Begin Rant-
I happened upon this USA Today article a while ago and I haven't been able to rinse the taste of bile out of my mouth since reading it. This article seems innocent enough. An interview with best selling author Nicholas Sparks and the star of the new movie based on one of his books, Miley Cyrus. I'm not even going to touch Miley here because she actually comes off as the more rational of the two in this interview. And that's not saying a lot. No, my vitriol is reserved solely for Sparks and his obvious delusion of grandeur complex.
You may know Sparks best by the movies based on his novels. A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, and Message in a Bottle among others. I will give Sparks some leeway with his argument that his books are "love stories, not romances". Whatevs. I personally don't see the distinction. But he is quite adamant, much like a politician who argues the difference between having an inappropriate relationship with a woman who is not his wife and banging all the strippers at the Kitty Kat Klub.
But, I have to draw the line when he compares himself to Hemingway. After picking up A Farewell to Arms he says, "That's what I write." Um, no. You don't. Hemingway wrote some of the most simple yet eloquent prose the literary community has ever seen. You write melodramatic (despite his argument in the interview) tripe that's only a small step above Harlequin Romances. And then in the next breath claims "there are no authors in (his) genre. No one is doing what (he) does." Does this choad really think he invented a literary genre? Are young, eager minds at the University of Iowa's Writers Workshop studying his groundbreaking masterpieces?
Don't get me wrong, we all have our dirty little secrets - our secret go-to books when we don't really feel like thinking a lot. The ones we don't want to be seen reading at the corner Starbucks. I read Anita Shreve novels and Sookie Stackhouse books. I'm not entirely proud of it but everyone needs a break now and again. The difference being these authors aren't parading around in USA Today claiming to be the next Hemingway. Most likely because they have the self awareness to know they are not the next Hemingway.
And what's his problem with Cormac McCarthy. McCarthy must have stolen his girlfriend in high school or something.
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Oh my!!!! What a JERK. He sounds like a pompous idiot!
ReplyDeleteMet him on a book tour about 10 years ago (I think The Rescue had just come out). Yes, I went with a girl. He was still a pretty new novelist at that point and was way more humble and appreciative than that interview. I had read The Notebook at the time but I guess a near guarantee of success for anything he writes has spoiled him and he has let it go to his head. Too bad because he was actually interesting to listen to. It's funny because he talked about how sometimes he struggled to write and how the story should go - should it be tearful at the end, etc... Much different from this quote: "My own opinion is: dark — easy to write. Easy!" he says. "I find no challenge in it."
ReplyDeleteYeah, it definity sounds like success has gone to his head. He'd be alright if he was still the person you met ten years ago, Mike. I would probably read his books too. Hey, I like a good romance novel as much as the next girl. But I boycott him out of principal now.
ReplyDeleteOh lord. Nobody touches Hemingway.
ReplyDelete(I don't know if you remember me - I went to Simpson...found you through Cam. Great blog!)
Hi Jessica! Yes, I remember you. Thanks for stopping by!
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