I just wanted to add my opinion to the current debate that has
been inspired by Michael Gove’s comments about Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight
series. Amongst a million others on the net, Malorie Blackman, brilliant author
of readable, unpretentious literature and current children’s laureate, has slated
Michael Gove and those who don’t understand the importance of enjoying literature.
As mentioned previously, I work with a group of young people
in a high school and I also work in a library. What worries me is the number of
children who can’t read at all and I would be overjoyed if, at age 17,
100% of children in the country could read something as complex as Twilight. To
those of us who read extensively, daily, whether for work or pleasure, Twilight
is a novel which would be an easy read, trashy escapism (which I highly approve
of actually!) that doesn’t require much thought other than whether the book is
as good as the film.
However, to those
children who don’t have the opportunity to read literature regularly (I agree
with Malorie Blackman about the importance of using our public libraries but
many people in the UK still don’t have a library card), Twilight allows them to
fall into another world temporarily, experiencing the joy of lexis, syntax and
plot lines. Why oh why are we not encouraging reading at whatever level? Leave
it to Eva and The Black Cat detective agency (which is up next for review) are
both really simple, enjoyable books, yes, they were made from children but I
can enjoy them at 21 just as well as I would have done at 12.
Everyone starts their reading somewhere. I know a gentleman
who is just learning to read again after developing dementia. He learnt to read
later in life and now has no recollection on how to read the books that he once
enjoyed. Luckily, through the use of audio books and the physical copy of the
book, he is slowly being able to recognise words again. I realise this is an
extreme example but what I’m trying to get across is the importance of reading
at any and any level. I do agree that children of a certain age can get great
pleasure from reading the classics. I read Jekyll and Hyde as part of my degree
for the first time and found it fascinating – but I would not have been able to
read a novel like that (or probably wanted to) without the love of literature
that I developed as a child.
So, for anyone who doesn’t believe in the importance of
graphic novels, comics, slushy teenage romance, chick lit, sci-fi or any
awesome sub-genre that are actually underrepresented and unappreciated as
brilliant works of art (if they are funny, emotive, engaging or imaginative
then they stand out as effective literature surely?), look at what you read as
a child. Look at how you were inspired to love literature and language and how
your ability to read has shaped your life. Only by reading things we enjoy can
we place ourselves in the world of literature, develop our reading skills and
hone in on the genres we enjoy whether this be classics or comics. Being able
to read and enjoying reading are much more important than knowing the ins and
outs of the classics... no matter how old you are.
For more information check out:-
This brilliant article by Isabel Hardman:
Or Malorie Blackman’s
views:
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