Children's books just for children?

[Gadget]

Just listened to Radio2 - Jeramy Vine, and the question was "Is there a time when we should stop reading children's books and read adult books instead?" "Is it disturbing/sad seeing 40yr old's reading Harry Potter rather than Jayne Ayre?"

I left the car before I shouted at the pretentious person on the radio.

[angelique]

Originally Posted by Gadget

Just listened to Radio2 - Jeramy Vine, and the question was "Is there a time when we should stop reading children's books and read adult books instead?" "Is it disturbing/sad seeing 40yr old's reading Harry Potter rather than Jayne Ayre?"

I left the car before I shouted at the pretentious person on the radio.

Glad you showed restraint Gadget....admire you!

If I could be bothered I'd analyse where the bloke was coming from in making a comment like that , but I can't so I won't and I have a chapter of Harry Potter left to read..........
The word AR** springs to mind!

Personally CAN'T WAIT till the next Harry Potter is out in the summer. D'ya wanna borrow my copy when I've read it Gadget?

[Gadget]

I bet I'll have read it before the offer to borrow comes in.

It was actually a female: sounded as if she was a "young exec" - no kids, spouting that it reflected poorly on the adults who were reading books written to apeal to a lower age group: like the reader couldn't comprehend an "adult" book and although they were a director of a multi-billion firm, had the mental (reading) age of a 12 year-old.

Sounds a plausable argument... if you had never read any of these books. And never have read any adult books that are poorer than children's books. Good quality writing is good quality writing: be it a "dummys" manual, a children's book, a graphic novel or a nobel winner.

[angelique]

I feel sometimes the need to read "utter drivel" just to get away from it all! My treat to myself is to read on a sunday the News of The World and I almost have withdrawl symptoms if I don't. Call me sad, call me whatever but thats me.

If I were an author I think one of my main objectives would be to write something that the reader will enjoy, therefore increasing the potential for them to return to sample further examples of my literary works of art. I didnt realise that snobbery has managed to weedle its way into reading as well
Will almost be ashamed now to reveal what I am reading at the moment unless of course, its something big , posh and very intellectual to therefore impress!

Anyway, Gadget, chuck us that Jackie Collins novel you got hidden away there!

[Lory]

Originally Posted by angelique

I Anyway, Gadget, chuck us that Jackie Collins novel you got hidden away there!

Confession time... I'd never liked reading 'anything' as a child and the first time I really enjoyed a book, so much that I couldn't put it down was when I was 13, Jackie Collins, 'The Bitch'

[angelique]

Originally Posted by Lory

Confession time... I'd never liked reading 'anything' as a child and the first time I really enjoyed a book, so much that I couldn't put it down was when I was 13, Jackie Collins, 'The Bitch'

Now then Lory, if I were into psycho-analysis I would say something along the lines of "did that have any sort of lasting affect on you" or something but I'm not so I won't ! ..

[Chicklet]

I still have a VERY extensive selection of Chalet Schools under the stairs and get them out and read them (in order of course!!) every 3 years or so....real comfort reading.

[drathzel]

J K Rowling is a very talented women, She has managed to write a book that relates to many different age groups but on different levels! That to me is a brilliant!

So tell your friend to put that in her pipe and smoke it!

[Nessa]

Hiya! I know I'm new here but I have, right off the bat, found a topic that's dear to my heart - kids books!

Now coming from someone who finally got through The Silmarillion by the age of 9 1/2, I think I have a right now to read as many kids books as I like. To be honest, all those depressing political chases across the Eastern Bloc countries bore the pants off me , and if you can have the same chase, chuck in an imaginary setting designed to appeal to a 10 year old, and make it appealing to a less jaded audience, well why the heck shouldn't we all enjoy it!

Things like The Princess Bride are basically a kids book, but most adults who bother reading it or seeing the film can see that the humour is many layered and designed to appeal to the adults too, though in a more subtle way.

And if you threw the His Dark Materials trilogy (anyone read it?? Philip Pullman) at a whoooole lot of adults they would be totally fazed by the depth of philosophy and religious implications that got stuck in this "kids' book". But kids can cope... so why shoudn't we try to read up to their level hmmm??

Going to pull my head in now but nice to meet ya all!

[philsmove]

For Raymond Briggs fans he is on desert islands disk this week

you can hear it of the BBC web site