[lit-ideas] Re: "Reading Lolita in Tehran" - "Why one should bother to read fiction at all"
- From: david savory <dsavory@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 26 Apr 2004 21:08:04 -0700
>
> >So I ask you, with full understanding that the question exposes my ignorance
> > and betrays the my lack of sophistication: Why bother read fiction?
>
>This is a very interesting question for me too, as I tend to read 'factual'
>books - and yet watch fictional films without thinking twice about that. I
>don't limit my tv to documentaries and the news either.
Now consider Peter Carey's new book "My Life As a Fake."
Christopher Chubb is a Sokalesque poet who creates a
fake poet with whom he can discredit an editor he dislikes.
This fake poet Bob McCorkle comes alive and takes on a
real life that has horribly unpredictable consequences for
his creator. Blah blah blah except that this scenario is
actually based on a real one that occurred in Australia
some years ago. Once you know this, Carey's role as a
modern writer takes on a weird dimension unless I'm
reading too much into things.
David Savory
Vancouver
dsavory@xxxxxxxxx
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