"Misery lit"

Dudess

This is the term coined for a type of book whose number and popularity has exploded in recent years (particularly among females) - basically documents of inconceivable suffering, usually experienced during childhood, e.g. A Child Called It (a man recounts the abuse he endured at the hands of his mother - I read a review and that was more than enough - Jesus... ).

Can anyone tell me why these are so popular? Do a lot of people enjoy being depressed/angry/physically sick/in constant floods of tears? I'm certainly not saying these people's experiences should be ignored and I'll read/watch/listen to interviews with them... but I thought reading a book was supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

Giselle

Dudess wrote: »

This is the term coined for a type of book whose number and popularity has exploded in recent years (particularly among females) - basically documents of inconceivable suffering, usually experienced during childhood, e.g. A Child Called It (a man recounts the abuse he endured at the hands of his mother - I read a review and that was more than enough - Jesus... ).

Can anyone tell me why these are so popular? Do a lot of people enjoy being depressed/angry/physically sick/in constant floods of tears? I'm certainly not saying these people's experiences should be ignored and I'll read/watch/listen to interviews with them... but I thought reading a book was supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

I've wondered about this. In another thread posters discuss the horrors a woman has allegedly gone through, and how awful and disgusting it is, how upsetting the whole thing is.

And then they say they're going to buy the book!!!Presumably to read about it in much greater detail.

Why would anyone want the inside story of horrific child abuse? How could that possibly be entertaining, educational or worthwhile? What does the reader gain?

Those are genuine questions by the way, I'm honestly interested in understanding the appeal.

LadyMayBelle

It really bother me to see those books on shelves ..."me mother sold me for a box of fags" or something...same beigy covers with a sad looking child on the cover. Maybe it's because where I work I see so much sad stories going on I don't want to read more in my free time.

I do think there are certain people who love these types of books and i do question whether they are people who haven't themselves had the misfortune of experiencing anything like that in their families. Good for them, but it's a thought I had.

pickarooney

People love misery, love being shocked, scared, outraged and scandalised. From the evening news to the pages of After Hours to countless films about the Holocaust, each more graphic than the last, there's no getting away from humanity's obsession with its darkest side. Why would literature be any different?

Blush_01

I read "A Child Called It" a few years ago (maybe it was last year?) and when I posted about it on my reading log I was berated for saying it was poorly written. I didn't find the story particularly moving, I felt largely desensitised to the whole thing - it was nothing I hadn't heard before. I know that makes me sound callous, but it felt dumbed down, and dumbing something down for me is one of the most sure-fire ways of garnering my dislike. Also, I read fiction all the time, and the situation was so far-fetched that I found it hard to remember it was supposed to be biographical.

I think a lot of the "Misery Lit" out there is written in a basic, accessible style which adds to it's popularity. Some of the women I work with will only read formulaic "Misery Lit" because it's moving but not challenging in any manner.

I really don't understand the appeal of those books personally - it's not that I haven't read any, I just don't get what pleasure someone would get out of them, and that's why I read.

Nervous Wreck

I think probably the reason behind their popularity is that people love a story wherein the hero triumphs over adversity. There's nothing enthralling about straight-out stories of love or happiness. For a story to be interesting, happiness has to be earned or fought for. Nobody likes a character who wins at everything. People like characters who suffer through the worst kinds of torture and conquer the pain or, at the very least, survive to tell their story. There's no beauty in succeeding. The beauty is in the struggle. Winning or losing is immaterial; it's the fight that counts.

Pretty_Pistol

I guess it's curiosity. They're not the sort of books I would want to read. There's enough misery on the news without reading more and hearing about those types of stories really bothers me.

SeekUp

Dudess wrote: »

Can anyone tell me why these are so popular? Do a lot of people enjoy being depressed/angry/physically sick/in constant floods of tears? I'm certainly not saying these people's experiences should be ignored and I'll read/watch/listen to interviews with them... but I thought reading a book was supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

I'd say that people read not just for enjoyment, but to be moved in some way. I've seen countless movies that, while they aren't going to win any awards for cinematography/screenplay, etc, are incredibly moving, and I enjoyed them for that element. Literature isn't really any different.

There's also a tie between pickarooney's comment that people like being shocked and Blush_01's comment about being desensitized to the whole thing; yes, we're obsessed with our darkest side, but we're also looking for that something that will up the ante. As in, perhaps the child abuse and prostitution doesn't do it for you . . . but the poor girl (or whomever) ALSO had a life-threating illness. AND she was homeless. How about that! Does that do it for you? AND she had a stalker. Do you feel anything now?

It's a little disturbing, but there you have it.

