Litwit Lounge discussion

I'm starting this topic thread as a place to post questions for members to weigh in on, as well as any interesting tidbits, websites, etc. anyone would like to share and that don't fit under other categories.

Question: What genre does The Time Traveler’s Wife fall under? Fantasy? Science-fiction? (The time-travelling thing turns out to be a genetic condition…but some people hold with the idea that time-travel is and always will be impossible.) Or is it more mainstream or romance?

Good question! But I'm afraid that The Time Traveler’s Wife is one I never finished, although that would probably be my favorite sub-genre of sci-fi/fantasy. Oh yeah, or is it romance? LOL, sorry, I don't know which one to choose either. ;-) More feedback anyone?

I've never read The Time Traveler's Wife either, so I can't presume to classify it. But I will say that the question of whether or not a premise is possible, IMO, doesn't have any bearing on whether a work is SF or not. Science fiction speculates, as a literary conceit, about naturally-explained premises that are in some way a variation from the limitations of our existing reality. According to Einstein, faster-than-light space travel is impossible; H. G. Wells made up the idea of a gravity-cancelling substance, with no basis in our known science; and there is no conclusive evidence that the existence of psi powers is possible. But all of these ideas are featured in any number of works we have no problem labeling as science fiction.

(BTW--pardon the typo in the original question.) Thanks for the feedback, all.
I was just curious what other people thought about TTW. I've seen it classified by retailers as general fiction/literature, romance, time-travel romance (apparently its own subgenre), and fantasy ...but never science-fiction.
I think it's a murky blend of mainstream fiction, romance, and possibly SF. I thought the author threw in some pseudo-science about the time-travel being a genetic condition simply to take a stab at an explanation; but, really, her focus was the romance side of the story.
I've heard some interesting arguments over what "true" SF is, and I think publishers must simply toss anything with a spaceship in it into SF and leave everything else in fantasy. Many bookstores have acquired the (IMO) annoying habit of putting up a "Science-Fiction" genre sign and then stuffing all the SF, fantasy, and horror under it.

Writers are combining so many genres it is hard for the book store to place them. "General fiction" I find for the more modern books and "Literature" or "Classics" for the older stuff. It is getting harder and harder to find a book in a book store but since browsing the store is my favorite thing to do, I don't mind.

Science fiction, fantasy and the fiction of the supernatural DO have a basic commonality, as fiction that employs premises that depart from "reality" as we know it --fiction that, instead of describing the world we all share, speculates about the effects of possible differences the writer can imagine in that world. BUT, they also have significant differences from each other --especially the natural laws vs. magic divide that separates science fiction from fantasy/supernatural fiction.

I asked someone once (a writer of fantasy) why they use such weird names. He said it was to help you come into a new world and aid your disbelief in the story.

Aid your "disbelief"??? Isn't a story supposed to be believable, even if it's set on Planet 345 and the protagonist's name is Zarg?
I agree with the idea that using different/exotic/ unfamiliar names helps establish alternate worlds. It would seem unlikely that an elf in a dead-serious high fantasy world full of magical creatures and war mages would be named "Bob." (There would have to be a humourous angle to the story to get away with that. Terry Pratchett could pull off naming an elf "Bob.")
One of my friends has complained about making up character names that are too complicated and look impossible to pronounce. I think he has a point.

By disbelief I meant you left your world and immersed yourself in the world of the author whether you believed it or not. Am I making sense?

I don't really think a "spoiler alert" is necessary in the case of Time Traveler's Wife, since there was a movie made from it which was heavily advertised; and I don't think mentioning why the guy can time travel spoils anything, because the explanation feels so tossed-in-there. The whole point of the book is the relationship between the two main characters, not a mystery regarding time travel.
But I will certainly be mindful of spoiler alerts in the future.

Syra, I've never heard it put quite that way before, but I understand what you meant now. Like with Chinese martial arts fantasy films where everyone can fly, which of course is nonsense, but you just go with it as an audience member.

I read the book and wasn't that impressed. Will watch movie on Netflix or cable.

