Regarding Literary Snobbery

A few weeks ago, I was chatting with my sister over glasses of orange juice, talking about her new book club. We began to discuss the book the club was currently reading--The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. She wasn't a fan of the book, but was dutifully trudging through the reading. Curious, I did a quick google search on my phone to see if critics agreed. I came across a Vanity Fair review discussing critics who panned Tartt's writing style. I have no objection to harsh literary review when written intelligently, but certain means of criticism instantly hit a nerve with me. 

"'Its tone, language, and story belong in children’s literature,' wrote critic James Wood, in The New Yorker... 'I think that the rapture with which this novel has been received is further proof of the infantilization of our literary culture: a world in which adults go around reading Harry Potter.'"

I can hardly express how much this comment offends and disgusts me. Wood uses a comparison to children's literature as an insult, as if children's literature constitutes a bit of refuse to be shaken off his well-polished boot. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, because that logic is just...well, wrong. Well-written children's books are the core of literature. As one of my favorite authors said, “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” Children's literature can be written as skillfully, as meaningfully, and as complexly as adult literature--often more so. And it is children's books that have the power to change the world, as open-minded young people learn from its pages and begin to think critically. Children's books that I read when I was younger have truly helped define my perspective and beliefs in life, more than any "adult" book ever will. 

And what the hell is wrong with adults going around reading Harry Potter? Must a literary work be inaccessible and abstruse in order to earn the approval of such an elitist pedant as this guy? (Yeah, look, I can use big words, Wood. Does that make me meritorious?) I shudder to think of a world where it is not socially acceptable for an adult to read children's literature. Whether someone is 15 or 55, something can always be learned from a book, and it would be a terrible shame to withhold literature on the basis of having "outgrown" it. 

To be fair, I can see a point behind Wood's bitter-geezer "Get off my lawn!" equivalent of an attack on children's literature. His description of the "infantilization" of our literary culture has an element of truth. It is true that modern-day popular books are often written more simplistically, with lower-brow language, than in the past. Thrills and simplicity are valued over the art of writing. But there is something to be said for the increased accessibility of simply written books, which provide an entrance into the reading world for those who would otherwise be overwhelmed by the esoteric words of more advanced books. Furthermore, the simplification of language is not limited to children's literature, so Wood's ill-tempered jab at Harry Potter is unjustified. Are Dan Brown's cardboard prose, well-worn formulas, and cheap thrills really worth so much more than the relatable coming-of-age story of a young wizard? I know what my answer is.

Back in the restaurant, my sister asks for my help. "Hey, what are some books we can suggest to the book club?" I suggest a book I read recently. She wrinkles her nose and smiles sheepishly. "Books that won't get us, you know, laughed out of there." We both know that the subtext there is "children's books." She adds, "You know I love books for all ages, but I don't think they're going to go for it."

I know that my sister and I both love children's literature. I also know that if I was new to a book club with my professional coworkers, as she is, I might also hesitate to suggest a children's book, no matter how profound and well-written I believed it to be. All for fear of being ridiculed by those who see children's lit as beneath them. This saddens me deeply. All I can do is wave my flag high for children's books, as well as adult books, and openly express the equality of literature. Children's literature is inexpressibly valuable to our culture and society. Literary snobbery is neither accurate nor productive, and merit of literature is not defined by target audience. 

Now I'm off to read a children's book.