Wednesday, January 13, 2010

One Begets the Other

Did you know Bronte is cool again? She is. Thanks to Stephenie Meyer, according to SouthCoast Today. Bella Swan, the protagonist of Meyer’s Twilight series reads Emily Bronte books… and, therefore, millions of young girls who identify with Bella read Bronte.

According to the article author, the Twilight success has inspired some clever book-jacket parodies on the web, “including a cover of Bram Stoker's "Dracula," announcing, "Inspired by Twilight!" and — my favorite — a copy of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter," advertising "The Same Color as Blood!"”

Bella is not the only character to inspire reading. Are you a fan of the TV show, “Lost”?
There are quite a few book clubs dedicated to reading the books mentioned in "Lost," including an online club at barnesandnoble.com.
Did you know there are 81 books mentioned in the “Lostipedia”?
"The Book of Laws," by Manu; "A Brief History of Time," by Stephen Hawking; "The Brothers Karamazov," by Fyodor Dostoevsky; "Caravan of Dreams," by Idries Shah; "Carrie," by Stephen King; "Catch 22," by Joseph Heller; "The Coalwood Way," by Homer Hickam; "Dark Horse," by Tami Hoag; "Dirty Work," by Stuart Woods, "Everything that Rises Must Converge," by Flannery O'Connor, "Fahrenheit 451," by Ray Bradbury; "The Fountainhead," by Ayn Rand, "High Hand," by Gary Phillips, "Lancelot," by Walter Percy, "Laughter in the Dark," by Vladimir Nabokov, and "Watership Down," by Gary Adams.
I bet you’ve read one or two of them. But would you read them just because your favorite character read them?
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35 comments:

  1. Interesting. I've read 7 of the 81, but not because some character I like read them, nope.

    Marvin D Wilson

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  2. I'm not surprised, Marvin. You are a prolific reader.

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  3. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book because a character I like read it. Though I’ve read several books on the Lost list, I’ve never seen the show so it’s pure coincidence. But, if seeing a character read gets people to also read, I hope they give books to a lot more characters.

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  4. It is interesting, Jane, to see characters reading on TV. You don't see it all that often. I used to watch Lost, but haven't in quite a while. I noticed Sawyer reading, but hadn't paid attention to what he was reading. I do think it's a nice touch to have a character doing something not often seen.

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  5. I haven't read anything because of a character reading it, but I have gone to a book to reread after seeing a movie based on it.

    For ex. Pride and Prejudice.

    I like that characters read on TV. Better that than watching them smoke and talk through the story, as I have seen on old movies!

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  6. I wouldn't read a book just because a character reads it. However, a character's choice certainly has an influence. If a character reads a book, it means the writer probably got something out of that book and I might, too.

    Gary Phillips signed a copy of High Hand for me. Does that make it more valuable to lostophiles? Any lostophiles out there want to make me an offer?

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  7. I haven't read anything because of a character on TV has. But if that character made the book sound interesting, I might look it up just to see what it was about.

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  8. Pretty prolific readers on that show!

    I'd read a book b/c of a personal recommendation from a friend, but not a character. Maybe if I had more time, I would, though.

    Elizabeth
    Mystery Writing is Murder
    Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen

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  9. I think when writers have a character read a book, it probably means the books says something about the character or it's a book the writer particularly likes and wants to mention. In the case of Lost, I have a feeling it's some clue to something that has happened in the storyline. One of my favorite ways to watch Lost is watching the reruns where they scroll clues along the bottom of the screen.

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  11. I like that characters read, but it doesn't mean I'd read their books. I have read some you listed however.

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  12. Since I have turned into such a persnickety reader in my golden years, I would not read a book just because a character in another book read it. I would, however, check the book out and if I found it to my liking, I would read it.

    That said, I do enjoy finding a book mentioned in a story. I guess I just like the fact that reading is promoted.

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  13. I like the idea of a character having reading preferences, but unless I share them I'm not reading the book. Then again, I'm not a 15 year old girl, either.

    Elspeth

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  14. I haven't ravished a book just because of a character- nope. That seems a little far reaching for me.

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  15. I've read Carrie and Watership Down.

    And no, I'd never read a book just because a favorite character likes it! Silly people.

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  16. I haven't read a book b/c a favorite character has. But I'm glad Twilight is inspiring more reading ... maybe it has to do with the demographics, with the young girls more inclined to want to emulate.

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  17. Reading for any reason is good, but I shudder to think of so many young girls swayed by Bella.

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  18. Can't say I've ever been swayed by a character...

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  19. I haven't been swayed by a character either, but I do like the idea that some writers create a world in which reading is part of the lives of the people who live in that world.

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  20. I love the idea of finding inspiration or ideas for new books to read from a novel...it makes me think the author is actually telegraphing their own book recommendations and it adds depth to the character development of the character recommending the book.

    PS Helen, thank you for stopping by my blog and for your kind comments on my dog, Chloe.

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  21. It's lovely that the classics are becoming popular once more, although we novelists are advised to read bestsellers instead. I love the phrasing and character development of a great many older novels, among them the Brontes. And no, I wouldn't read a book just because a character recommeneded it.

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  22. The only episode of LOST I remember watching had two people talking about a comic in which Superman raced The Flash... I clearly haven't been paying attention!

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  23. I have read Hawking, Dostoyevsky (most of it), Heller and Nabokov, long time before I had ever heard about the Internet, at the time when Twin Peaks was the only TV series worth watching; but can,t remember which books Audrey Horne was reading

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  25. Can't say that a fictional character has ever caused me to pick up a certain book. I've read five of the novels in the list, but other books by some of the mentioned authors. Hey, what ever gets young people to read is cool with me.

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  26. It seems that most of us would not read a book just because a character in a book read it or mentioned it. And yet tons of young girls raced to read a book being read by the protagonist of the Twilight series. Is this an age thing?

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  27. I didn't know all of that - very cool! I've read a few, but not too many :)

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  28. I've read a few of them, but not many. :)

    And honestly, it never occurred to me to read something because someone on TV liked it. Books have more influence, but only if I love the character. And I didn't exactly love Bella...

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  29. I read a book when I get one too many reminders that I should have read it a long time ago. This pertains to the classics, so if a title shows up in a TV show or a book and its the 100th reminder...then it may be the trigger to send me to the library...

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  30. I have read 5 of the books listed, but I've never watched "Lost" so it wasn't because of that!

    I would probably not read a book because of a TV show (especially because I hardly ever watch TV), but I might check out a book because a character in I book loved it. I get very attached to characters I like, and I might check out their reading.

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  31. We seem to be more influenced by book characters than by TV characters. I think perhaps it's because for a lot of us (okay, me) book characters are more real and intimate.

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  32. I love Lost. I have watched the entire series so far and had no idea that many books were mentioned.

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  33. I do think the phenomenon is age related. The teen Twilight readers are just beginning to choose books on their own. There is probably (?) resistance to titles suggested by teachers and parents, and so they look to characters they consider their peers. Thank goodness the characters have such enduring taste! The Lost list isn't too shabby either, is it!

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  34. I'd read Jane Austen over Bronte any day.

    Really Angelic

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  35. I need to get the entire series of Lost and go back and watch the many episodes I missed. I liked the series, but lost interest during the breaks.

    You're right, bonita, the Lost series is not a bad list of books to choose to read.

    Enid, speaking of Austen, I now have "Really Angelic" and love the cover.

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