I have said before that Jodi Picoult is my favorite author, and I've read more of her books than I have read any other author. I've also said before that sometimes while reading her novels it feels a bit predictable in that it will deal with a controversial issue and the law. There seems to always be a trial in her novels, which is part of the reason I like them - the drama and the legal talk is interesting, most of the time. But this article about Picoult's novels really said it well. In the New York Times article, the author writes that Picoult has found success as a writer of "literature of children in peril."
I do have to agree with the above statement - while it never seems that Picoult is trying to blame parents, or make them out to be unfit parents, she seems to write about topics that deal with the hard stuff. It's more or less that the parents are raising their kids they best they can. (Which is all you can ever expect of parents - that they will do the best they can.)
This makes me think of my own relationship with my family, and that while my sister and I had the same parents (duh), we turned out to be 2 extremely different people. And I see some traits of Picoult's characters in my sister and me, and it makes the books a little too personal sometimes.
Another part of the article I found very interesting was about Picoult's belief that what we remember vividly from childhood are often the moments that gave us the most humiliation or harm, and that she remembers a bully smashing her fingers into a locker. I really agree with this statement - at this very moment thinking about childhood the first thoughts that come to mind are my parents' divorce, the anxiety of starting a new school, some of the idiots who were rude to me in middle and high school, and the years that my sister and I couldn't get along for anything.
This is a great article for Picoult lovers, as it tells a little more about her choice to write these types of novels, and how it affects her life with her 3 teenagers. If you haven't read the article, you can read it here. Be sure to come back and discuss :)
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3 comments:
Thanks for this link... I have a Picoult book on my shelf that I've neglected for months. Perhaps now I will give it a chance.
Hope it is OK that I added you to my blogroll... you are on a fascinating journey. You may want to read my archives - I did 150 books in a year and nearly wiped my love of reading clean.
Kristin - I'm sorry I didn't see this comment until now! It's absolutely okay that you added me; thank you!
Sorry for all the comments - I'm trying hard to catch up on all my blogs. I love yours and just don't want to miss A THING!
Anyway - Jodi Picoult is also one of my favorite authors. I've read all her books even though, like a lot of successful authors, she's gotten a bit formulaic and predictable over the years. Still, I love her.
The article you referenced was interesting. It's true that Picoult writes about parents just trying to do their best. I think that's exactly why her books are so impactful - her characters are just ordinary people living ordinary lives. Every time I read a Picoult book, I find myself wondering what I would do in that situation. I think the "children in peril" thing is another part of what makes her books resound so much with her readers. She always seems to be on the side of the child, so I don't feel she's exploiting them. In fact, I think she helps us to understand their points of view and how the people around them influence the way they think and behave. I'm probably a little biased :) Anyway, interesting article.
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