Literary Region Nominations • February 2013

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

It certainly made me feel that the barbarians were at the gates and that I needed to take a stand on behalf of artistic freedom from censorship.

I feel ya.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

It certainly made me feel that the barbarians were at the gates and that I needed to take a stand on behalf of artistic freedom from censorship.

Is that the green variety of barbarian?

[Bookpossum]

I don't know what colour he is!

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I feel ya.

Thanks!

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

I don't know what colour he is!

The usual colour...(for a frog).

[paola]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

I think part of the push to get "Lolita" up is indignation that a book considered by most serious readers as one of the great works of the 20th century could be traduced by being described as in praise of paedophilia, and a book which should be banned from MR as not being "family friendly".

It certainly made me feel that the barbarians were at the gates and that I needed to take a stand on behalf of artistic freedom from censorship.

I did not follow the discussion on Lolita, but had the feeling I knew what it would be about based on past discussions: it is interesting that, at least based on previous discussions, those that seem to be most opposed haven't actually read it. Having rad it myself, I can confirm that my uber catholic septegenuarian mother would have no problems reading it, save for feeling for the plight of the little girl. Why a reasoned discussion on this text is to be banned while the much more morally dangerous Fifty shades... is all the rage, while I think it potentially pulls back up all sorts of sexual stereotypes that it may take forever to put back right!

And since we are on the topic, another work that deals with the topic very sensitively I think is The woodsman, in case you are interested (a movie, though).

[medard]

Lolita Go Go Go

Spoiler:

[Billi]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

I was sort of surprised as well. Surprised that what started out as in idea to start a separate thread for the purpose of discussing Lolita, to discussing it as a selection in this book club, and then to doing so at the first opportunity by nominating it as a regional selection.

As I've said with my very first sentence here: I really didn't want to push anybody into any direction that he/she doesn't want. I had these two reasons to write my post:
- Not everyone does follow every thread here. I wanted to make them aware of this idea that arose in the other thread. I had the impression that the idea was well received there, but I might have erred.
- I personally think, one can't only praise an idea or discuss endlessly we could do this, we could do that, if the opportunity comes up, one should become active. That was all. It was a proposal and could well have been refused. And I didn't want to make any confusion with the regions. If Lolita doesn't fit this category, okay. Then we would have found a more fitting month.

[issybird]

I think the various positions on Lolita and Nabokov have been explained, but I'm going to add a few comments.

Since this isn't the Olympics (where some of the citizenship machinations are clearly contrary to the spirit of the games), I think we should embrace the squishiness. There are four determining factors that I see: place of birth, citizenship, language, and setting. After noting all of those, I think gut reaction serves better than hard and fast rules, which would rule out too many highly worthy works. Your gut might differ from someone else's digestive processes, but I still think it works best.

I also think that for a category whose purpose was to broaden horizons, including the US and the UK was always problematic. Again a situation with no perfect solution and I understand the decision that having them was better than holes on the map. I hope when it's the UK/Ireland's turn that Ireland (or at least Scotland or Wales) gets the nod and I'll nominate a couple of Canadian works this time. And who knows? Mitt Romney has $25,000 in fireworks sitting in a warehouse in New Hampshire. But if we are to have a US work in this categry, I'd much rather a Lolita than a garden-variety book club tome.

Finally, there's a strike while the iron is hot aspect. With all the current interest and discussion of Lolita, it seems a shame not to act on it now. I think we were lucky that the category for the Lit Club this month will allow it to be nominated, and it's probably a better fit at the Lit Club than the main club.

[sun surfer]

Nominations have been open since the poll closed about ten hours ago, but in case you guys were waiting for confirmation -

Canada & the U.S.A. has been chosen as the region and the floor is open to nominations!

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

<...>

It certainly made me feel that the barbarians were at the gates and that I needed to take a stand on behalf of artistic freedom from censorship.

Ditto what caleb72 said - I feel ya.

