Quote:
Originally Posted by rhadin
Everyone judges a writer by both the subject choice and their level of craftsmanship. . . . Subject matter and craftmanship go hand-in-hand and are not separable.
|
You'd do well to substitute the pronoun
I for
everyone. I completely disagree with you, as would many of my friends. I'm far more interested in depth of insight, stylistic grace and concision than in the subject. A great writer can make anything their subject and hold my interest.
I once read a biography of Hitler that praised him endlessly. I happened to enjoy it because it was written by Wyndham Lewis. Besides which, I have maternal relatives who perished in the Holocaust. If I'd lived in Germany back then, they'd have tossed me into Auschwitz as well.
Which leads me to this next bit:
Quote:
|
I wonder if there would be the same level of defense for a Neo-Nazi who had excellent craftsmanship.
|
See above.
Andanzas: No offense taken. I wasn't in a particularly stern mood while replying to your post, either.
Shibamistress and Issybird: I completely agree with you about the graceless behavior of the judge and the relative merits of Anne Tyler as opposed to those of Roth.