hilldextrase

Montreal Just completed my degree in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy. Interested in continuing to expand my knowledge of ethics, art, music and cinema.

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literature

Goodreads

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Form vs. Content- What Makes a "Good" Book?

When approaching literary criticism should our evaluation be rooted in form, content or a combination of both? Upon surveying user-generated online reviews –through platforms such as Goodreads–it is easy to see a favouring of content>form in the evaluation of (especially contemporary) fictional works. However, a satisfying or politically correct plot does not necessarily constitute a book's literary value, as has been proven in the body of literature that has developed and grown into the present canon of classics. Does a focus on content and its potentially overbearing concern with happy-endings, chronological order or likeable protagonists cloud our judgement of what makes a "good" book? And even more interestingly, can a book be judged to be "good" at all, and if so, by who?

Interesting topic! This topic should probably include some grounding in theory and criticism: although Goodread is good, it might not be substantial enough to form an opinion and an argument! Have a look at the classic debates and theories around the issue with Susan Sontag or Frederic Jameson and postmodernism - it might about art in general or film, but definitely applicable to literature too! – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun 8 years ago
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A little broad for my taste but it is very thought provoking. – rowenachandler 8 years ago
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I think the term "good" is debatable. There are conventions used in every genre. Most of the time, a book is based on how well these conventions are played. It is like a card game. The deck of cards remains the same 52 and the games allow a myriad number of permutations involved with the human element of how to play the cards dealt. No one can say for sure how to always win at poker or bridge but there are general principles that apply. Also, think of the ace card, in some games it is the highest, in others the lowest. I trust you get where I am going with this metaphor. So a good criticism, judges how the the traditional, conventional elements are played out according to its genre. – Munjeera 8 years ago
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Latest Comments

May 22, 2016 hilldextrase ahh I guess I don’t fully have the hang of this, the point of that comment was to change change incredible to incredibly	The Little Death's Big Deaths
May 22, 2016 hilldextrase When watching this film and considering Steve, I was seriously thrown off by the precarious position of the “golliwog” cookies and the underlying racism of the figure they are formed after…a hint on how we should read his morality perhaps? Is this fair? Where do we draw the line between fetish and sexual deviance that is harmful? I agree with this article’s focus on opening up discussion on these matters, as it is incredibly important.	The Little Death's Big Deaths
May 22, 2016 hilldextrase When watching this film and considering Steve, I was seriously thrown off by the precarious position of the “golliwog” cookies and the underlying racism of the figure they are formed after…a hint on how we should read his morality perhaps? Is this fair? Where do we draw the line between fetish and sexual deviance that is harmful? I agree with this article’s focus on opening up discussion on these matters, as it is incredible important.	The Little Death's Big Deaths
May 19, 2016 hilldextrase This may be tangential, but the cultural obsession (especially amongst the generation of nostalgia) with this ideal, diverse yet not actually diverse group of friends at the heart of Friends and their lives is something which I have seen have some scary and unpredictable consequences. I have met and been friends with multiple people who idealize the show, the time and the relationships within it so much that they are disenchanted–at least to a certain extent–with the present moment and their own personal relationships. I realize this seems to be the recounting of an extreme case, but it is one I have encountered on multiple occasions and one that manifests it self through other television shows as well. I think a lot of the merits of Friends discussed in this article are reasons which contribute to this appeal and pull, but of which we must be hyper-aware as not to become too absorbed in this far too ideal depiction of young adulthood.	The Effect of "Friends"
May 19, 2016 hilldextrase From my perspective this article does a good job of capturing and shifting what it means to be “poetic” from the literary to the cinematic. “Poetic” as defined by a use of verse rather than prose is terminology which functions well regarding more avant-garde approaches to cinema, as it paints an accessible picture for the ways in which certain film techniques are capable of disrupting narrative continuity.	Poeticism in Cinema