Posted by Peter H on April 01, 2006 at 16:26:41 from 86.130.137.33 user Peter_H.
In Reply to: Re: Children's writers posted by Hannah on April 01, 2006 at 01:32:01:
Yes, I'm all for reading children's literature if one wants to, but there are possible handicaps. First, the effect on the reader, ie oneself, of reading stories intended for children. I am convinced that this may not always be beneficial, but that is a matter for another day perhaps.
Secondly, the act of reading child lit. can be incredibly provocative for other people. A popular and fashionable UK comedienne called Linda Smith died recently, and the BBC re-showed a programme in which she had appeared. This was called 'Room 101', in which celebrities describe the people and things they hate most. Ms Smith included at the head of her list 'Adults who read Harry Potter' whom she described as wet and pathetic, and other pejorative phrases. Maybe this was an attempt to be funny, but she sounded so vituperative that one can only assume she was serious. (When I say 'popular and fashionable', that is an objective description - she wasn't my cup of tea.) But the audience roared its agreement with her. No doubt this prejudice is why the publishers in the UK have issued Harry Potters in a plain unlabelled cover. All a bit sad.