(no subject)
Ok so a couple of days ago I was trying to answer one of those writer's block things. You know, the one about would we ban books from high school libraries and do we think that there are any subjects which teenagers can't handle? Wellmy PC died halfway through so LJ saved the answer for me and here it is:
I wouldn't really ban books from high school libraries per se. I don't believe anyone should ever be stopped from reading, it edifies the mind and encourages people to think for themselves.
What I would do, however, is selectively omit books from libraries collections, to try and encourage more people to read different things. Someone wants to read "Twilight"? Recommend "Dracula". Someone wants to read some Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella or Cecelia Aherne? Make them read "Jane Eyre" or "Pride and Prejudice" first. My reason is that I don't really think enough people give credit for where the novels of today take inspiration from. I think if people had a more historical understanding of literature then chart literature wouldn't be filled with a lot of trash eclipsing real literary gems.
I don't think there are any inappropriate subject matters for teens at all; age isn't a barrier in literature so why should it be for its readers? I read whatever I wanted as a teenager; Steinbeck, Austen, Shakespeare, Edwin Morgan, Dylan Thomas, Tennessee Williams, I read "Trainspotting" and "Glue" by Irvine Welsh when I was 14! There's gonna be unsavoury themes in everything really, I challenge someone to find me a piece of literature that is all sunshine and lollipops and doesn't have one dark undertone to it!
(God, can you tell I'm an English Literature student?) :P
On the upside, L1's 21st party tomorrow, exciting! Going to get her birthday present today, hope she likes it :)
xoxo
I wouldn't really ban books from high school libraries per se. I don't believe anyone should ever be stopped from reading, it edifies the mind and encourages people to think for themselves.
What I would do, however, is selectively omit books from libraries collections, to try and encourage more people to read different things. Someone wants to read "Twilight"? Recommend "Dracula". Someone wants to read some Marian Keyes, Sophie Kinsella or Cecelia Aherne? Make them read "Jane Eyre" or "Pride and Prejudice" first. My reason is that I don't really think enough people give credit for where the novels of today take inspiration from. I think if people had a more historical understanding of literature then chart literature wouldn't be filled with a lot of trash eclipsing real literary gems.
I don't think there are any inappropriate subject matters for teens at all; age isn't a barrier in literature so why should it be for its readers? I read whatever I wanted as a teenager; Steinbeck, Austen, Shakespeare, Edwin Morgan, Dylan Thomas, Tennessee Williams, I read "Trainspotting" and "Glue" by Irvine Welsh when I was 14! There's gonna be unsavoury themes in everything really, I challenge someone to find me a piece of literature that is all sunshine and lollipops and doesn't have one dark undertone to it!
(God, can you tell I'm an English Literature student?) :P
On the upside, L1's 21st party tomorrow, exciting! Going to get her birthday present today, hope she likes it :)
xoxo