Is it bad?

[Lilith785]

Is it bad that I love Fantasy books? I mean I have the classics (well some of them) But I really love Tolken, Robert Jordan, and a couple of others. I fear that I'm not as cultured as I should be.http://www.dineoxford.com/pics/img/2657/y09w0131xdtc/82(2).gif

[Zee.]

Real bad. Devilishly bad.

[Bancini]

we all have our guilty pleasures...like the movies we watch when we find them on tv but would never admit to our friends that we were watching

[Bancini]

oh...and i've read the most of the Wheel of Time books at least 3 times, though have not picked one up since the last one came out...

[Emil Miller]

Is it bad that I love Fantasy books? I mean I have the classics (well some of them) But I really love Tolken, Robert Jordan, and a couple of others. I fear that I'm not as cultured as I should be.http://www.dineoxford.com/pics/img/2657/y09w0131xdtc/82(2).gif

It's neither good nor bad as long as you don't confuse the two.
Although why anybody would want to waste time reading the third rate is beyond me.

[Joreads]

No it is not bad read what ever you want and enjoy them and don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't. We all have our own preferences.

[weltanschauung]

*banned*

[Bancini]

i'm sure I'll read the last wheel of time book when it comes out...

if reading Dr. Seuss makes you laugh, do it

[Thespian1975]

Read what you enjoy. I can read the Discworld novels and Shakespeare and enjoy them both. Never let anyone tell you that "you shouldn't be reading that"

[dreamscape]

I read copious amounts of fantasy. Alot of it is drivel, but I guess you get that in any genre. I do however recommend Steven Erikson, R. Scott Bakker, Glen Cook, these and a few others do have some literary merit.
I grew up on fantasy, so it will always have a special place, but unfortunately you often have to dig past the mainstream to find the really high quality stuff.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Is it bad that I love Fantasy books? I mean I have the classics (well some of them) But I really love Tolken, Robert Jordan, and a couple of others. I fear that I'm not as cultured as I should be.http://www.dineoxford.com/pics/img/2657/y09w0131xdtc/82(2).gif

You need to be true to yourself in what you are reading. The sense of being "cultured" or "uncultured" is a bit of a construct in this sense anyway. The written text is all that matters, not the connotations people attach to them.

Having said that reading habits change with time, these books in the future may not scratch the itch for you any more. It also has to do with personal development as a reader. If you read a lot and often, you may feel the need to gravitate to something beyond pop lit. I cut my teeth with the likes of Tolken, but I could not go back to them now. I am sure there are some excellent fantasy writers out there however and it may be worth cutting though the drivel to find them.

[Sepulchrave]

Fantasy doesn't automatically equate to 'bad'.

There are some very thoughtful and genuinely creative pieces of fantasy out there. I suppose it's ironic that I find Tolkien (generally the most accepted of the fantasy crowd by the elitist types) to be utterly dry. If you dig around, however, you'll find some very interesting pieces from the fantasy genre; not all books follow the familiar formula of black/white morality, 'chosen one' protagonists, worthless females, magic, etc. Many authors (now more than ever) are willing to experiment, inverse stereotypes and break away from the conventional route.

Personally, I've always been disdainful of people who look down upon an entire genre -- and this goes for other areas too of course, such as music -- simply because of their exposure to a few (normally mainstream and utterly mediocre) pieces. I believe that there are always gems to be found if you're willing to look, and the fantasy genre certainly hasn't disappointed me in that respect. In some ways it reminds me of the constant debate surrounding Martial Arts, when it comes to styles. Most perceptive people will realise that, ultimately, it's much more to do with the individual than the style. There are always exceptions. Damning an entire style (and in this context, genre) comes across as very ignorant, in my opinion.

Aside from that, you should never allow other people to dictate to you when it comes to reading. Reading is a beautiful thing, really (I'm sure most of us can at least agree to that) and it's sullied when you allow others to destroy your personal preference. To me, that ruins the point of reading in the first place.

[Phranchesskah]

Discern only according to your personal taste.

[subterranean]

Is it bad that I love Fantasy books? I mean I have the classics (well some of them) But I really love Tolken, Robert Jordan, and a couple of others. I fear that I'm not as cultured as I should be.http://www.dineoxford.com/pics/img/2657/y09w0131xdtc/82(2).gif


Classics are overrated



**ducks and covers**

[mollie]

If you enjoy them, read them.

[Phranchesskah]

Classics are overrated

That is the fundamental definition of them. Although that's not to say that they aren't, more often than not, good.


/opinion

[WICKES]

Bad? Christ no! Who can blame anyone for wanting to escape from this world into another?

[Tsuyoiko]

Having said that reading habits change with time, these books in the future may not scratch the itch for you any more. It also has to do with personal development as a reader. If you read a lot and often, you may feel the need to gravitate to something beyond pop lit. I cut my teeth with the likes of Tolken, but I could not go back to them now. I am sure there are some excellent fantasy writers out there however and it may be worth cutting though the drivel to find them.

I agree. I read mainly fantasy in my early teens, starting with Tolkien of course. In my late teens and early 20s I preferred science fiction. Since my mid 20s I've been reading mainly classics and contemporary literature.

There are two fantasy writers that I would definitely recommend: Philip Pullman and George R R Martin. I'm so into Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series that I've read the sample chapters of his latest book from his website, because I'm getting withdrawal symptoms waiting for its release! Try this out: http://www.georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html. Quality :D

[rozreads]

Hey, what would you call Alice in Wonderland?

[Lokasenna]

I'm the same, and can quite easily distinguish between them. I enjoy the classics, but sometimes I just want to read something nice and easy where I don't need to think particularly hard - I've read the Wheel of Time through thrice now.

That said, I'd argue that Tolkein is a classic anyway. The man was a great scholar, and his work, both fictional and academic, had much to do with the Medieval revival. I specialise in ancient Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon literature, and quite frankly they have many similarities to modern fantasy...

[Lilith785]

Hey, what would you call Alice in Wonderland?

Funny you should say that. I reading Alice for the third time. I consider it a book of life lessons. http://www.dineoxford.com/pics/img/2657/y09w0131xdtc/82(2).gif