Welcome to the Literary Blog Hop hosted by The Blue Bookcase!
This blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion.
How do I know if my blog qualifies as "literary"? Literature has many definitions, but for our purposes your blog qualifies as "literary" if it focuses primarily on texts with aesthetic merit. In other words, texts that show quality not only in narrative but also in the effect of their language and structure. YA literature may fit into this category, but if your blog focuses primarily on non-literary YA, fantasy, romance, paranormal romance, or chick lit, you may prefer to join the blog hop at Crazy-for-books that is open to book blogs of all kinds.
Instructions for entering the Literary Blog Hop:
1. Grab the code for the Button.
2. Answer the following prompt on your blog.
(Suggestions for future prompts? Email to them us at thebluebookcase@gmail.com)
Discuss Bibliotherapy. Do you believe literature can be a viable form of therapy? Is literary writing more or less therapeutic than pop lit or nonfiction?
Our answer comes from Christina:
Reading has always made me feel better. But until this last week, when a friend pointed me toward the Bibliotherapy wikipedia article, I didn't know books were used purposefully in therapy. Since then, I've been thinking a lot about how the right book at the right time can make a difference in a person's life.
With that first question, my immediate instinct is to answer that yes, of course, literature is absolutely a viable form of therapy. As a depressed teenager, Reviving Ophelia and Prozac Nation improved my outlook on life more than I ever could have expected. Other girls and women had experienced what I was experiencing, and reading their stories helped me realize that I didn't have to feel alienated or embarrassed or ashamed about what I was going through. In a lot of ways, those books were my first steps toward healing. I can imagine that there are a lot of other situations where a book might provide that first improvement: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety surrounding major life changes, maybe some mood and personality disorders.
The therapeutic setting is one of only a handful of situations where I don't think Literature Proper really has much on Pop Lit and informational nonfiction. I mean, if you're a book snob (like so many of us here at the Literary Blog Hop) obviously good writing is going to speak to you more than poor writing. But taking a more general view of the literate population of the world, it's the message and the story that will make a difference to someone who is hurting, not necessarily the literary devices or style of prose. If I were a counseling psychologist would I only recommend Literature to my clients? Nope, I'd recommend whatever they were likely to read and appreciate.
Is literature really going to solve everyone's problems? Probably not. And is it the only or best solution in most cases? Probably not. Is it going to cure psychosis? No. And the last thing I want to suggest is that depressed people just need to read more good books. It took years of antidepressants and counseling before I really came out of the dark (to use one of many horrible clichés about depression) and every person's situation is different. But I love the idea of books as a part of therapy, and I wish I were better at recommending the right books to the friends who really need them. I wish I could change people's lives by recommending the right book. That's a beautiful thing.
3. Add your link to the Linky List below.Happy Hopping!
*PLEASE NOTE: if you do not answer the question and link back to The Blue Bookcase in a post on your blog, you will be removed from the Linky list.
This blog hop is open to blogs that primarily feature book reviews of literary fiction, classic literature, and general literary discussion.
How do I know if my blog qualifies as "literary"? Literature has many definitions, but for our purposes your blog qualifies as "literary" if it focuses primarily on texts with aesthetic merit. In other words, texts that show quality not only in narrative but also in the effect of their language and structure. YA literature may fit into this category, but if your blog focuses primarily on non-literary YA, fantasy, romance, paranormal romance, or chick lit, you may prefer to join the blog hop at Crazy-for-books that is open to book blogs of all kinds.
Instructions for entering the Literary Blog Hop:
1. Grab the code for the Button.
2. Answer the following prompt on your blog.
(Suggestions for future prompts? Email to them us at thebluebookcase@gmail.com)
Discuss Bibliotherapy. Do you believe literature can be a viable form of therapy? Is literary writing more or less therapeutic than pop lit or nonfiction?
Our answer comes from Christina:
Reading has always made me feel better. But until this last week, when a friend pointed me toward the Bibliotherapy wikipedia article, I didn't know books were used purposefully in therapy. Since then, I've been thinking a lot about how the right book at the right time can make a difference in a person's life.
