http://www.pammingle.com/misery-lit-have-we-had-our-fill/ Writer Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:45:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.pammingle.com/misery-lit-have-we-had-our-fill/comment-page-1/#comment-185 Pam Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:41:41 +0000 http://www.pammingle.com/?p=634#comment-185 Hi Heather, I agree! All the dystopian stuff is getting me down. I love Kingsley Amis. Hi Heather,
I agree! All the dystopian stuff is getting me down. I love Kingsley Amis.

]]> http://www.pammingle.com/misery-lit-have-we-had-our-fill/comment-page-1/#comment-184 Pam Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:38:33 +0000 http://www.pammingle.com/?p=634#comment-184 Carl Hiaasen is hysterical. I could use a dose of him right now! Carl Hiaasen is hysterical. I could use a dose of him right now!

]]> http://www.pammingle.com/misery-lit-have-we-had-our-fill/comment-page-1/#comment-183 Janis Tue, 03 Aug 2010 15:29:09 +0000 http://www.pammingle.com/?p=634#comment-183 I say read a couple of Dave Barry books if you want a laugh. Carl Hiaasen is also good for laughing, and he has a brand new one (Star Island). Not exactly literature, but very cathartic! I say read a couple of Dave Barry books if you want a laugh. Carl Hiaasen is also good for laughing, and he has a brand new one (Star Island). Not exactly literature, but very cathartic!

]]> http://www.pammingle.com/misery-lit-have-we-had-our-fill/comment-page-1/#comment-182 Heather Thu, 15 Jul 2010 03:08:16 +0000 http://www.pammingle.com/?p=634#comment-182 This is a great point. I find it interesting that during these troubling times we are drawn towards misery, but during past economic downturns people have looked for cultural levity. Comic books became popular during the Great Depression, as did film comedies. I'm doing research on the Civil War right now about popular fiction, and am finding that the most popular books were sentimental romances and swashbuckling adventures. It seems natural to use culture to escape a bad situation, and I'm not sure what it says about us that we are interested in wallowing rather than escaping. I know I could use a swashbuckling adventure story right about now, or a Kinglsey Amis novel. Anything besides the constant stream of news about all the awful things going on that I can't do a thing about. This is a great point. I find it interesting that during these troubling times we are drawn towards misery, but during past economic downturns people have looked for cultural levity. Comic books became popular during the Great Depression, as did film comedies. I’m doing research on the Civil War right now about popular fiction, and am finding that the most popular books were sentimental romances and swashbuckling adventures. It seems natural to use culture to escape a bad situation, and I’m not sure what it says about us that we are interested in wallowing rather than escaping. I know I could use a swashbuckling adventure story right about now, or a Kinglsey Amis novel. Anything besides the constant stream of news about all the awful things going on that I can’t do a thing about.

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