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Old 08-02-2012, 05:02 PM   #1
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Ursula LeGuin pressured to write more like Harry Potter
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In a recent interview, Le Guin was asked if publishers ever pressure her to produce more conventional stories. And she replied:

Quote:
"Within the last few years only, on my three fantasy novels Gifts, Voices and Powers. I had, as always, good editors to work with at Harcourt, where they were published, but there was an increasing pressure to make them more like Harry Potter—there's just no getting around it. And since I write a very, very different type of fantasy and different type of literature from the Harry Potter series, there was no way I could go along with that. I just had to resist it. But, you see, that's very late, and it's happened as publishing was beginning to lose its sense of direction and its purpose, and get very confused by corporate pressures on all sides."
full article here.
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Old 08-02-2012, 05:32 PM   #2
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Why would we want poorly written books in the style of Harry Potter?
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Old 08-02-2012, 05:33 PM   #3
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Do you think Ursula Le Guin's books are poorly written?
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Old 08-02-2012, 05:57 PM   #4
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She's been successful with her own style. If she tried to imitate Rowling's style instead of using her own, I don't think the result would be as good.
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Old 08-02-2012, 07:11 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by QuantumIguana View Post
She's been successful with her own style. If she tried to imitate Rowling's style instead of using her own, I don't think the result would be as good.
And it sounds like she is smart enough to know that. Good for her.
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Old 08-02-2012, 07:17 PM   #6
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Do you think Ursula Le Guin's books are poorly written?
Yes I do. I've never liked her work. One thing she tends to do is way overdo descriptions.
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Old 08-02-2012, 07:43 PM   #7
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I hadn't noticed that about Le Guin's writing. She is a writer I choose to reread.
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Old 08-03-2012, 12:04 AM   #8
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I think LeGuin is a much better writer than Rowlings, so I'm glad she was able to resist.
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Old 08-03-2012, 12:44 AM   #9
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I don't know, her take on Harry Potter might actually be pretty good. It wouldn't be anything like Harry Potter of course, but it might still be pretty good.
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Old 08-03-2012, 01:51 AM   #10
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Le Guin has a vast repertoire. On one hand, she wrote Left Hand of Darkness, which isn't exactly the most readable of texts. On the other hand, she wrote A Wizard of Earthsea, and while it has a more general appeal, is very unlike Harry Potter.

But for the most part, Le Guin strikes me as someone mainly writing for adults.
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Old 08-03-2012, 02:03 PM   #11
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"Like Harry Potter" is a very vague statement. Monomyth hero journey coming of age story? Tangible magic system with power words (Alohomora, Expeliarmus, et al) being shouted left and right? British urban fantasy setting?
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Old 08-03-2012, 02:44 PM   #12
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"Publisher wants long time writer to write more like the best selling franchise ever." Film at 11:00.

"Ursula K. LeGuin feels put out that what she writes isn't more mainstream, and her publisher wishes it was." Film at 11:05.

Yawn.

(And mind you, I agree she's a good writer, and that she should stick with what she does best. But really.)
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Old 08-03-2012, 03:11 PM   #13
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As long as she doesn't write like Jonah Lehrer she's probably good.
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Old 08-04-2012, 06:42 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by JSWolf View Post
Why would we want poorly written books in the style of Harry Potter?
Quite right, we've already got them, they're called "Harry Potter".
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