-[R]- Similarities between the latest DW books and the works of Arthur Hailey
It's been ages since I've been reading books by Arthur Hailey. One of the things that have stuck in my mind about them was an alleged claim of the author which goes roughly as follows: Americans are busy people who don't have the time or patience to read a book when they won't have a tangible benefit from it. That's why he tried to incorporate a description of some industry process into each of his books in a way that his readers could learn something useful (e.g. about the management of a hotel, or manufacturing of cars), so they wouldn't have a feeling of wasted time.
At that time, the idea that a structure of a book of fiction should be surrendered to such a goal seemed to me, to put it mildly, rather strange.
It has occurred to me lately that the latest Discworld books seem to follow a similar pattern: the invention of the press in The Truth, the history of message transmission or of the functioning of bank institutions in the Moist von Lipwig books ("Raising taxes" can be probably included, too). I’m not sure whether Unseen Academicals fits into that category as well (I haven't read the book myself yet), but according to to the comments I've read so far, it might.
The main difference to Hailey’s books is that in the case of the DW books, the education is seldom for immediately practical purposes for the average reader[1]. The processes are partly set in history and partly in a fictional world, and it is not always easy to disentangle facts from fiction without further study, or a deeper knowledge of the problematic.
[1] Which doesn't exist and particularly is not a 14-year-old boy named Kevin.
> It's been ages since I've been reading books by Arthur Hailey. One of > the things that have stuck in my mind about them was an alleged claim > of the author which goes roughly as follows: > Americans are busy people who don't have the time or patience to read > a book when they won't have a tangible benefit from it. That's why he > tried to incorporate a description of some industry process into each > of his books in a way that his readers could learn something useful > (e.g. about the management of a hotel, or manufacturing of cars), so > they wouldn't have a feeling of wasted time.
> At that time, the idea that a structure of a book of fiction should be > surrendered to such a goal seemed to me, > to put it mildly, rather strange.
> It has occurred to me lately that the latest Discworld books seem to > follow a similar pattern: the invention of the press in The Truth, the > history of message transmission or of the functioning of bank > institutions in the Moist von Lipwig books ("Raising taxes" can be > probably included, too). > I’m not sure whether Unseen Academicals fits into that category as > well (I haven't read the book myself yet), but according to to the > comments I've read so far, it might.
> The main difference to Hailey’s books is that in the case of the DW > books, the education is seldom for immediately practical purposes for > the average reader[1]. The processes are partly set in history and > partly in a fictional world, and it is not always easy to disentangle > facts from fiction without further study, or a deeper knowledge of the > problematic.
> [1] Which doesn't exist and particularly is not a 14-year-old boy > named Kevin.
UA does seem to fit this pattern; you could learn a lot about the history of football[1] from some of the passages, and it also tells you how a ball is made.
The difference you mention is, I think, a significant one. Unlike Hailey's belief[2] that the reader needs to feel a novel has educated him or her, and the structure of the book is "surrendered" to this, Pterry just throws in stuff he finds interesting (or, better yet, funny) and thinks the reader might as well. The information follows the plot, rather than the other way round.
I think it precedes The Truth; Maskerade has a lot of genuine stuff on the nature of opera, for instance.
[1]At least, as you say, you could if you were able to tell which bits were historically accurate and which weren't, in which case it could be said you *already* knew a lot about the history of football.
[2]Based entirely on your description, since I've never read any of his books, or indeed, heard of him before; although a quick Google reveals I *have* heard of some of his books, if only because one of them was the basis for the film Airplane! was spoofing.
-- Dave "All those with psychokinesis, raise my hand." The Room With No Doors, Kate Orman
> UA does seem to fit this pattern; you could learn a lot about the history > of football[1] from some of the passages, and it also tells you how a > ball is made.
> The difference you mention is, I think, a significant one. Unlike > Hailey's belief[2] that the reader needs to feel a novel has educated him > or her, and the structure of the book is "surrendered" to this, Pterry > just throws in stuff he finds interesting (or, better yet, funny) and > thinks the reader might as well. The information follows the plot, rather > than the other way round.
> I think it precedes The Truth; Maskerade has a lot of genuine stuff on > the nature of opera, for instance.
I've considered including Maskerade into the list. Then I decided against it, because:
1. I wanted to accent the regularity with which this aspect occurs in the recent books. At the time Maskerade was written it was more of an exception than a rule.
2. The topic feels somewhat different to me. The invention of the press, the introduction of postage stamps, the functioning of the clacks, the working of the Royal Mint - all those deal with introduction of technologies, which are described with great attention to detail. Books like Maskerade, Moving Pictures and Soul Music are focusing more on the background of performing arts.
>> UA does seem to fit this pattern; you could learn a lot about the history >> of football[1] from some of the passages, and it also tells you how a >> ball is made.
>> The difference you mention is, I think, a significant one. Unlike >> Hailey's belief[2] that the reader needs to feel a novel has educated him >> or her, and the structure of the book is "surrendered" to this, Pterry >> just throws in stuff he finds interesting (or, better yet, funny) and >> thinks the reader might as well. The information follows the plot, rather >> than the other way round.
