"Both Rowling and Meyer, they’re speaking directly to young people. … The real difference is that [Harry Potter author] Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and [Twilight author] Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."
- Stephen King tells USA Today
Thank you, Stephen King. Because I am a bad student, I spent Constitutonal Law reading people's response to this statement and chuckling inside. I personally am quite in love with King, and while he's had some novels I didn't enjoy (Dolores Claiborne, Gerald's Game) and others that were just clumsy, especially in the last decade, he's still created some enduring horror literature. And while many tweens are up in arms and probably won't pick up a King novel anytime soon, they're missing out on, among other things, the psychological horror of The Shining, the claustrophobic intensity of Misery, and and the grand sweep of The Stand.
I started reading Stephen King books when I was twelve, tucked away in the library, because my mother forbid me to read them at all. Even though he's no Steinbeck and probably wouldn't sit at the same table with any modern literature luminaries, he holds his own. I don't remember the main character's name in White Teeth, or what happened to the Joads in The Grapes of Wrath, or any plot points in Song of Solomon...but I'm still afraid that Frank Dodds is hiding in my closet, and I don't like to be alone in a hotel hallway.
However, while Stephen King makes me scared to sleep with the lights off, Stephenie Meyer makes me fear for the intelligence of tween youth. So while she missed the mark on romance, she's spot on for horror.
(Last obnoxious opinion: If you can't tell, I'm not a believer that "any reading is good reading." It's probably better to watch Masterpiece Theater's The Mill on the Floss or something equivalent than read a Harlequin.)
Also, because I am a bad student, I left the sound on on my computer and it started bawking like a chicken, rather loudly, when I logged on to play Fowl Words...luckily that professor is most apathetic about our learning experience and didn't call me out on it.
The view from the couch....
Ialways leave the couch covered with blankets in order to protect it from doggy mishaps.
Sometimes, I sleep on the couch...hence the bed here.********
Outfits tomorrow...I will not be too lazy to take a picture! Hopefully a small goal like that will be attainable.
4 comments:
I haven't read Twilight, and honestly don't plan on it. So I cannot comment on that book. The same goes for Harry Potter. But Stephen King... he's marvelous! His books scare me- they really get into your head. And therefore I rarely read them anymore.
Wow, we are total wonder twins! I have been reading and loving Stephen King since "Salem's Lot" and I own every book by him (that is widely available). I agree, some of his stuff misses the mark, but some of it is amazing. And really, in 100 years, I bet people will still be reading his stuff.
Recent Kings that I loved: "Duma Key", "Lisey's Story" and "Insomnia" (not ashamed to say I bawled like a baby when I finished it).
Love your trees and birds. That is incredibly lovely.
Sara--now that I live alone, I definitely don't read his books...but sometimes I still get scared anyway.
Sheila--I have almost all of his books, as well...I loved Duma Key. After a few of his recent installments, it blew me away and reminded me how amazing he can be!
Can I ask where the wall graphics are from? I LOVE them!
(p.s. just found your blog through Cute on the Cheap's blogroll...sorry to see that you're taking a blogging break right when I found you!)
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