Just spotted this headline on the front page of The Guardian. It's a quote from Phillip Pullman.
Just spotted this headline on the front page of The Guardian. It's a quote from Phillip Pullman.
chant (not verified) | August 12, 2002 - 11:02
sounds interesting. can you give us his reasoning, Hovis? or is it his usual thing - modern adult fiction only dealing with trivial themes (does my bum look big in this?), while children's fiction tackles life and death, good and evil etc?
hovis (not verified) | August 12, 2002 - 14:35
Ye I've had chance to read it now. He does echo those sentiments you mention but widens his horizons and to quote the Guardian
'makes an implicit criticism of the modern novel, claiming that unless it does more to tackle moral questions it is in danger of becoming "trivial and worthless"...'
To quote himself
"You can't leave morality out (of a novel) unless your work is so stupid and trivial and so worthless that (nobody) would want to read it anyway.
"Fiction must return to carrying a 'moral punch'....If a book did not deal with death, to me it is trivial."
He comes across in the article pretty much obsessed with death and what, if anything, lies beyond.
I see morality existing in the very small areas in life not just within the big ones. I think death, war, political and religious hatred and bigotry blossom from the subtle undoings in people. From very small atoms do mushrooms grow.
hovis (not verified) | August 12, 2002 - 14:57
...and from the cupboard they overflow and into the night they beam and glow like magic...
hovis (not verified) | August 12, 2002 - 16:45
sorry - this is a split thread - my fault for having one foot in each forum. See discussions forum for meatier and heatier thread.