Comments on: Is it men writing women or just irritating characters? http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/ SinĂ©ad Gleeson's blog Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:44:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Alex http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/#comment-1874 Alex Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:42:22 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/#comment-1874 It's actually about a young guy who moves to New York in the 1980s. It was compared to F. Scott Fitzgerald in the way it depicted young Manhattanites living in a carefree, materialistic and hedonistic. Also remarkable for the fact taht it is one of the few novels ever to be written in the second person. In my view, it's got one of the best opening chapters ever! It’s actually about a young guy who moves to New York in the 1980s. It was compared to F. Scott Fitzgerald in the way it depicted young Manhattanites living in a carefree, materialistic and hedonistic. Also remarkable for the fact taht it is one of the few novels ever to be written in the second person. In my view, it’s got one of the best opening chapters ever!

]]> By: Frank Neary http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/#comment-1861 Frank Neary Tue, 14 Mar 2006 21:08:06 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/#comment-1861 Bright Lights, Big City? Sounds really glitzy and showbiz :-) Bright Lights, Big City?

Sounds really glitzy and showbiz :-)

]]> By: Stellanova http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/#comment-1852 Stellanova Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:08:45 +0000 http://www.sineadgleeson.com/blog/2006/03/13/is-it-men-writing-women-or-just-irritating-characters/#comment-1852 I really liked McInerney's earlier books, particularly <i>Brightness Falls</i> and <i>Story of My Life</i>, or at least I did when I read them all about ten years ago, but the new one (which I had to read for work too, or I wouldn't have finished it) is a bit...bleah. I don't think he's particulary bad at writing female characters but, as you say, everyone in the book is just so vapid and solipsistic you can't care much about them. I think Nick Hornby is particularly dreadful at writing female characters, but then, I loathe his cuddly patronising "women are so much more <i>sensible</i> than men because women don't care about music or pop culture or anything vaguely interesting" crap. Also, there's a very long discussion of male writers writing female characters <a href="http://www.chicklit.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000098;p=1" rel="nofollow">here</a>! I really liked McInerney’s earlier books, particularly Brightness Falls and Story of My Life, or at least I did when I read them all about ten years ago, but the new one (which I had to read for work too, or I wouldn’t have finished it) is a bit…bleah. I don’t think he’s particulary bad at writing female characters but, as you say, everyone in the book is just so vapid and solipsistic you can’t care much about them.

I think Nick Hornby is particularly dreadful at writing female characters, but then, I loathe his cuddly patronising “women are so much more sensible than men because women don’t care about music or pop culture or anything vaguely interesting” crap. Also, there’s a very long discussion of male writers writing female characters here!

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