Dudess

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

I think probably the reason behind their popularity is that people love a story wherein the hero triumphs over adversity. There's nothing enthralling about straight-out stories of love or happiness. For a story to be interesting, happiness has to be earned or fought for. Nobody likes a character who wins at everything. People like characters who suffer through the worst kinds of torture and conquer the pain or, at the very least, survive to tell their story. There's no beauty in succeeding. The beauty is in the struggle. Winning or losing is immaterial; it's the fight that counts.

True, but there are plenty of such stories without graphic depictions of torture.

I remember a really interesting documentary about kids' comics a few years back - publishers recognised sad stories were a winning selling formula for girls' comics. And I remember Mandy, Bunty et al featuring regular stories about little orphaned girls being beaten, starved, forced into slavery etc.

FouxDaFaFa

I've noticed this trend too but haven't really given it a lot of thought. I don't read "Misery Lit", I tend not to go for books that I feel will be too depressing or even disturbing.

However, I do read fiction where the narrator might be going through something terrible. I think there's a big difference between a fictional narrator telling their story and a real live person telling their true life story. I need that degree of separation to be honest. I would find it harder to read a true account of human suffering purely because I know it actually happened.

The Sweeper

Well-written accounts of struggles of humanity where dignity, truth and the power of the human spirit prevail are inspiring.

Voyeuristic accounts of suffering which are unsubstantiated, beset by allegations of scandle-mongering and generally designed to titillate the more base side of human nature are trash.

Wibbs

The Sweeper wrote: »

Voyeuristic accounts of suffering which are unsubstantiated, beset by allegations of scandle-mongering and generally designed to titillate the more base side of human nature are trash.

+1 Emo porn. Oprah did a nice line in it, until she got duped.

Xiney

Finally, a name for it. Misery Lit. Can't believe I didn't think of that...

Anyway. My husband and I have been referring to these books as the "Daddy Please Don't" books. We honestly can't believe the number of them that are being published lately.

They must be selling, or else they wouldn't be publishing so many.

metrovelvet

I remember when my late father referred to his friend who was then in the middle of writing what turned out to be a hugely popular worldwide best seller of his life of poverty in Ireland. "[Name omitted] is writing a ****e book. Real American confessional crap. We were all poor!"

Confessional ****e sells.

Faith

I adore reading, I really do. I'd read all day and night if I wasn't so addicted to the internet. But books are the one thing where I really need it to be fairly light and/or have a happy ending and/or have the good side prevail. Life is so depressing at times that I don't want to get caught up in a book where horrific things happen, unless it ends with "And they all lived happily ever after", possibly including the sentence "The bad person went to jail". Maybe that's an immature view, but I'd much rather read fluffy chick lit rather than misery lit.

Wibbs

People like to be scared so will watch a horror movie or go on a rollercoaster. People like to be aroused so they'll watch pron. They like to be weepy so will watch a weepy movie or read one of these books. Its interesting why they are so popular at the moment. Socially speaking. If you look at the depression in the 30's movies were majority feel good flicks. Echoed the times. Today? I dont know what times are being echoed. This kind of stuff and self help books seem to be massive sellers. Maybe at the moment, there is change in the world, people are confused and looking for something. these misery lit books maybe plug into that? Kinda "im not so sure about my life, but god I could be like that"?

jellie

Im trying to think if ive ever read such a book. nothing comes to mind.. i suppose in some cases its curiousity. or maybe reading how awful things are for other people makes them realise them feel better about their own situation or feel they are lucky to have what they have?

WindSock

I read 'A Child Called It' a few years ago. I have to say I wasn't in a hurry to pick up another book like that again. Not because I was shocked unspeakably by it, but I just felt, why do I read this, what have I to gain from it? There was horrific child abuse in it and every chapter was grating, there was no hope in it at all, and you do often wonder how much of it is embellished to come across in a certain way.

Since then, the most shocking thing I have come across is the Ryan report. I read a couple of pages and felt physically ill. I have no desire to read any more. Except maybe something of violence and abuse on a larger scale such as Gulags etc. But for me, I am through with reading biographical accounts of domestic abuse, I don't have anything to learn from it, I won't be any more or less shocked by it.

pickarooney

The Sweeper wrote: »

Well-written accounts of struggles of humanity where dignity, truth and the power of the human spirit prevail are inspiring.

Voyeuristic accounts of suffering which are unsubstantiated, beset by allegations of scandle-mongering and generally designed to titillate the more base side of human nature are trash.

Exactly, and trash is vastly more popular than art or inspiration.

Herbal Deity

Having all the entertainment media you consume be light hearted or uplifiting would be frightfully dull and uninteresting IMO.

