Misery literature! Who reads it?

r3nu4l

Over the past 5 years this new genre has grown dramatically, to the extent that rather than being scattered amongst the general non-fiction section of books, they have been given their own section in WHSMith, Waterstones and Borders (at least in the UK, can't speak for Ireland).

What is misery literature? They are true stories of horrific (usually) childhood, physical and sexual abuse. Books with titles such as "Don't tell Mummy", "Why Daddy?" & "Two priests, my anus!".

Now I appreciate the therapeutic value of writing down these accounts and proclaiming to the world that what happened to these people was wrong, I also appreciate that by getting money for these books they are taking a positive out of what was an absolutely awful experience of life but I'm also cynical about it.

It seems to me that publishers have realised that they have a cash cow on their hands. For some reason, some people feel drawn to these books. Perhaps they identify with the author from their own life experience, if so that's tragic. Perhaps they read these books to remind themselves that they are lucky, if so that's just about understandable. Perhaps they read these books because they are drawn to them in the same way people rubber-neck at car accidents, if so that's morbid. OR perhaps, some people get some sort of sick thrill at the accounts given by the author within the book, if so, they need help!

Do you read these books? If so, help me understand why because I see it as one of the most exploitative genres of literature out there today.

eclectichoney

There's a new one of these books about every week! I think it started off with Dave Pelzer and grew from there. When I worked in a bookstore, another girl who worked there called it Abuselit!

r3nu4l

Abuselit is a good term but Mis Lit seems to be the accepted term:
Guardian
Independent (UK)
BBC

Perhaps they view "Abuselit" as too close to the bone...no pun intended!

I just don't understand it personally. I can't see the attraction.

eclectichoney

I didn't even know such a term existed! Mis Lit does make me think of depressing books in general though (and I must admit I love a good depressing novel!) I don't know who reads them either though. I mean I could see the attraction (ok, ok, maybe the wrong choice of word!) in reading one or two, but it's just saturation at this point.

r3nu4l

As I say, I can undesrstand the sense of carthartic relief for the author but the marketing for these books is sickening and pathetic.

There's almost always a young child looking sad and miserable on the cover, usually pale-skinned, with big, haunting (haunted?) eyes and pale pastel colours. The book title is almost always written in a childish scrawl, in an effort to further pull on the heartstrings and manipulate money from your wallet.

I don't get it at all.

Earthhorse

I haven't read any of these but I can kinda see the appeal, kinda.

It all started, as eclectichoney pointed out, with "A Child Called It" which I can't really see the appeal in.

The next big one I think was James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" which later turned out to be largely embellished.

Then there was one, which I can't remember the name of right now (it was made into a film and Annette Benning was in it), which rounds off the trio of
really successful novels in the genre (to my knowledge anyway, I'm no expert).

In the case of Frey's book I think there's a large amount of living vicariously. He does a lot of drugs, gets up to crazy things. People wonder how this can happen to anyone and we also idolise this sort of reckless behaviour all the time, just look at our fascination with rocks stars, particularly the more troubled ones. As I understand it the book was well written too, even if it was a tissue of lies.

In the case of the other book I mentioned, all the reviewers said it was brilliantly written and laced throughout with great observations and huge amounts of humour. If I had to read a book from this genre that's be it. I wouldn't have any compunction about doing so either based on the praise it's received even if some contentions have been made as to how truthful it is.

As I say, I'm no expert on the genre, but they're the reasons I see for it's success and the success of its best selling works.

r3nu4l

That's all well and good and I can see those points clearly enough, however, the fact that this genre is rising so fast is somewhat disturbing to me. While some of the books may have been well written and have meaningful literary value, many do not and it seems to me to be nothing more than a publishers attempt to cash-in on the genre.

The main buyers of this fiction appear to be mothers with young children and according to what I've read the main source of sales is now supermarkets...apparently 1 in 6 people never enter a bookshop!! (:eek:)

It just seems to be a slight step above those trashy magazines with stories of "my violent father" that come with Sunday tabloids! An elongated version of a magazine piece, designed to secretly satisfy and titilate the reader with a lust for this kind of story.

