I’ve just been chatting to Helen Blunden about a novel I may be about to read and confessing that I have an issue with fiction – namely that “it is all made up”. Goodness knows why I find this such a block. I have no problem thoroughly enjoying films and TV series, but when I am reading a novel the fact that it isn’t real gets in the way.
But then a lot of the non-fiction that I read is made up too! All of our stories are made up. Our narratives about our own lives are made up. Does that make them any less meaningful?
What do you reckon?
The Obvious? 
Did you just make that up?
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🙂 Sorry for not responding sooner but bloody WordPress is still putting comments randomly into spam
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Ever read “The Magus”, by John Fowles? One of the characters renders his judgment of fiction vs. nonfiction, or rather fiction vs. autobiographies. He felt fiction was a whole lot of words for very little payoff, usually a morality lesson that could have been summed up in a sentence. He preferred autobiographies from people who accomplished great things, in order to improve himself.
Just another information point for you. Fowles’ later books are better written, but “The Magus” is a great summer read if you ever need one.
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I loved all of them. One of my favourite authors!
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Mine too! I loved The Collector!
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“Daniel Martin” blew me away with how it was written. I called it ‘loamy’ at the time. Rich.
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I might just have to read them all again!
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Noted. Now will track this down for my TBR list. Thank you. 🤣
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Yep! Makes perfect sense. 🤣
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But is it useful, interesting and/or entertaining for you? If so then I don’t see a problem.
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True…
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What about fiction based on historical events, eg Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath or East of Eden?
I’d recommend James Roberston’s And the Land Lay Still which interweaves fictional and real characters and historical events in the politics of twentieth century Scotland.
Andrew O’Hagen’s – another Scottish author- Mayflies is another example of fictional characters based on his pals as the enjoy real music and festivals in the 1980s.
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I’ll take a look at those, thanks. The novel I am currently reading is historically based, and in fact apparently the author did a massive amount of research into the Nazis’ attrocities.
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I saw your post about that book which sounds like something I’d like to read, though probably not enjoy….
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Indeed… It is morbidly fascinating and well written. I’m always up for things that force me to consider aspects of human nature that I’d rather didn’t exist.
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