>> I think it precedes The Truth; Maskerade has a lot of genuine stuff on >> the nature of opera, for instance.
> I've considered including Maskerade into the list. Then I decided > against it, because:
> 1. I wanted to accent the regularity with which this aspect occurs in > the recent books. At the time Maskerade was written it was more of an > exception than a rule.
> 2. The topic feels somewhat different to me. The invention of the > press, the introduction of postage stamps, the functioning of the > clacks, the working of the Royal Mint - all those deal with > introduction of technologies, which are described with great attention > to detail. Books like Maskerade, Moving Pictures and Soul Music are > focusing more on the background of performing arts.
I feel that many of the DW novels are excellent teaching novels for, especially, 19th-century history. But I think perhaps best if guided by a teacher who already knows the territory, for best effect.
Just reading them is good, but as Daibhid says, in some of them it can be hard to tell the fact from the fantasy unless you have already studied.
OTOH, they're great for studying if you know a little or have a teacher, because they're a lot livelier than a lot of history books.
-- Stacie, fourth swordswoman of the afpocalypse. AFPMinister of Flexible Weapons & Bondage-happy predator AFPMistress to peachy ashie passion "If you can't be a good example, you'll just have to be a horrible warning."
> I feel that many of the DW novels are excellent teaching novels for, > especially, 19th-century history. But I think perhaps best if guided by a > teacher who already knows the territory, for best effect.
They are excellent teaching novels for a variety of topics. About two years ago, I've spent quite some time finding out more about the history of the usage of herbs as folk remedies, which started off with my trying to trace back the possible origins of the herbs with twisted names, used in the Witches books.
> Just reading them is good, but as Daibhid says, in some of them it can be > hard to tell the fact from the fantasy unless you have already studied.
I've said that in my first post as well :-)
> OTOH, they're great for studying if you know a little or have a teacher, > because they're a lot livelier than a lot of history books.
They can also be a good starting point for somebody who has little to no knowledge of English history, or is not too focused on history in general, and an encouragement to read something more specific.
Not to forget that they are also excellent for learning English, although a surprisingly high number of people disagree.
>>> UA does seem to fit this pattern; you could learn a lot about the >>> history >>> of football[1] from some of the passages, and it also tells you how a >>> ball is made.
>>> The difference you mention is, I think, a significant one. Unlike >>> Hailey's belief[2] that the reader needs to feel a novel has educated >>> him >>> or her, and the structure of the book is "surrendered" to this, Pterry >>> just throws in stuff he finds interesting (or, better yet, funny) and >>> thinks the reader might as well. The information follows the plot, >>> rather >>> than the other way round.
>>> I think it precedes The Truth; Maskerade has a lot of genuine stuff on >>> the nature of opera, for instance.
>> I've considered including Maskerade into the list. Then I decided >> against it, because:
>> 1. I wanted to accent the regularity with which this aspect occurs in >> the recent books. At the time Maskerade was written it was more of an >> exception than a rule.
>> 2. The topic feels somewhat different to me. The invention of the >> press, the introduction of postage stamps, the functioning of the >> clacks, the working of the Royal Mint - all those deal with >> introduction of technologies, which are described with great attention >> to detail. Books like Maskerade, Moving Pictures and Soul Music are >> focusing more on the background of performing arts.
> I feel that many of the DW novels are excellent teaching novels for, > especially, 19th-century history. But I think perhaps best if guided by > a teacher who already knows the territory, for best effect.
> Just reading them is good, but as Daibhid says, in some of them it can > be hard to tell the fact from the fantasy unless you have already studied.
The danger is that a lot of the jokes have to do with anachronism or with magical explanations of technology.
> OTOH, they're great for studying if you know a little or have a teacher, > because they're a lot livelier than a lot of history books.
They are excellent for gathering the background feel of a historical period, always remembering that the periods as described owe as much to Fantasy fiction as they do to what's known of the reality.
-- Lesley Weston
The addy above is real, but I won't see anything posted to it for a long time. To reach me, use leswes att shaw dott ca, adjusting as necessary.
>> I feel that many of the DW novels are excellent teaching novels for, >> especially, 19th-century history. But I think perhaps best if guided by a >> teacher who already knows the territory, for best effect.
> They are excellent teaching novels for a variety of topics. > About two years ago, I've spent quite some time finding out more about > the history of the usage of herbs as folk remedies, which started off > with my trying to trace back the possible origins of the herbs with > twisted names, used in the Witches books.
>> Just reading them is good, but as Daibhid says, in some of them it can be >> hard to tell the fact from the fantasy unless you have already studied.
> I've said that in my first post as well :-)
I published a piece on the Witches novels as teaching novels in the New York Review of Science Fiction a few months ago. Eventually I plan to follow it up with one on the Watch, but I haven't written that one yet.
-- Stacie, fourth swordswoman of the afpocalypse. AFPMinister of Flexible Weapons & Bondage-happy predator AFPMistress to peachy ashie passion "If you can't be a good example, you'll just have to be a horrible warning."
|