It's also the formulaic approach that disgusts me more than anything I think. Rather than the author being free to describe what they want, they are told that the ending must have some sort of "uplift for the reader", a sense of a wrong world restored to its natural state. The author must be seen to have overcome their trauma or at least be on the road to recovery..."I now have a job and have started on the first tentative steps of a relationship with a man, my future is shinging in front of me...blah, blah".

It's a valid and growing genre but one I still can't see the appeal of...then again, not everyone likes sci-fi, fantasy, political thrillers or historical novels either.

Amazotheamazing

Well, look at broader culture, why do millions of people watch soaps which seem entirely constructed simply to depress people. Any good news in Eastenders, Cornation St or Fair City almost always comes soon before or after a frankly devasting blow which would cripple most people emotionally for their lives. To be fair, I don't watch soaps so maybe by impression is off, but they do seem to be very depressing whenever I do happen to see them.

In fact, a lot of women's culture (womens mags etc) seems down right depressing.

These books are just another part of this.

r3nu4l

The difference here however is that these books describe absolutely horrendous acts against the most vulnerable people in our society and (for the most part) the accounts are true rather than fictional TV acting by well-paid actors.

However, I take your point about soaps etc.

Jack Sheehan

A recent one of the 'mis-lit' books called 'Ma,he sold me for a few cigarettes' was written by the mother of some bloke who used to be a year below me in school. This mother seriously messed up her sons life, i.e not letting him out of the car in the mornings until class started, following people home who she thought were bullying people etc. I understand that she may have suffered abuse or something but thats close to child abuse, it certainly stopped him from making friends and got him bullied a lot.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ma-He-Sold-Few-Cigarettes/dp/1845962796/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207667027&sr=8-1

Earthhorse

r3nu4l wrote: »

...the fact that this genre is rising so fast is somewhat disturbing to me. While some of the books may have been well written and have meaningful literary value, many do not and it seems to me to be nothing more than a publishers attempt to cash-in on the genre.

It only takes two or three publishing phenomena to launch a genre or keep it afloat. The hits that reach the wider audience keep the dross around. I'm sure the same thing happened around the time of "Interview With The Vampire" when the market was flooded with vampire fiction (this wasn't so much the invention of a genre as it's revitilisation, from a sales point of view).

Also, is disturbed too strong a word to describe how you feel? Not too sure how seriously to take that!

r3nu4l wrote: »

The main buyers of this fiction appear to be mothers with young children and according to what I've read the main source of sales is now supermarkets...apparently 1 in 6 people never enter a bookshop!! (:eek:)

Well, so be it. Maybe we underestimate the number of women out there that have been abused in some way, however small, and want to read more on the topic. I don't want to turn this into a sociology debate, just food for thought.

r3nu4l wrote: »

It's also the formulaic approach that disgusts me more than anything I think. Rather than the author being free to describe what they want, they are told that the ending must have some sort of "uplift for the reader", a sense of a wrong world restored to its natural state.

Are they told that? I'd imagine by the time someone gets round to writing memoirs of their troubled past they probably are in a better place with their life on track. Also, whilst they probably are formulaic the same criticism could be leveled at almost any genre and it's also more than likely that abuse and abuse victim's lives also follow a fromula (again, no wish to turn this into a humanities issue, just putting it out there).

r3nu4l wrote: »

It's a valid and growing genre but one I still can't see the appeal of...then again, not everyone likes sci-fi, fantasy, political thrillers or historical novels either.

Yup, I can't see the appeal much either. Having said that I've read a lot of Bukowski and, despite the literary brilliance, the subject matter is often times stomach churning. Are we really going to say that only the most articulate and artistic can chronicle this type of life?

