals that have one field - and is shared in that field to a wide extent. This was an opinion piece. An article in a major arena and while her books are academically slanted (and listed as part of her credits in the article), this piece was not an excerpt of them (as far as I am aware - but then, I've never read her books).
To say that someone disagrees or does not see the point is just that. They disagree or do not see clearly the point she was trying to make. I think she had one. She had a good one. But I feel her point was lost and my opinion of her work was colored by this article. I am reasoning enough to know I will not see her view because of how she states that view. Therefore it will be futile for me to read anything else by her because my view of her as a writer has been set by this piece.
It does not make me unable to grasp it. I have seen something that others did not. Just as those same others did not see what people such as I did. Does not make what we think invalid, nor does it contest our ability to understand it. To say that someone's opinion or thoughts on something is due to their being unable to comprehend it is unfair and is an opinion in and of itself. I will not say you don't have that right to that opinion - but when you say that, you are essentially saying that anyone who does not see this as a feminist argument, that anyone who does not see this as crystal clear as you is a moron. And while those who read, understood and appreciated this article may or may not have intelligence and comprehension, it is not fair to say that those who did not get out of the piece what you did are lacking these abilities.
Reply
Yes, I acknowledge that that makes me an intellectual snob and no I don't particularly care.
But alas, I am out of spork stabs as author Jim C Hines would say.
Freedom of speech exists until the Royal's or religon are involved, then it becomes uncalled for diatribe. I am with Mr Pullman on freedom of speech:
"It was a shocking thing to say and I knew it was a shocking thing to say. But no one has the right to live without being shocked. No one has the right to spend their life without being offended. Nobody has to read this book. Nobody has to pick it up. Nobody has to open it. And if you open it and read it, you don't have to like it. And if you read it and you dislike it, you don't have to remain silent about it. You can write to me, you can complain about it, you can write to the publisher, you can write to the papers, you can write your own book. You can do all those things, but there your rights stop. No one has the right to stop me writing this book. No one has the right to stop it being published, or bought, or sold or read. That's all I have to say on that subject."
So I guess I'll take a leaf from his book and stop getting so offended (and offensive). If only the people needlessly attacking Mantel would do the same.
Reply
And yes, everyone should have a voice. That voice should be heard. And though reality and the world is rather shocking in itself, a shake up now and again doesn't hurt. Making people stop to think NEVER hurts.
Mmmm...tis the text I tell you! The text! I guess I had better do the same *bows and smiles* And touche. To easy to get offended or rattled with these discussions. That's why I usually prefer to discuss things face to face. Seeing someone's body language and facial expressions lends to the debate for me and gives me information I can't get through the written word.
Saying that, I probably would have appreciated her speech more!
*hugs*
Agree to disagree it is...*laughs*
Reply
But that's the thing. It may well be the text's tone but Mantel had every right to use that tone. That's freedom of speech. That's what shakes things up. Then again, that means I have to extend you the same curtesy in allowing you to express your problems with her tone. Unfortunately, most people aren't taking issue with the tone. They are blatantly misconstruing what even you concede is a slegehammer obvious argument.
Reply
True. I just took exception - never meant to imply that she had no right to use it. (Sorry if I did!) Just that I found it personally uncomfortable for me and that I cannot read anything of hers without 'hearing' that tone. And that's all me and my perceptions. It really has nothing to do with Mantel herself or the subject she was writing in.
LOL! Another truth! This discourse hasn't even really touched on the CONTENT of her speech/article, lol! Just how she chose to say it. I'm sorry, for some reason I'm finding that funny *Stifles a giggle*
I do agree with a lot of her points and find them thought-provoking. Though yeah...sledgehammer, lol!! I just wish she had...said it differently? I dunno. I just feel there was too much lost that could have been discussed rationally and it's terrible that people want to argue the question, when the question itself is valid.
Reply
Leave a comment