With that first question, my immediate instinct is to answer that yes, of course, literature is absolutely a viable form of therapy. As a depressed teenager, Reviving Ophelia and Prozac Nation improved my outlook on life more than I ever could have expected. Other girls and women had experienced what I was experiencing, and reading their stories helped me realize that I didn't have to feel alienated or embarrassed or ashamed about what I was going through. In a lot of ways, those books were my first steps toward healing. I can imagine that there are a lot of other situations where a book might provide that first improvement: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety surrounding major life changes, maybe some mood and personality disorders.
The therapeutic setting is one of only a handful of situations where I don't think Literature Proper really has much on Pop Lit and informational nonfiction. I mean, if you're a book snob (like so many of us here at the Literary Blog Hop) obviously good writing is going to speak to you more than poor writing. But taking a more general view of the literate population of the world, it's the message and the story that will make a difference to someone who is hurting, not necessarily the literary devices or style of prose. If I were a counseling psychologist would I only recommend Literature to my clients? Nope, I'd recommend whatever they were likely to read and appreciate.
Is literature really going to solve everyone's problems? Probably not. And is it the only or best solution in most cases? Probably not. Is it going to cure psychosis? No. And the last thing I want to suggest is that depressed people just need to read more good books. It took years of antidepressants and counseling before I really came out of the dark (to use one of many horrible clichés about depression) and every person's situation is different. But I love the idea of books as a part of therapy, and I wish I were better at recommending the right books to the friends who really need them. I wish I could change people's lives by recommending the right book. That's a beautiful thing.
3. Add your link to the Linky List below.Happy Hopping!
*PLEASE NOTE: if you do not answer the question and link back to The Blue Bookcase in a post on your blog, you will be removed from the Linky list.
, the word "palimpsest" comes from the Greek word meaning "again rubbed away." It refers to "a surface, usually vellum or parchment, which has been used more than once for writing on, the previous writing having been rubbed out or somehow removed. Medieval parchment, being expensive, was often used two or three times."
by Thomas Mann. The reason that this book was so difficult is primarily because it has five "themes" going on at once. The first is the surface story, which is about a German composer named Adrian Leverkühn who contracts syphilus on purpose in order to fuel his creativity and write his greatest piece of music. This story parallels the traditional German Faust legend, with Adrian as the Faust figure, as he makes a sort of "pact" with the devil in that he gives himself over to the disease to be able to become a better composer. Adrian's story also runs parallel to the life of the notoriously anti-Christian philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche down to the smallest details. The story also contains important references to music theory, mentioning certain notes at key points in the story that all work together to create a resonant "chord." Lastly, this novel also acts as a metaphor commenting on the politics in Germany leading up to World War Two, essentially suggesting that Germany is also making a pact with a "devil." Besides the surface narrative itself, these other themes are veiled and not mentioned directly. Readers would miss out on this novel's incredible amplitude and depth of its message without recognizing the allusions and understanding the significant relationship between traditional German folklore, Friedrich Nietzsche, music theory, and pre-World War Two Germany. Luckily, I read this book in a class was able to study it in depth ... otherwise I certainly would not have appreciated the absolute genius that is Thomas Mann. This book also contains the most powerful and resonant last line I have probably ever read. So there you go, the most difficult literary work I have ever read!
doesn't aptly find it's way into your holiday celebrations every year. Anyone? Anyone? Yes, that's what I thought.)
by Kazuo Ishiguro. Ishiguro's writing style is brilliant and his characterizations are devastatingly realistic (asthetic appeal: check) and the novel deals with cloning, what it means to be human, and various definitions of love in modern society (cultural reflection: check). As for the final point, I believe that as we press forward with issues such as stem cell research, healthcare, and the study of human relationships, the novel will continue to have a relevancy far beyond its publication date. So, transcendence: check? Only time will tell...
by Lisa Hogan. This book is about Angel, a rebellious teenager who was abused as a baby and grew up in foster homes. Wanting to connect with her relatives in some way, she travels to the remote region of Canada where she was born. She finds her grandmother, her great-grandmother, and her great-great grandmother. She learns secrets of her family and the special connection she has with her foremothers. Together, they go on a canoe journey to their ancestral homeland in the far north to fight the building of a hydroelectric dam that threatens the indigenous people that live there. 
