tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post1167951716477107671..comments2024-02-10T19:58:20.327+00:00Comments on Stuck in a Book: Initially...StuckInABookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10017836017530130716noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-20704996208854913292007-10-13T10:41:00.000+01:002007-10-13T10:41:00.000+01:00lionel shriver has taken a male name because she b...lionel shriver has taken a male name because she believes people will treat her works with more respect because she is man. er, hello, have you heard of M. Atwood, Carol Shields, Kate Atkinson, Pat Barker (oooh, there is another gender neutral name!).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-57604447023828085382007-10-12T22:10:00.000+01:002007-10-12T22:10:00.000+01:00I am always intereted by this topic because I don'...I am always intereted by this topic because I don't care one way or the other what the gender of the author is. So in some sense I have never made an error of judgement because I don't attempt to guess from initials or ambiguous first names whether the book I am reading is by a man or a woman. So my question to SIAB and others is "Why does it matter to you?"<BR/><BR/>Neutral CatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-9690094743586873182007-10-12T17:31:00.000+01:002007-10-12T17:31:00.000+01:00I haven't read anything by her but what about Lion...I haven't read anything by her but what about Lionel Shrivers? Could Hilary Mantel be male?<BR/> <BR/>When I was a young adult to very early twenties I seemed to read books by men. John Wyndham, Graham Green, Leon Uris, Chaim Potok. Why was this? <BR/>Notice these are all modern novels. Were books by women not very visible in the 70s? I suspect it was because I wasn't ready for the earthiness and nearness to life that women seem to write about. It's safe to read about spaceships going to Mars and vacuum cleaner salesman being mistaken for spies.<BR/>Maybe things changed after I had children? Certainly I have slipped into the same territory as S-in-a-B since I became a woman of a certain age. Maybe the reason for this is that these books are now more readily available.<BR/>I have just remembered that I discovered "An Episode of Sparrows" by Rumer Godden on my parents bookshelf when I was about ten. How I loved that book. Maybe I should revisit it with my vastexperience of life behind me rather than ahead.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-62364286205666354932007-10-12T09:50:00.000+01:002007-10-12T09:50:00.000+01:00I think this is a very interesting issue. I too te...I think this is a very interesting issue. I too tend to prefer books written by women, but have not actually had the experience you describe -- finding out the gender halfway through. I'd love to see what would happen -- it reminds me of when you ask for a cup of tea and unwittingly get coffee instead (or vice versa) -- that first sip is totally disconcerting.harriethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04470091985662379182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-16153576575468542462007-10-12T09:35:00.000+01:002007-10-12T09:35:00.000+01:00p.d james always gets me. its a woman but 'james' ...p.d james always gets me. its a woman but 'james' for a surname really confuses me!<BR/>what about books which you just cant believe are written by a man/woman because of the insight they seem to have? for example: a thousand splendid suns, written by a man, its unbelievable! clever man. <BR/>lgeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-446727280609751914.post-36982382217075552842007-10-12T00:12:00.000+01:002007-10-12T00:12:00.000+01:00I had the same trouble with DH Lawrence - this cou...I had the same trouble with DH Lawrence - this could be because we both went to school with Dee Lawrence?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com