Bookslut prefers misery lit to chick lit (oh-kay then...)

Much as I find literary book blog Bookslut an informative and (mostly) enjoyable read, they have got it in for chick lit big time over there. (To each her own? Not so much).

On the site today, Jessa Crispin suggests that the current glut of books about women having nervous breakdowns (yes, apparently there is such a glut) could be an extension of "the chick lit backlash", suggesting: "Perhaps writers were as desperate as readers like me to see a female character be portrayed as a whole person."

So portraying a woman as a whole person = writing about her in the depths of misery? Wow, I feel invigorated. Better put down my fantastically entertaining books about women dealing with the ups and downs of modern life and read about some real women for a change!

Remind me, I forget (I'm just a simple-minded chick lit fan): is life supposed to be all about misery for the modern day woman?... Or about reading what I want and enjoying myself?

I know which I prefer.

Your thoughts, please...

lee majors

I used to read that blog all the time. Thanks for the reminder. I'm going to add Bookslut back to my RSS reader.

DIANE SHIPLEY

Hear hear, Lucie! xx

Lucie Simone

I certainly prefer tales of real women. And by that I mean women who struggle in their careers, like I do. Who go on awful dates searching for a decent boyfriend (and when did finding a boyfriend become frivolous anyway, as so many anti-chick litters say?), like I do. Who have great fun with their girlfriends, like I do. Who are on a journey of self-discovery, like I am. Just because chick lit takes a humorous look at the ups and downs of the modern woman&#39s life, does not mean it has any less literary value. And frankly, humor is harder to do. So, in my opinion, it should have more literary value!