Charly--No worries. I didn't think it was a controversy. I guess you don't have any second-run theatres (where you can see a movie for $2) in your area? That's too bad.
Syra--it seems as if people either love TTW or they don't. We're in the "don't" camp, with my friend Julia. The only reason I can think of for watching the movie is Eric Bana, who's not difficult to look at.

NEW TOPIC! -- But feel free to keep weighing in on anything that appears above, too. --

I've just realised that, once I get into reading a continuous series (such as The Dresden Files), I tend to stop looking at the synopses on the backs of the books or online. I'm already along for the ride, and I want to find out what happens for myself. What are your strategies when reading a series?

Generally, if I'm intrigued by a series, I try to start with the first one, and then read them in order (though there have been exceptions to that). As long as I like what I'm reading, I'm open to going on to the next installment(s), unless I hear really negative things about them. But I don't always go on to the next volume immediately --sometimes that's not practical, and with some continuing series that have tons of volumes, you'd never read anything else! :-)

My problem with some series is the author works so hard on the first one or even the first few then slacks off - next one thin or takes forever to come out, etc. But liked Sue Grafton and Diane Davidson when I met then here at conference and James Lee Burke (Dave Robicheaux) and Robert S. Parker's Spenser (so sad RP died) and Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee. I will really miss him and his characters.

I love it when I discover a series that is complete by the time I get to it (and nobody's spoiled the plots for me).

It does seem like (let's call it) economics drives the continuation of some series, and they turn into a matter of quantity as opposed to quality. I don't love any set of characters or fictional world so much that I will continue to read a series after it's become just a pale imitation of itself.

I didn't like the Firm (book or movie) but loved The Client movie and the one about the Klan, which I think was his first book but I think is better than some of the later ones. But they are "beach books" to me - lighter on the thriller, intrigue side.

I confess I've never read a Grisham book, but I've seen several of the movies. But, yeah, some authors' books are essentially all the same. I read a few of Mary Higgins Clark's years ago, but all I remember is the heroines all have some sort of mysterious past and someone's trying to kill them.

The only one of hers I liked was Where Are the Children? which I read years ago. Since then, ehh.

I've neither read a Grisham book nor seen a movie. :o Thought I was the only person... His titles do seem to be enormously popular so I'd like to read at least one, just to make sure I'm not missing anything. ;-)

Yet another reader who's never opened a Grisham book here! :-) I've had his Testament on my to-read list for ages, though.

At least read one for all the sacrifices he did to become a writer: writing long hand on yellow pad on bus to work!

Yes, I guess after that much effort, he deserves a try! :-)

Glad to know other haven't read him, either. Yeah, Syra, one reason he's stayed on the "I should get to at least one someday" list is the story of how he squeezed his writing into the rest of his busy day.
:-)

Hmm, maybe we should decide on a title and all read our first Grisham together, perhaps a reread for some... Any takers?

I remember reading The Pelican Brief and feeling somewhat offended at his attitude towards the law as it applied to the common man. While I think every writer deserves to discover little niches by which he or she may be successful, I often find Grisham somewhat pedantic and overwrought with contrived passion. Still I did enjoy most of Skipping Christmas even though they ruined the movie.

Reggia, I have my reading plans and commitments fairly well laid out for the rest of this year, and on into the new year as well. But if there's any sentiment for doing The Testament as a common read sometime in the late spring, I'd be up for it. (We haven't done a common read in this group since, I think, Pride and Prejudice, and that was awhile ago.) I suggest that title because, from what I've read about it, it's the Grisham title that interests me the most --it seems a little deeper than some of his other work, though I could be wrong.

Charly, the college library where I work doesn't have those two, but it does have The Testament. (Of course, the public libraries around here might have them, and I can usually get pretty much anything I want by interlibrary loan, too.)

Good to see the suggestions, I may put up a poll.

Oops! Rhonda's mention of Skipping Christmas was a reminder that I have already read a Grisham book. However, I don't think it is his usual style or genre of writing so I'm still eager to try another book of his.