I went through a phase of reading all the most gruesome murder articles I could find on www.crimelibrary.com for a while. It was just a morbid fascination I guess.

I will admit that there have been very few grievances in my life. I don't have any triggers as such, that I suppose others do.

I did find out that a friend of mine had been sexually abused as a child last year. I was sickened and couldn't watch or read any material pertaining to child abuse for a few months.

Perhaps in the absence of any real suffering or pain in people's lives, they seek out such emotive and disturbing media in order to perhaps feel a small abstraction of the feeling those who are actually suffering experience.

I don't believe that humans are completely biologically motivated to seek out happiness, I believe that we are very much motivated to seek out different experiences, to feel and to understand other emotions.

Novella

I've never connected reading a book with it being an enjoyable experience. Sure, some books are nice to read, some books make the reader feel happy. I've read loads of books that weren't happy at all tbh, and I found them way more fulfilling and thought provoking. Sylvia Plath's journal, for example. It was no walk in the park to read. It actually took me years to get into it, but it was wonderful. Beautifully written. Books don't always have to have a happy ending.

I don't consider "misery lit" to be favourable reading, it's not top of my wish list on Amazon, but I do understand why it's popular. Reading countless stories of perfect lives, full of laughter and love, that can become tedious, especially if you feel your own life is so far away from any of that. Many people need to know that they are not alone in suffering and I think that maybe misery lit provides that.

Personally, I feel some of the books in the genre aren't exactly literary genius, but I suppose that can be justified by the fact that they are helping someone, even if only the author.

I think some people just don't want to read that all the bad guys got locked up for eternity and everyone lived happily ever after. Life isn't always like that, so why should books be?

SeekUp

WindSock wrote: »

Since then, the most shocking thing I have come across is the Ryan report.

What's the Ryan report?

Nevermind, I was just educated.

iguana

I thought it was called "misery porn." "Lit" implies that it's a fictional story but most of these books are biographies, or at least supposed to be. I think porn is more apt as I do believe a lot of people read them to be titillated in some way. On the other hand there is an argument that some abuse sufferers read these books to feel less alone about what they have gone through.

Catari Jaguar

Dudess wrote: »

Can anyone tell me why these are so popular? Do a lot of people enjoy being depressed/angry/physically sick/in constant floods of tears?

Isn't that why soap operas and those women's magazines like Pick me Up are so popular?

Novella

iguana wrote: »

I thought it was called "misery porn." "Lit" implies that it's a fictional story but most of these books are biographies, or at least supposed to be. I think porn is more apt as I do believe a lot of people read them to be titillated in some way. On the other hand there is an argument that some abuse sufferers read these books to feel less alone about what they have gone through.

"Lit" implies that it is literature, which in my understanding is simply written matter, be it fictional or otherwise. Porn, as in pornography, is the depiction of erotic behaviour intended to cause sexual excitement. I am presuming you simply mean that you feel 'porn' would be more suitable in that you believe these books are written in order to create a sensational emotional response?

Imo, I think naming the genre "misery porn" would be hugely insulting and degrading. I am sure some people do write these books for the thrill of being on the receiving end of some public exposure, but for many, writing a book and expressing inhumane suffering, it serves only one purpose and that is closure.

The fact is, these books have steadily become increasingly popular so whether people like it or not, the demand is there. I think it is human nature for people to want to relate to others who have been through similar experiences as themselves. Knowing that you are not alone is what gets a lot of people through the tougher times.

Belittling "misery lit" is unfair. Whether someone writes a book because they want to make some money or just because the words won't stop tumbling, either way, it takes effort and it's never something to be looked down on. The way I see it is, writing these kind of books has been very beneficial to many people who have been through immense trauma and who are we to judge?

iguana

Novella wrote: »

Imo, I think naming the genre "misery porn" would be hugely insulting and degrading. I am sure some people do write these books for the thrill of being on the receiving end of some public exposure, but for many, writing a book and expressing inhumane suffering, it serves only one purpose and that is closure.

I think it's why a lot of people read these books not write them. I really believe that a big part of the market for these books is with readers who are titillated in some way by them, and yes, for many I think sexually. Fantasies about abuse and degradation are very common and the explicit descriptions in these books allow the reader to be aroused without having to read actual porn.

I'm not saying that everyone who reads these books reads them for this reason. Nor do I believe that everyone who reads them for these reasons is even consciously aware of it. But I strongly believe it's a very big factor in the popularity of these books.

Shivers26

I have actually read a lot of these books. TBH I wasnt overly moved by 'A Child Called It' but it was recommended by a friend so thats why I tried it in the first place. I did find the sequels better and they were generally more positive stories.

