I'm playing catch-up again, so apologies if it's all ho-hum, yeah yeah, she's banging on with yesterday's news again...But for those who haven't already heard, there was a bit of a scandal in Britain recently when writer VS Naipaul asserted that there is no woman writer he considers his equal – even, or perhaps especially, Jane Austen. Just all too much sentimental "feminine tosh", apparently.
His reasoning: that not being the "complete master of a house" translates to a woman's writing too. Hmm... naturally.
Suddenly Damon's study showing that, when it comes to good writing, it's them beards that make all the difference isn't looking so mad after all, is it?
As part of Naipaul's wild (or should that be pompous) claim, he added: "I read a piece of writing and within a paragraph or two I know whether it is by a woman or not. I think [it is] unequal to me."
He's not meaning to be unkind, though, he says. There there, dears, don't go weeping about it or anything, will you? It's not your fault that a gal's world view is, by nature, so "narrow"...
As a response, the Guardian has created the The Naipaul test: Can you tell an author's sex? -- so while you can't hope to match Naipaul's penetrating insight, you might come to a better understanding of why men do it better...
For those who feel inspired to comment below, only rational responses please, and perhaps share with us which VS Naipaul book has affected you most profoundly. (You can jog your memories here).
6 comments:
If only it were all so ho hum, Rachel. I can't believe we're still having discussions like this. They belong to the dark ages and yet they persist.
I'm not disputing the existence of gender differences but it's the argument about superior or inferior that gets me going, and these days it would seem there is so much more blending of styles and voices, that gender is only vague determinant, lost amid a myriad of other influences.
Yes, absurd, isn't it?! Such a gross assumption of authority! That an otherwise intelligent man could still deem his own personal taste and interests to be inherently superior seems stupidly outmoded. Give me Doris Lessing or Janet Malcolm any day.
That said, I'm sure he thinks most male writers are inferior to him as well! ;)
"Mr Biswas" was superb.
Maybe because I loved it so much, everything else was a disappointment.
I didn't know that you had linked this...otherwise I wouldn't have.
Oh, yeah! So you have. I managed a 7/10 but still think that was total luck. I do wonder what I was looking for though in making the judgement!? Naipaul's argument about not being master of the house translating to writing really takes the cake! Sadly for him it only exposes how ridiculous and out of touch he is. Besides, who says the intricacies of domestic life haven't proved as rich a territory as any other for writing?
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