Re-mix in literature

[Haribol Acharya]

It may vex purists but I think today literature must undergo transformation. Of course Milton, Tolstoy, Victor Hugo are great writers and their qualities and styles are always admirable. They are characteristically timeless pieces of literature. But today literature has undergone a series of metamorphoses and more precisely, people have little time for reading bulky books.

Of course some writers have passions to write sizable books but most readers do not choose. I know so many of readers who simply buy big-sized books but they stop reading in the middle. They buy at the recommendations of their friends, relatives etc.

Considering today's busy schedules and professionalism we need the literature that is simple, crispy and light. We have enough of very high quality literature with deep philosophies.

As life has gone great transformations through technological advancements literature too must be written within that frame or structure.

[Colette Jones]

I have to say I disagree with what you say for the most part, but I rarely choose to read a very long book.

I tend to avoid literature that is simple, crisp and light!

[Bjorn]

Personally, I have to say that if the world is getting more complex, busy and "professional" (whatever that means), then literature should deal with that. There's always going to be room for "simple and light" literature that's nothing but entertainment, but fiction is one of the greatest tools we have for understanding ourselves and I don't see why "deep philosophies" should become less relevant because we don't have time for them - in fact, if that's indeed the case (which I doubt that it is; we in the Western world have a lot more free time now than we did in Dickens' or Tolstoy's time) then that's something that needs to be written about, not ignored.

Oh, and like Colette, I very much disagree that length and depth are the same thing. And considering that some of the recent mega-sellers (Dan Brown, JK Rowling, etc) don't exactly write short fiction, I'd say we're not alone. :)

[saliotthomas]

I have to agree with Colette and Bjorn.Poeple stay the same,the just wear different clothes.

But mostly it's the title of the thread that bothers me.
I thought,and that could be more interesting than "to modern time, modern writing" crap,you meant people who write books using ancient ones but with a contemporain twist to it,like a Re-mix in music.
I think of the recent Pride and prejudice and Zombies.

[Heteronym]

It may vex purists but I think today literature must undergo transformation. Of course Milton, Tolstoy, Victor Hugo are great writers and their qualities and styles are always admirable. They are characteristically timeless pieces of literature. But today literature has undergone a series of metamorphoses and more precisely, people have little time for reading bulky books.

Perhaps they're just wasting it on other things. I work, I go to colege, I go to the gym in the mornings; but I don't watch TV, I don't go out at night to get pointlessly drunk, and don't waste time on videogames. So I always have time to read.

If a book is long, the reader just needs to spend another week on it. Why do long books provoke fear? It's just more pages. If 200 pages takes a week, 400 pages will take two weeks. What's the problem? Is this amateur reader eager to jump into another one?


Of course some writers have passions to write sizable books but most readers do not choose. I know so many of readers who simply buy big-sized books but they stop reading in the middle. They buy at the recommendations of their friends, relatives etc.

Clearly these people don't enjoy reading. Perhaps their friends and relatives should recommend them pursuing activities they'd rather enjoy.


Considering today's busy schedules and professionalism we need the literature that is simple, crispy and light. We have enough of very high quality literature with deep philosophies.

No, unfortunately this type of writing is very abundant and popular. We could do with less of it, actually.


As life has gone great transformations through technological advancements literature too must be written within that frame or structure.

No, writers must continue to write what they want to express, in whatever form they wish to express.

[promtbr]

Heteronym, glad your back. I will 'second' every point you made. (couldn't of put it any better).


____

[Jayaprakash]

Yes.

In music, as in literature, 're-mixing' to adapt to current populist idioms can only result in derivative claptrap of no lasting value.

Note that this is not the same as adapting or re-telling in a new medium. There are fantastic graphic novel versions of classics for example.

[Daniel del Real]

Perhaps they're just wasting it on other things. I work, I go to colege, I go to the gym in the mornings; but I don't watch TV, I don't go out at night to get pointlessly drunk, and don't waste time on videogames. So I always have time to read.



You already said everything I wanted to say, that's exactly what I think and I have a similar routine, so I support the motion.
Welcome back Heteronym.

[Haribol Acharya]

Yes.

In music, as in literature, 're-mixing' to adapt to current populist idioms can only result in derivative claptrap of no lasting value.

Note that this is not the same as adapting or re-telling in a new medium. There are fantastic graphic novel versions of classics for example.
All that people want today not anything lasting in point of fact and everything fades away ultimately. Today's poetry is not very impressive at all the way they were written a century or half a century ago.

In those days poetry was mainly composed by professors of literature and now anyone can compose and publish. I am not critical of this new trend at all, but what I am critical is of the deterioration of the quality of poetry. This saddens me tremendously.

[lenz]

but what I am critical is of the deterioration of the quality of poetry. This saddens me tremendously.

I think you aren't looking for the best recent poetry.

[Omo]

It may vex purists but I think today literature must undergo transformation.

It undergoes transformation every day anyway, because it's about perception of the world, and since the world changes daily there are always new things to perceive.


Of course Milton, Tolstoy, Victor Hugo are great writers and their qualities and styles are always admirable. They are characteristically timeless pieces of literature. But today literature has undergone a series of metamorphoses and more precisely, people have little time for reading bulky books.

Challenging/intellectual demanding books have never been in favour of a majority, literature is art and thus elistist in its very nature. Bulky books used to be trendy in the 19th century mostly I guess, but before and after shorter works were usually prefered.
Nowadays the bulk is to be found in the amount of books that are published, and if you take a look at endless fantasy or sf-series or those ridiculously long "historical" novels, that's bulky as well.


Of course some writers have passions to write sizable books but most readers do not choose. I know so many of readers who simply buy big-sized books but they stop reading in the middle. They buy at the recommendations of their friends, relatives etc.

The size of the book doesn't speak of its quality, and of course there are hardly readers of literary fiction, hence the existence of fora like this - if I had satisfying exchange about literature in "real life" I wouldn't need to frequent the internet for such a purpose.


Considering today's busy schedules and professionalism we need the literature that is simple, crispy and light. We have enough of very high quality literature with deep philosophies. [...]

Don't make your taste measure for everyone's. Some people like to be intellectually stimulated once in while, y'know?


All that people want today not anything lasting in point of fact and everything fades away ultimately. Today's poetry is not very impressive at all the way they were written a century or half a century ago.

And surely you have overview in order to form such an opinion? They are written differently now because the world they are written in is a different one; that doesn't mean it's better or worse - this is a matter of personal preference.


In those days poetry was mainly composed by professors of literature and now anyone can compose and publish. I am not critical of this new trend at all, but what I am critical is of the deterioration of the quality of poetry. This saddens me tremendously.

When exactly were those days?

[Mirabell]

I protest. I like getting pointlessly drunk.

[Raphael Lambach]

Someone who really loves to read never chose a book for you size, unlike this one will take a book for reading for your own preferences. I've never chosen books as you're chosing. If I have a big work of literature in my hand I'm gonna spend more time to read. Perhaps when you are teenager....
Please change your way of chosing book. I'd rather not advice you about that... but... I'm trully intrigues if many people buy or take books on loan considering their number of pages or something like that....

[e joseph]

I protest. I like getting pointlessly drunk.
I see your pointless drunkenness and raise you one I've-never-been-in-a-gym.

[Mirabell]

I see your pointless drunkenness and raise you one I've-never-been-in-a-gym.

I see both of that and raise you one watching-indecent-amounts-of-TV

[e joseph]

I see both of that and raise you one watching-indecent-amounts-of-TV
Quantify indecent-amount and we'll see.