Comments on: Fairy Tales: Zero Tolerance? http://wowlit.org/blog/2009/09/28/fairy-tales-zero-tolerance/ International Collection of Children's and Adolescent Literature Thu, 10 May 2012 01:00:31 +0000 hourly 1 By: Rogue Spyware http://wowlit.org/blog/2009/09/28/fairy-tales-zero-tolerance/comment-page-1/#comment-8086 Rogue Spyware Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:54:31 +0000 http://wowlit.org/blog/?p=204#comment-8086 "Should we have zero tolerance for cultural inaccuracies in a book?" No. The book is a work of fiction. The author may have tried to be as culturally congruent as she could, but does not owe it to her audience to be culturally accurate. She owes her audience an enjoyable read, and since it is based on a fairy tale she owes her readers an enjoyable escape too. If this were non-fiction I'd have a different view. When you market your book as non-fiction it most definitely should be accurate in all ways. This does not mean that the reader should take the author's version of the story as truth. If the reader wants to know how culturally accurate the story is then they can do research to find out, but it is not the author's responsibility to educate in a fiction book. Take Hollywood for example. Michael Moore's "documentaries", and more recently found out Al Gore's global warming movie, are known to have fiction in them yet they are marketed as documentaries. This is wrong, and detrimental to any watching as they would take it as fact BECAUSE it is a documentary. Conversely, let's hope no one believes our military acts as James Cameron portrayed it in Avatar. The difference is one is marketed as fiction and the other is not. If you want to know about a culture don't rely on a fantasy book or movie to enlighten you. “Should we have zero tolerance for cultural inaccuracies in a book?”
No. The book is a work of fiction. The author may have tried to be as culturally congruent as she could, but does not owe it to her audience to be culturally accurate. She owes her audience an enjoyable read, and since it is based on a fairy tale she owes her readers an enjoyable escape too. If this were non-fiction I’d have a different view. When you market your book as non-fiction it most definitely should be accurate in all ways.

This does not mean that the reader should take the author’s version of the story as truth. If the reader wants to know how culturally accurate the story is then they can do research to find out, but it is not the author’s responsibility to educate in a fiction book.

Take Hollywood for example. Michael Moore’s “documentaries”, and more recently found out Al Gore’s global warming movie, are known to have fiction in them yet they are marketed as documentaries. This is wrong, and detrimental to any watching as they would take it as fact BECAUSE it is a documentary. Conversely, let’s hope no one believes our military acts as James Cameron portrayed it in Avatar. The difference is one is marketed as fiction and the other is not. If you want to know about a culture don’t rely on a fantasy book or movie to enlighten you.

]]> By: Marilyn Carpenter http://wowlit.org/blog/2009/09/28/fairy-tales-zero-tolerance/comment-page-1/#comment-8085 Marilyn Carpenter Thu, 20 May 2010 20:02:51 +0000 http://wowlit.org/blog/?p=204#comment-8085 At this time it would not be possible to have Dr. Liu give specific examples. However, her concerns were about "cultural details." As Liz has written above in a country as large as China there could be disagreement over such "details." Marilyn At this time it would not be possible to have Dr. Liu give specific examples. However, her concerns were about “cultural details.” As Liz has written above in a country as large as China there could be disagreement over such “details.”
Marilyn

]]> By: Mel http://wowlit.org/blog/2009/09/28/fairy-tales-zero-tolerance/comment-page-1/#comment-8084 Mel Thu, 20 May 2010 01:00:12 +0000 http://wowlit.org/blog/?p=204#comment-8084 Would it be possible to get some specific examples from Dr. Liu? Would it be possible to get some specific examples from Dr. Liu?

]]> By: Liz Dejean http://wowlit.org/blog/2009/09/28/fairy-tales-zero-tolerance/comment-page-1/#comment-8083 Liz Dejean Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:25:09 +0000 http://wowlit.org/blog/?p=204#comment-8083 Marilyn - Rosie makes a valid point. Even in small countries there can be disagreements about cultural "truths," and China is not small. I would be interested to see responses from Napoli and her informants about the points Jane raises. - Liz Marilyn -
Rosie makes a valid point. Even in small countries there can be disagreements about cultural “truths,” and China is not small. I would be interested to see responses from Napoli and her informants about the points Jane raises.

- Liz

]]> By: Rosie Hewett http://wowlit.org/blog/2009/09/28/fairy-tales-zero-tolerance/comment-page-1/#comment-8082 Rosie Hewett Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:39:28 +0000 http://wowlit.org/blog/?p=204#comment-8082 Marilyn, you asked alot of good questions throughout your review and I wanted to add a couple more. Isn't the book fiction, isn't writing a story about adding a few embellishments, and can we truely be completely and totally knowledgeable about every aspect of our culture even when differences in regions exist? Just a thought. Rosie Hewett Marilyn,
you asked alot of good questions throughout your review and I wanted to add a couple more. Isn’t the book fiction, isn’t writing a story about adding a few embellishments, and can we truely be completely and totally knowledgeable about every aspect of our culture even when differences in regions exist? Just a thought.

Rosie Hewett

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