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I've got a minor problem.
May. 21st, 2009 01:05 amWe took out a picture book, Divali Rose, from the library and I want to review it... wherever.
I have two different unrelated things I want to say about it.
The first is that it's not a book about the holiday Divali in Trinidad (which I'm aware is in fall and not summer, btw), but one about prejudice and accepting and mistakes and forgiveness. The holiday is just the tool used to discuss these things. I could very nearly write the same story and slot in Christmas and Christmas customs for the same message.
Because the book isn't about the holiday per se, though, it has very little information on the holiday itself. If you're not familiar with it, it's not a holiday you celebrate, you're kinda left scrambling to work things out.
Now, that's fine. If I were to write my hypothetical book that used Christmas as a framework for the story I wouldn't spend half my time talking about the tree and why we do that and how we exchange presents and what it all means (and by that I mean means in a secular sense, as that's how I celebrate) because I'd figure my readers are immersed enough in the culture to know this stuff, even if they don't themselves celebrate. People who know about this holiday are clearly the intended audience, and that's great. I can't - and don't expect - to always be the person being written to.
But all the same, somebody else might pick up the book expecting a description of the holiday in question and be a little frustrated when there isn't one. I want to leave a review saying that without also saying "It's wrong to write things that don't cater to me, waaaah".
Normally, not a problem - I say what I said and I don't rate it down and it should be clear.
Except it's also not the world's best book. The two problems in the book (the boy's guilt over breaking off a rose and not fessing up, and the grandfather's prejudice towards immigrants) aren't very compellingly written, and the solution is really trite and pasted on. I might get more out of it with the cultural knowledge of Diwali, but I don't think I'd get much more out of it (the author's note at the end is SO not helpful).
So I'd rate it two or three stars, except then I worry that people might think I'm doing so because it's not explicitly written for me, and that's not right at all. So what do I say? (And gosh darn it, I am *going* to leave a review. Nobody ever leaves reviews for mediocre books, only good or bad ones, and I *will* be the exception.)
I have two different unrelated things I want to say about it.
The first is that it's not a book about the holiday Divali in Trinidad (which I'm aware is in fall and not summer, btw), but one about prejudice and accepting and mistakes and forgiveness. The holiday is just the tool used to discuss these things. I could very nearly write the same story and slot in Christmas and Christmas customs for the same message.
Because the book isn't about the holiday per se, though, it has very little information on the holiday itself. If you're not familiar with it, it's not a holiday you celebrate, you're kinda left scrambling to work things out.
Now, that's fine. If I were to write my hypothetical book that used Christmas as a framework for the story I wouldn't spend half my time talking about the tree and why we do that and how we exchange presents and what it all means (and by that I mean means in a secular sense, as that's how I celebrate) because I'd figure my readers are immersed enough in the culture to know this stuff, even if they don't themselves celebrate. People who know about this holiday are clearly the intended audience, and that's great. I can't - and don't expect - to always be the person being written to.
But all the same, somebody else might pick up the book expecting a description of the holiday in question and be a little frustrated when there isn't one. I want to leave a review saying that without also saying "It's wrong to write things that don't cater to me, waaaah".
Normally, not a problem - I say what I said and I don't rate it down and it should be clear.
Except it's also not the world's best book. The two problems in the book (the boy's guilt over breaking off a rose and not fessing up, and the grandfather's prejudice towards immigrants) aren't very compellingly written, and the solution is really trite and pasted on. I might get more out of it with the cultural knowledge of Diwali, but I don't think I'd get much more out of it (the author's note at the end is SO not helpful).
So I'd rate it two or three stars, except then I worry that people might think I'm doing so because it's not explicitly written for me, and that's not right at all. So what do I say? (And gosh darn it, I am *going* to leave a review. Nobody ever leaves reviews for mediocre books, only good or bad ones, and I *will* be the exception.)
