S/O Why is adult FRUM literature awful?

amother

Puce

Wed, Apr 25 2018, 9:58 pm

amother wrote:

On this site you're talking about Christian books? What in the world. Yes they may be clean. No I would not read them nor let my children read them nor be pleased if they did. Need I explain why?

I didn't realize it was a Christian book until I was in middle of reading it, by then I was very impressed with the writing and skimmed through the rest of the book. No missionary, no trolling...........

amother

Pumpkin

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 8:09 am

Good writing and fine literature is more than just grammar and character development. Its about content. The topic here is FRUM literature. This is an orthodox jewish website.

amother

Bronze

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 8:31 am

amother wrote:

Good writing and fine literature is more than just grammar and character development. Its about content. The topic here is FRUM literature. This is an orthodox jewish website.

So? The point is that frum publishers effectively keep frum writing from rising to the level of literature by forbidding a wide range of human behavior and emotions.

PinkFridge

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 8:46 am

amother wrote:

Another writer chiming in here. Don't forget that couples cant have any major disagreements, every characters' middos and level of emunah must be beyond reproach, and no one's ever heard of the internet, ever. Rolling Eyes

Sure there's internet in books. I'd love to see more stories with nuance, like not the frum stuff but how internet fries our brains and messes up communication. Vs. child starts surfing, ends up on drugs. That I've seen. (ETA: If anyone is thinking of any particular book or books, I'm thinking of one and it wasn't terribly written but was very not subtle.)

amother

Babypink

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 9:34 am

amother wrote:

On this site you're talking about Christian books? What in the world. Yes they may be clean. No I would not read them nor let my children read them nor be pleased if they did. Need I explain why?

Did you ever read CS Lewis' series on Narnia - the magicians nephew, the lion witch and wardrobe etc?
Those are amazing books.
As a teenager, I was walking past a xtian missionary store and saw those books prominently posted in the window, and asked my mother about it.
She told me that they were offfically xtian books.... well that was news to me, that was my favorite series growing up, they certainlynever gave me any xtian values...

Lizzie4

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 9:37 am

My all time favorite frum author is Henye Meyer. She wrote the exiles of crocodile island, fall of the sun God and this is America.

amother

Bisque

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 10:18 am

Sarah Shapiro is also a talented writer. I don't think she writes fiction, though. I particularly loved her book Growing with My Children.

PinkFridge

Thu, Apr 26 2018, 5:52 pm

Lizzie4 wrote:

My all time favorite frum author is Henye Meyer. She wrote the exiles of crocodile island, fall of the sun God and this is America.

And Starlight.

jewishmom4

Tue, May 01 2018, 10:55 am

I haven't followed this thread fully, but I think I got the gist of it, am in middle of reading Growing with my cousin, by Esther Katz Silver, and I think its great, its not about suspense and thrill, but its very well written and not the same silly uninteresting material I've read in the past, she mentions relationship, and even the word mikveh, and has some non jews mentioned in the story, I felt like it was some quality reading and not the same bland silly stuff...

PinkFridge

Tue, May 01 2018, 11:06 am

jewishmom4 wrote:

It's pretty nuanced. It reminded me - a lot, in content and style - of Rachel Pomerantz.

jewishmom4

Tue, May 01 2018, 11:13 am

I hear what your saying, but I like her style of not hiding everything under the cover, she spoke about infertility in a bit more open way, and about relationship, she didnt just sweep it under the rug

PinkFridge

Tue, May 01 2018, 11:25 am

jewishmom4 wrote:

No "but" necessary. I was comparing her in a positive way. They're both competent, though not effusive, writers, who tell compelling stories, with real characters and insight.

chocolate fondue

Sun, Aug 19 2018, 5:20 pm

I know this is an older thread, but I just saw it now. Just want to point out...
I emailed Rachel Pomerantz before her last book, Orange Groves came out. She emailed me a copy of the manuscript of the book to read. I bought the book when it came out and I was so disappointed. The original was so much better! All the good lines had been taken out, as well as a significant subplot, probably because it would have been deemed politically inappropriate for the frum community. If frum books have to be edited like that, the quality is going to be poorer.

amother

Coral

Sun, Aug 19 2018, 5:37 pm

I find the hardest is 17 plots in one story like the book jumps around. just because the main character broght a dress from Sarah store doesn't mean we need to go into the story of Sarah's life . Even if you find a way to tie it all in at some point it's to much ! I like a good book I have stoped reading a number of non Frum Fiction also Bec it was that bad. but once I borrowed a pile of Jewish books for over a yontef from a friend and all the books by many different authors and way too many similar story lines! And you can always guess the ending which is they lived happy ever after in a bubble of love and joy with no more problems

naturalmom5

Sun, Aug 19 2018, 5:56 pm

amother wrote:

https://www.khanacademy.org/hu.....ammar

Amelia Bedelia

Sun, Aug 19 2018, 6:28 pm

PinkFridge wrote:

It's pretty nuanced. It reminded me - a lot, in content and style - of Rachel Pomerantz.

Wow, I thought it was just me who felt that way! When I read it, I had to double-check the author to see if it was Rachel Pomerantz.

PinkFridge

Sun, Aug 19 2018, 6:30 pm

amother wrote:

I've read a lot of secular books that are told from different POV, or go through different stages in history.

Raisin

Sun, Aug 19 2018, 6:43 pm

naturalmom5 wrote:

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/parts-of-speech-the-noun/welcome-to-grammar-subject/v/introduction-to-grammar

that's mean. You don't have to be a good writer to enjoy good writing (and plots)

amother

Khaki

Wed, Sep 12 2018, 7:17 pm

I'm still waiting for someone to write a frum novel where the two halves of a couple don't grow religiously at the same pace. Or one of the couple doesn't grow religiously at all. Ever. Without a "happy" ending. It does happen in real life. So, I'm still waiting...and waiting...and waiting... Wake me up if there ever is a frum novel like that.