Doing It - Melvyn Burgess
Wed, 2003-05-14 16:35
#1
Doing It - Melvyn Burgess
Shocking new teen novel from bloke who writes shocking teen novels. A teen romance thing from the boys' points of view.
'Chidren's Laureate' Anne Fine, writing in the Guardian said it was disgusting and should be pulped.
I read it, it wasn't shocking at all, in fact, it was a bit twee in places.
Let's hope Anne Fine never buys a TV. That'll really shock her. Has anyone else read this?
markbrown
No, but I'd like to. I was blown away by 'Junk', Melvyn Burgess' novel for teens about drug addiction and squatting. It was one of the best things I read in whatever year I read it.
Rachel
Havent read it but would quite like to just to see what all the fuss is about. Heard Chris Woodhead on the radio yesterday lambasting it as the work of satan etc. Although I've never been a teenage boy myself, I'm still sure that you think those thoughts (I know teenage girls do) so why not write them down and make them topics for discussion. We used to read Judy Blume books when we were teenies and I'm sure they were just as bad for that day and age.
*manipulates zimmer frame and shuffles off forum*
Liana
Yes, I want to get this too.. I have an incredibly mannered, very introverted non-street wise teenage daughter, it would possibly do her good.
bwah etc.
and chris woodhead, is a berk.. i wish people like him would get a life and see how it really is.. burying ones head in the sand a la Anne Fine, is ludicrous...
Tony Cook
My kids all read Judy Blume - and loved her stuff.
It was challenging but hey, we live in a city of wickedness and they need to know the score.
I've been really impressed by the Melvyn Burgess stuff I've seen and would love to see this one. I'm sure it's just Daily Mail knee-jerk idiocy that's going on here.
d.beswetherick
Something I picked up on in the coverage of the book worries me. In recent years, with the ascendancy of women, there has been a slow loss of or simplification of knowledge about men and boys and how they tick. For example, I've noticed an increased tendency for even quite intelligent commentators (of both sexes) to make the assumption that teenaged boys are much of a muchness. I have read some extracts from the Burgess book, and although I am sure that it's a good book, I wouldn't like it to give people the impression that all boys think and act the way the boys do in the book. I grew up on a council estate where we all had sex and got up to everything at ludicrously early ages, but I don't remember us talking demeaningly of girls. I think we were genuinely taken aback when we first saw pornographic pictures.
d.beswetherick.