What I found was that these stories made me appreciate my own children all the more. I mean thank God they have a family who loves them and are safe and warm in their beds with full bellies at night. There are plenty of other children who are not so lucky.

I did stop reading this kind of material recently as I found it all quite depressing but mostly I was disturbed by how desensitised I was to it all/ None of these stories shock me any more. Not a day goes by that this stuff isnt in the newspapers, never mind writing books on the various subjects.

There is one book called 'Lyn' written by an ex-prostitute. I did find that book really excellent. A very candid and straight talking account of her life.

Truley

I'm glad i'm not the only person who found 'A Child Called It' a very strange and badly written book. I think it would definately fall into the 'misery porn' category of literature, full of horrific descriptions of abuse without giving much perspective into the psychological issues his mother dealt with; or try to draw any kind of light on what motivated her to abuse him so badly and not his brothers. The book was also very controversail because of the amount of inconsistencies it had and also how vividly he recalls some of his 'memories' from such a young age. I mean, many scenes in the book read like a script from a play. Either way - misery porn.

Cheap Thrills!

Got to agree with this thread. Sometimes its slightly worrying, you see books in the bestseller section featuring a waif like little girl on the cover and its clear from the title that its an account of an abusive childhood.

Its packaged and sort of ''glamourised" for popular consumption. I don't like the salacious commercialisation of very personal suffering. I'm not so much worried about who wrote it more who might read it and why.

It seems everyone is hooked on sob stories in recent years. It's basically the reason why I never listen to the radio and hardly ever watch TV. I'm perfectly aware of everything that goes on behind closed doors, but I'd rather not have all the most horrid things thrown up in my face every other minute.
I think people need to recover their sense of fun

Orla K

I think it's the same answer as why people slowdown and look when they're driving by a car accident. I actually don't know why people do either.

I went looking for a book I reviewed on amazon, the same type as this one. I remembered that I had said that it wasn't very well written and considering the author only learned to read and write at a late age I excused much of that. I honestly don't know why I bought the book, it might have been in one of my crazed shopping sprees for books (if I've the money I'll buy anything that looks half decent) The story was interesting in an wtf, omg way but I haven't bought another book like that. Someone that I know also read the book (her sister gave it to her) she wouldn't be the type of person to read anything except the tv guide but she loved it and read another like it.

Dudess

Wibbs wrote: »

People like to be scared so will watch a horror movie or go on a rollercoaster. People like to be aroused so they'll watch pron. They like to be weepy so will watch a weepy movie

See, all of the above spell "escapism" to me though.

Herbal Deity wrote: »

Having all the entertainment media you consume be light hearted or uplifiting would be frightfully dull and uninteresting IMO.

Novella wrote: »

Reading countless stories of perfect lives, full of laughter and love, that can become tedious... I think some people just don't want to read that all the bad guys got locked up for eternity and everyone lived happily ever after. Life isn't always like that, so why should books be?

Jeez, I'm certainly not looking for that either... It's possible to communicate the grim realities of life without the one-dimensional relentless passages of unspeakable torture though.

Then there's the cynical money-grabbing side to it - child abuse = dollar signs to publishing houses now...

Blush_01

Dudess wrote: »

Then there's the cynical money-grabbing side to it - child abuse = dollar signs to publishing houses now...

That's the bit that really grates on me. I don't mind "Misery Lit" existing - perhaps some of it is genuinely written by victims who get some therapeutic benefit from it as Novella said in her post - but most of those books are ghost-written, and appallingly badly too!

I can fully understand someone needing to vent what they're feeling, but "Misery Lit" has gone from being therapeutic to being a wonderful genre for capitalising on human suffering. *shrugs* That's not my idea of entertainment.

I'm not saying that everything I read has to be happy, or have a happy ending, but it has to be enjoyable or entertaining in some way. "Misery Lit" seems more like exploitation to me.

Herbal Deity

Dudess wrote: »

Then there's the cynical money-grabbing side to it - child abuse = dollar signs to publishing houses now...

Meh, if there's a market for it, why stop people making some money out of the genre?

Books involving murder have always been popular. I don't think they're necessarily exploiting murder victims or increasing the rate of actual murders that occur. Why should the subject of child abuse be treated differently? If people don't want to buy or read them they don't have to...

Blush_01

Herbal Deity wrote: »

Meh, if there's a market for it, why stop people making some money out of the genre?

Books involving murder have always been popular. I don't think they're necessarily exploiting murder victims or increasing the rate of actual murders that occur. Why should the subject of child abuse be treated differently? If people don't want to buy or read them they don't have to...

