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Cecelia Ahern - hack, PS, I hate you, you suck

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Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭Compu Global Hyper Meganet


    Objective standards have to be maintained. Whether or not she wrote the books or not, fair play to her for making so much money. But it's not "sour grapes" to point out that she ain't exactly the second coming of Joyce. A lot of great Irish writers out there; Colm Toibin, Colum McCann, John Banville amongst others. Nothing wrong with pointing out that their (unfortunately less lucrative) success is much more merited than hers.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,732 ✭✭✭Toby Take a Bow


    Tails142 wrote: »
    Her basis is that she didn't show much talent for writing during the Journalism course and these novels all came out of left field once she had graduated.

    I don't really get why people think her books are ghostwritten. Journalism does not equal fiction writing but even if it did, I have rarely read any review that has praised her writing abilities. She (from the snippets I have read) trades in cliches, very simple writing that is designed as escapism. And she seemingly does it very well if the sales of her books are anything to go by.

    And as for whether her family connections played a part in her success, they may have done so in getting her her initial publishing deal (as her name is recognisable in Ireland) but her deals and sales in Britain would suggest that she is trading on her own merits there.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 245 ✭✭Hedgemeister


    D.Campbell wrote: »
    If you are referring to me and my soar grapes number one thank you for assuming I am Irish I was raised outside of Ireland and to be honest I am a very positive person in regards promoting and praising others peoples work or interests BUT I still would rather lose my arms than buy her book so please dont try to justify soar grapes in this case, I dont know you and I am sure your books are marvelous but nothing in this world would make me spend money that would in some way go to the AHERN clan if I had my way he would be in jail but yeah thats me, but bless her she can come on smiling all she wants I know who she is that will never change If she didnt want to back her father she had that choice but she did and said the last time on the late late show that it was UNFAIR that her father was mistreated by people hahaha if only it was April fools.

    I should have made myself clearer I suppose. I was not referring to you or any other posters here on this subject, but tried to make a particular point, generally speaking, one which I've had personal experience of, and without bringing politics into it.
    Sincers apologies to any poster who thinks I was referring to them, personally. ;)

    PS - I love you all .:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    What's the op's problem if he doesn't like that woman's books don't buy them or read them problem solved.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,709 ✭✭✭cloudatlas


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    What's the op's problem if he doesn't like that woman's books don't buy them or read them problem solved.

    Well while I don't agree completely with the O.P. this is probably the most popular thread on the literature forum in recent times so it seems people have a gut reaction to these types of work :D


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  • Registered Users Posts: 106 ✭✭Dunlaffin


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    What's the op's problem if he doesn't like that woman's books don't buy them or read them problem solved.


    his problem is that its hard for decent writers to get published and its hard to take anyone seriously who deems that tripe as literature , let alone 'best seller'. it's just the hypocrisy of it all.

    The only reason why it could have been a best seller is because of who she is and expensive PR.


  • Registered Users Posts: 19,351 ✭✭✭✭Harry Angstrom


    Dunlaffin wrote: »
    his problem is that its hard for decent writers to get published and its hard to take anyone seriously who deems that tripe as literature , let alone 'best seller'. it's just the hypocrisy of it all.

    The only reason why it could have been a best seller is because of who she is and expensive PR.

    Sad fact remains though that shyte like that will fly off the shelves but literary novels need a Booker or Orange Prize nomination before they sell in any appreciable quantities, and even then the numbers are relatively low.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,285 ✭✭✭Summer wind


    When I was a teenager about fifteen years ago there was a series of books by American authors. This book series was called sweet dreams as far as I remember.

    One of them had the title ps I love you and the story was about a long distance romance between a boy who had cancer and a girl who lived hundreds of miles away.

    They communicated through letters and at the end of the book the boy dies. When Cecelia Aherns book came out I thought it was very strange the two stories were so similar even having the same name.

    What do you think?


  • Registered Users Posts: 335 ✭✭Dub.


    Maeve Binchy was ghost writer for the first Ahern novel. She felt an ol` wan` like herself couldnt get away with writing `sexy` novels any more and needed a younger alter ego like the Ahern girl to continue flogging that stuff.

    No idea who ghost writes the Ahern stuff these days.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,328 ✭✭✭karaokeman


    I read Where Rainbows End :D, and honestly, haters get your pitchforks people need to stop complaining. Every bestselling author doesn't have to be a Joyce (and why should they? That's far too much pressure). Its fun, holiday-type easy reading which some of us enjoy for the sake of escapism, and a certain amount of that is healthy just so long as its not all we look for in art.


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  • Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭[Deleted User]


    Sad fact remains though that shyte like that will fly off the shelves but literary novels need a Booker or Orange Prize nomination before they sell in any appreciable quantities, and even then the numbers are relatively low.