Originally Posted by Billi

<...>
- I personally think, one can't only praise an idea or discuss endlessly we could do this, we could do that, if the opportunity comes up, one should become active. That was all. It was a proposal and could well have been refused. And I didn't want to make any confusion with the regions. If Lolita doesn't fit this category, okay. Then we would have found a more fitting month.

That all makes sense, and I think your ideas are good. I was just surprised at the quick en masse nature of it all, especially considering the category and guidelines, and personally I was responding to the "full train" that was started and not to any particular person.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by issybird

<...>

I also think that for a category whose purpose was to broaden horizons, including the US and the UK was always problematic. Again a situation with no perfect solution and I understand the decision that having them was better than holes on the map. I hope when it's the UK/Ireland's turn that Ireland (or at least Scotland or Wales) gets the nod and I'll nominate a couple of Canadian works this time. And who knows? Mitt Romney has $25,000 in fireworks sitting in a warehouse in New Hampshire. But if we are to have a US work in this categry, I'd much rather a Lolita than a garden-variety book club tome.

<...>

Yes, I agree that the U.S. and U.K. regions are very different than the rest because of their huge output and our familiarity with them. They were included though because they could still be interesting regions, and since a region will only be chosen once for the foreseeable future, one solitary month devoted specifically to the U.S. and Canada or the U.K. and Ireland could be interesting despite our familiarity, and yes, I agree it would be interesting to see some Canadian nominations as well.

I would go one step further on your last sentence though. We're a discerning group and while there are no shortage of garden-variety book club tomes from the U.S. and Canada, there are also no shortage of great literary works old and new, well-known and obscure, to choose from.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

I do slightly disagree with you on your last sentence though. We're a discerning group and while there are no shortage of garden-variety book club tomes from the U.S. and Canada, there are also no shortage of great literary works old and new, well-known and obscure, to choose from.

LOL, I agree with you and that was said a little tongue in cheek. My point really was that if we're to have a US book in a horizon-broadening category, I'd like to see it distinctive for pushing the envelope in a direction other than geographical.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by issybird

LOL, I agree with you and that was said a little tongue in cheek. My point really was that if we're to have a US book in a horizon-broadening category, I'd like to see it distinctive for pushing the envelope in a direction other than geographical.

I think that's a worthy goal. (and by the way, I don't know if it makes much difference but I slightly edited my last post right before you posted)

It will be interesting to see what we come up with as the group of nominations that come from having this as a region. I'm mulling some possibilities as we speak...

[issybird]

I'm nominating Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich by Canadian humorist Stephen Leacock. From Goodreads:

Of the many books by Canada’s most celebrated humorist, none has received more acclaim than his brilliant, caustic treatment of the glittering rich who gather at the Mausoleum Club on Plutoria Avenue.

Today, Leacock’s pointed satire of the privileged class, and their social abuses and pretences, retains every ounce of its freshness and bite. An undisputed comic masterpiece, Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich reveals a depth of compassionate criticism rare in Leacock’s writings.

Written in 1914, it's in the public domain and available here at MR; free audio version at LibriVox.

An aside: As a sign of the times, autocorrect changed Arcadian to Kardashian.

[paola]

uh, nominations already - but just to be clear, is The Unmentionable allowed for this region or not?

EDIT: while waiting for this to be clarified, I will second Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich and nominate one work from my TBR pile - ashamedly, I haven't read Catch-22, so this is my first nomination. From wikipedia:

Catch-22 is a satirical and somewhat historical novel by the American author Joseph Heller. He began writing it in 1953, and the novel was first published in 1961. It is set during World War II in 1943[2] and is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the twentieth century.[3] It uses a distinctive non-chronological third-person omniscient narration, describing events from different characters' points of view and out of sequence so that the time line develops along with the plot.
The novel follows Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th squadron is based on the island of Pianosa, in the Mediterranean Sea west of Italy. The novel looks into the experiences of Yossarian and the other airmen in the camp, and their attempts to keep their sanity in order to fulfill their service requirements, so that they can return home. The phrase "Catch-22", "a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule,"[4] has entered the English language.