Yes, but murder victims tend not to write books about their experiences, do they? (Brings a whole new meaning to ghost writing!)

Herbal Deity

Are we talking entirely about biographies here?

Blush_01

I was being flippant.

I have no problem with "Misery Lit" per se, I just think that the exploitative side of things is bigger than the therapeutic or quality fiction sides.

PK2008

"Misery loves company"

doctor evil

In some twisted way I think it is meant to be cathartic.

I read the book 'Catch me if when I fall' (title?) which is misery lit but the standard of writing was good.

I read books to escape and I prefer them to be enjoyable.

Semele

These books are usually in the Biography section in bookshops and libraries...but it says something about how prevalent they've become that my local WH Smith now has a whole separate section baldly entitled "Tragic Life Stories"!! Everyone of them pastel coloured with a hazy picture of a sad child on the front...

I have read a few things in this genre, if you can call it that, but there is a massive difference between those that are a redemptive, cathartic story and those that are a relentless catalogue of horrors that seem like a sort of masochism on the authors part.

Giselle

Semele wrote: »

I have read a few things in this genre, if you can call it that, but there is a massive difference between those that are a redemptive, cathartic story and those that are a relentless catalogue of horrors that seem like a sort of masochism on the authors part.

Masochism on the authors part, voyeurism on the readers. At the least, it resembles the slowing down to ogle a car wreck mindset.

People have talked about the triumph over adversity aspect of them, but from what I gather the only triumph usually involved is the alleged victim writing a book about it.

I also find it hard to imagine what could be cathartic about sharing the minutae of your abuse with strangers who may, or may not be reading about it as a form of titilation.

metrovelvet

Royaties can be triumphant.

Chinafoot

Semele wrote: »

These books are usually in the Biography section in bookshops and libraries...

Nope. These books are held under 362.76 in the libraries. Biographies are at 920.

We affectionately refer to it as the "misery section". These books are hugely popular, and the majority of readers are women. I've asked a few of our borrowers why they read them and the responses mostly fall under the "escapism" category, as in "thank god my life isn't like that!". A few seem to get a weird kick out of the books and some read them out of morbid curiosity.

I've read a couple of them and I don't see the appeal myself. These books are mostly poorly written and are sometimes a little too graphic. The cynic in me would agree with Dudess's ascertation that publishing houses go "cha-ching" when the prospect of another misery book is presented to them. These books have been the trend for the past few years but tbh they seem to be dropping off. They aren't being released anywhere near as prolifically as they were say 3 or so years ago. Vampires show no sign of slowing down however :P

I read for pleasure, and no I don't read chick lit. I don't expect the books I read to be romance, rainbows and happy endings. Great pleasure can be gained through a well written book, regardless of the story. Unfortunately, the majority of these misery books read like a poorly written tabloid piece.

Dudess

I read a lengthy review of A Child Called It and it was interspersed with an interview with the author - he said his mother used to... actually I can't even bring myself to type the stuff he said she did. I was just shellshocked, then couldn't stop crying and felt physically sick. Maybe I'm too sensitive about this sort of stuff...

Chinafoot

Novella wrote: »

I've never connected reading a book with it being an enjoyable experience. Sure, some books are nice to read, some books make the reader feel happy. I've read loads of books that weren't happy at all tbh, and I found them way more fulfilling and thought provoking.

Slightly off-topic but is this not a slightly contradictory statement? Surely you found the fulfilling and thought provoking books to be an enjoyable experience? Personally, I don't necessarily think that the subject matter needs to be happy for a book to be an enjoyable experience. Or do you equate the word "enjoyable" with chick lit and happy endings?

I just found your opening line there to be an odd statement. Books makes up most of my day, both professionally and privately so I find it odd that people wouldn't deem reading a book an enjoyable experience.

Monkey61

Dudess wrote: »

... but I thought reading a book was supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

Really? Plenty of cultural consumption isn't meant to be enjoyable...but that doesn't mean that one can't get something out of it.

Waterstones has also put them into a separate section called "Painful lives."

Ah misery memoirs....once publishers see pound signs nothing will stop them. And people will continue to write them in the hope of getting pots of cash out of it.

Littleblondehen

I didn't know there was such a phrase.

A few of my friends are into "Misery Lit" and keep recommending me books to read. Now, I'm quite happy at this time in my life, and selfish as it sounds I'd rather not be upset and depressed by reading these books, hell I don't even listen to the news anymore or read newspapers. Yet my friends don't seem to understand this!

I was unhappy for a long time, I am happy now, I want to enjoy it! Is that so bad, I love reading and read for pleasure (most of the times, I'm reading a book called Freedom next time, anyone read it?).

Well that's my little contribution