    I know what you're saying, and it would be nice if literary novels got more promotion. But people read for different reasons. Sometimes I like a book that will challenge me, sometimes I like a book that is very easy and just distracts me pleasantly. I read a lot of heavy academic stuff at work, and fluffy light reads are a chance to leave my brain in neutral and just be carried along. It's the equivalent of an action movie, you know you're not going to see masterpiece cinema, and that's ok.

    There's room for the Aherns of the world, as proven by the sales. I've never read her books, but they do serve a purpose and they don't infuriate me.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Chloris


    Clearly the sheeple are out en masse today. What kind of a person defends Celia Ahern's literary prowess? A very misguided one.

    Interesting points about the ghost writing, something to think about certainly. That said, I have never so much as thought about actually reading any of that drivel. My main concern is that the sheer awfulness of it would send me on a killing spree.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    Dub. wrote: »
    Maeve Binchy was ghost writer for the first Ahern novel. She felt an ol` wan` like herself couldnt get away with writing `sexy` novels any more and needed a younger alter ego like the Ahern girl to continue flogging that stuff.

    No idea who ghost writes the Ahern stuff these days.

    Her newe book is called the ghost writer


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,516 ✭✭✭zeffabelli


    karaokeman wrote: »
    I read Where Rainbows End :D, and honestly, haters get your pitchforks people need to stop complaining. Every bestselling author doesn't have to be a Joyce (and why should they? That's far too much pressure). Its fun, holiday-type easy reading which some of us enjoy for the sake of escapism, and a certain amount of that is healthy just so long as its not all we look for in art.

    Well Joyce wrote some doozies. Someone should call him out on Finnegans Wake, talk about the Emperor's New Clothes. That book is awful.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭Rabo Karabekian


    Chloris wrote: »
    Clearly the sheeple are out en masse today. What kind of a person defends Celia Ahern's literary prowess? A very misguided one.

    I don't see anyone defending Ahern's 'literary prowess'. I do see people (or 'sheeple' as you say, a term which always suggests a reasoned and subtle mind) suggesting that they might not read Ahern for her use of language but as escape (so, you know, the opposite of 'literary prowess'). I have never read Ahern, but I definitely have a few authors that I read not for their use of language, but for their ability with characters, plot or ideas.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Chloris


    I don't see anyone defending Ahern's 'literary prowess'. I do see people (or 'sheeple' as you say, a term which always suggests a reasoned and subtle mind)
    Eh, given that this thread quite astutely suggests that Cecelia Ahernia is a front for a cash cow series of novelic drivel, and people are vehemently opposing the suggestion, I stand by my reasoned and subtle implication that the majority of objectors have little more than Junior Cert Ordinary level English to support their... "claims".
    suggesting that they might not read Ahern for her use of language but as escape (so, you know, the opposite of 'literary prowess'). I have never read Ahern, but I definitely have a few authors that I read not for their use of language, but for their ability with characters, plot or ideas.
    Yeah, I see that. I suppose there are so few books out there in the vast, barren wasteland of earth that it's fair enough to settle for inarticulate f*ckwits' "characters, plot and ideas". That explains the popularity of the Bible pretty succinctly. Terrible language and syntax, especially for the present readers... but thank our Lord God Almighty that the story is gripping. By comparison with my suicide-worthy life anyway.

    Have you heard of Classic literature? Start there, work your way up and then you can talk about plot. I mean, taste in literature is a matter of opinion, but you can still tell when someone's opinion is uninformed and worthless.

    Conspiracy basically corroborated [/thread]


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Chloris


    I digress, I was immediately deterred from being civil by the Vonnegut reference.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 535 ✭✭✭Chloris


    I'm only joking; Bluebeard in particular is a terrific novel. I'm actually quite drunk. But I stand by many of my utterances.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 768 ✭✭✭SpaceSasqwatch


    Permabear wrote: »
    This post had been deleted.
    thats no excuse for reading sh1te, thats what lidl brochures are for....


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 275 ✭✭Rabo Karabekian


    Chloris wrote: »
    I'm only joking; Bluebeard in particular is a terrific novel. I'm actually quite drunk. But I stand by many of my utterances.

    Yeah, Bluebeard is great. I find Vonnegut hit and miss (pretty sure he did too).

    My intention isn't to stick up for ahern. I've never read her, but from the bits I have read, she seems to be trading on cliche and scrapping the barrel of what a novel should be. I just don't think anyone is defending her 'literary prowess' as I don't think anyone thinks she has any.

    As for classics, yes I'm well acquainted with (some) of them but not everyone is going to have your high standards. Next time you get drunk and spend that time on an Internet message board, it might be an idea to keep that in mind. Try to imagine that despite your enviable reading tastes, there is someone out there who is snorting at your idea of literature.


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