These people have a story to tell and there's no shortage of people who want to hear them tell it. Not really disagreeing with much of what you're saying just offering some points for counterbalance.

r3nu4l

Earthhorse wrote: »

It only takes two or three publishing phenomena to launch a genre or keep it afloat. The hits that reach the wider audience keep the dross around. I'm sure the same thing happened around the time of "Interview With The Vampire" when the market was flooded with vampire fiction (this wasn't so much the invention of a genre as it's revitilisation, from a sales point of view).

Good point!

Also, is disturbed too strong a word to describe how you feel? Not too sure how seriously to take that!

Nope, I do find it disturbing to be honest. It appears as though for many people, these tales of woe are their favourite genre...that's a little sick to me but maybe I'm misunderstanding why they like it so much!

Well, so be it. Maybe we underestimate the number of women out there that have been abused in some way, however small, and want to read more on the topic. I don't want to turn this into a sociology debate, just food for thought.

I don't think that's the reason though, I think it has more to do with exploiting the protective feelings that women (in particular) have for their children. Again, I don't really know why.

Are they told that?

Yes! That I can say for sure. Editors know their market very well and will ensure that the book fits into the formula.

I'd imagine by the time someone gets round to writing memoirs of their troubled past they probably are in a better place with their life on track. Also, whilst they probably are formulaic the same criticism could be leveled at almost any genre and it's also more than likely that abuse and abuse victim's lives also follow a fromula (again, no wish to turn this into a humanities issue, just putting it out there).

Yup, you'd want to be in a better place to write about abuse like that alright but as I say the editors make sure that these books follow that formula and that there is a sense of 'overcoming the odds'and 'inspirational messaging' in there. Sure, most book genres follwo a formula but we're not talking some fictional detective here, we're talking real-life.

Yup, I can't see the appeal much either. Having said that I've read a lot of Bukowski and, despite the literary brilliance, the subject matter is often times stomach churning. Are we really going to say that only the most articulate and artistic can chronicle this type of life?

Again, I've no problem with people telling their story I just think it's strange the way the whole genre has taken off so suddenly and that best-seller lists are comprised of so many books from this genre.

Look at the top 10 paperbacks in the UK this week: 4/10 are Mis Lit!!

Times UK wrote:

NON-FICTION

Paperbacks

1. Blood River by Tim Butcher
This week 13,450 | Total 85,030 | Buy
Foreign correspondent's account of his solo expedition to the Congo
Read Christopher Hart's review for the Sunday Times

2. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
This week 10,910 | Total 18,380 | Buy
Memoir of a 1950s midwife, attached to an order of nuns in the East End

3. Deliver Me From Evil by Alloma Gilbert
This week 7,705 | Total 36,260 | Buy
Grim childhood spent in the care of Eunice Spry - jailed for 14 years for child abuse

4. Tell Me Why, Mummy by David Thomas
This week 7,295 | Total 61,960 | Buy
Story of survivial from a child abused by his alcoholic mother

5. Hidden by Cathy Glass
This week 7,290 | Total 11,605 | Buy
Foster carer's relationship with a boy disowned by prostitute mother

6. The Innocent Man by John Grisham
This week 7,145 | Total 448,830 | Buy
Thriller writer recounts true story of a miscarriage of justice
News: An Innocent Man brings Grisham to Britain

7. Not Without My Sister by Kristina Jones, Celeste Jones and Juliana Buhring
This week 6,050 | Total 95,050 | Buy
Abuse in a perverse community

8. Welcome to My World by Coleen McLoughlin
This week 5,570 | Total 38,795 | Buy
Her progress from Liverpudlian schoolgirl to paparazzi favourite

9. Don't You Know Who I Am by Piers Morgan
This week 5,415 | Total 10,055 | Buy
Former Mirror editor with a second volume of celebrity reminiscences
Read India Knight's review for the Sunday Times

10. Pies and Prejudice: In Search of the North Stuart Maconie
This week 5,280 | Total 38,160 | Buy
Radio 2 DJ investigates northern stereotypes

These people have a story to tell and there's no shortage of people who want to hear them tell it. Not really disagreeing with much of what you're saying just offering some points for counterbalance.

I totally appreciate that, good to try and tease it out!