I finally remembered the name of his Klan book: A Time To Kill (movie had Matthew McConahay, Sandra Bullock, Donald Sutherland, Ashley Judd, Oliver (I love him but can't remember his name), Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey and judge was famous too but can't remember his name. Such a cast for a "small" film. They all gave great performances.

I saw that movie on TV years ago, and enjoyed it a lot! I had no idea that it was based on a Grisham novel. (Interestingly, in the movie I don't recall any mention of the Klan being involved. There, the two young white thugs who had sexually molested the little black girl were just portrayed as free-agent juvenile deliquents, unconnected to any organization as such.)

ATTK was so much better than The Firm I could never understand why that one got so much attention and the other one didn't. (btw I was a legal secretary for years so I am sort of partial to legal stories)

Syra, the actor you're thinking of is Oliver Platt, and he was especially good in A Time to Kill.
Charly, I had heard that Grisham didn't get ATTK published until after his other books caught on.
Maybe later we could take a poll on a Grisham book to group-read, but right now I'm up to my ears in other things--sorry.

Just now, I did some research on the film version of A Time to Kill. The actor who played the judge was Patrick McGoohan. And there was some KKK involvement in the film, which I'd forgotten; the two rapist pedophiles weren't Klansmen, but the Klan was involved in rabble-rousing and trouble-making during the trial.

Charly, I checked, and the Bluefield branch of the local public library system does have Bleachers.

Just now, I did some research on the movie version of A Time to Kill. Patrick McGoohan was the actor who played the judge. Also, I'd forgotten that the KKK was involved, in the movie. The two rapists who were killed weren't Klansmen, but the Klan was involved in agitation and harassment during the trial.

And Keifer Sutherland was part of the Klan.

Not to give too much away but the 2 guys in the beginning who were killed were Klan members.

Thanks, Syra; I didn't recall that they were. (It's been at least six years since I saw the movie!)

np with 7 surgeries in 10 years I've had lots of time to watch it over and over and Jaws and Charade and The Fugitive......

[ATTK:] Definitely not a bad movie to re-watch. Very intense in places, but well-acted.
Hhm...Charly, would that proposed shelf be sort of like the "promise ring" of bookshelves?

Good one Callista. Even with the 10 boxes I read and sent to the Vietnam Vets I still have 5 bookshelves and 8 boxes to go.

Boxes. Whoa. I have just a shelf full of things to read. Although just when I'm determined not to buy any more books until I read the ones I have...I see something I decide I need. Or I get interested in a series and forsake the books I already own to buy those in the new series.
I think I belong to BAA--Book Addicts Anonymous. :-)

And not only the bookstore. It is so easy to buy online and have them delivered to your house! I haven't been in a bookstore in almost 5 years but still have bought too many books. But I have more time to read now.

Our sale goes on a few days and the last day it is a dollar a bag! Though not much is left.

I know what you mean about promises, Charly. I like what you said about not sitting at the head table. :-)

I go to bookstores because they're wonderful places to go. Sometimes I can go in and not buy anything, just browse. Or if they don't have what I want right at that minute and I don't want to wait for a special order, I just go away disappointed.

Online ordering can be good, too, Syra--especially the preorders for the next installment of a series. Over 40% *and* it shows up in the mailbox!

I used to go to the library when they had their big sale twice a year. Now I mostly donate to it. My big budget stretcher has been mostly to check out the free e-books available during promotional times - and pre-ordering the ones I just know are are going to be on my re-read list because the author has delivered so many times in the past.

LOL that is a good one and unfortunately so true.

Years ago, someone sent me a funny thing describing books in computer terms -- something like a portable, powerless, reading device. Electronics are great, but I can't imagine being without good ol' fashioned books.
BTW...a couple of weeks ago, I was at an event where the woman in front of me kept reading her Kindle during the musical performance. I thought that was rather rude--to the musicians and to those of us distracted by the glow of the Kindle screen.
But it's true, without the internet, there would be plenty of people we'd never hear from any more.