tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post2887665536835304631..comments2024-03-14T02:43:36.453-07:00Comments on Almost True: Marmite books - love them or hate them?Keren Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-58086153450891655492010-01-28T15:03:44.907-08:002010-01-28T15:03:44.907-08:00Ooh Cat, we are so different!Ooh Cat, we are so different!Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-65363475528175009142010-01-28T15:02:02.479-08:002010-01-28T15:02:02.479-08:00Wuthering Heights - not for me.
Catcher in the rye...Wuthering Heights - not for me.<br />Catcher in the rye - ditto.<br />Watership Down - liked it.<br />LOTR - liked it, but it felt like homework.<br />Cracked Up To Be - loved it.<br /><br />Isn't it great that books are so subjective?!Cat Clarkehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15123771652076017585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-22926992122049015342009-10-25T12:37:07.944-07:002009-10-25T12:37:07.944-07:00Can't resist telling you - I've just had a...Can't resist telling you - I've just had a Marmite book published! Well, to be more precise, it's a book about Marmite. Check it out. It's The Mish-Mash Dictionary of Marmite: an anecdotal A-Z of 'Tar-in-a-Jar'. Dip into it, spread the word...thanks, Maggie Hall.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-86491728737247834532009-09-03T10:45:33.626-07:002009-09-03T10:45:33.626-07:00Hi Sarah
In short - yes it was great, I'd ne...Hi Sarah<br /><br />In short - yes it was great, I'd never written fiction before and I doubt I'd have got on with it without the course. I did write another post about it which you'll find by looking through the archive, or googling my name and life-changing Mondays. It's not a course where you learn theories about story arcs, or get introduced to literary agents, but you definitely laugh a lot, Amanda Swift the tutor is brilliant and you get introduced to all sorts of types of writing for children, so you get a chance to focus on what yu want to do. Lovely people on the course too. I also did the follow up workshop course, and that's when I wrote most of When I Was Joe - I'm sure that without it I would still be faffing around thinking about it.<br />If you've got any more questions let me know..I've been thinking of writing a post about how I wrote the book, and how the class helped, would that be useful?<br />Oh and let me know how it goes!<br /><br />KerenKeren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-83918713200749331692009-09-03T09:18:59.601-07:002009-09-03T09:18:59.601-07:00Nothing to do with what's Marmite or not on th...Nothing to do with what's Marmite or not on the book front. But I'm seeing you're the success story of the writing course in Islington and wondered if you could tell me a little more about it and if you loved it/found it helpful/met some top people/laughed a lot/etc...<br />Thing is I've never written before but thought I'd like to give it a go as I've been bursting with children's book ideas for about 10yrs n as I'm out of work thought I'd give it a whirl at last. Thanks, Sarah in N.LondonUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00812778258861043817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-67117828179286637912009-09-02T08:15:41.235-07:002009-09-02T08:15:41.235-07:00I was about to add Harry Potter as a Marmite book ...I was about to add Harry Potter as a Marmite book - I loved the first three and really struggled with the rest - and I know people who thoroughly hate the books.<br />As for WH - Loved, definitely!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04871239587214383387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-39897719634627083172009-08-31T17:14:07.862-07:002009-08-31T17:14:07.862-07:00Harry Potter - definitely Marmite material. Why d...Harry Potter - definitely Marmite material. Why do you dislike them?Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-69186044829239337712009-08-31T17:04:47.849-07:002009-08-31T17:04:47.849-07:00Great post, Keren! I never got into WH, but must d...Great post, Keren! I never got into WH, but must definitely give it another go. <br />Love the Narnian Chronicles, ditto WD. Loved LOTR on film, although haven't tried the books. WIW was so-so (hmm, doesn't fit Marmite theory).<br /><br />I must be the only person on the planet to dislike the Harry Potter books, but there you go. I hate Marmite too.Valeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05676986688599411947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-74424731652914608812009-08-31T15:34:55.709-07:002009-08-31T15:34:55.709-07:00I think you'd love Wuthering Heights Jenny, gi...I think you'd love Wuthering Heights Jenny, give it a go. All the passion of Twilight with knobs on. Not heard of the Courtney Summers book, going to look it up.Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-58377063324423504642009-08-31T15:30:03.012-07:002009-08-31T15:30:03.012-07:00The only one I've read that you mentioned is T...The only one I've read that you mentioned is Twilight, and I think everyone knows where I stand on that! :D<br /><br />A recent one I can think of is 'Cracked Up to Be' by Courtney Summers. People either seem to love it or hate it -- I'm the latter.prophecygirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943009333696533856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-73381133278227271932009-08-31T08:55:18.744-07:002009-08-31T08:55:18.744-07:00Ohhh, I love Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but ...Ohhh, I love Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but you're right, definitely a marmite book, waaay too long and ponderous for some.Anne M Leonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04547591113801578453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-15259632006266364102009-08-31T08:03:04.061-07:002009-08-31T08:03:04.061-07:00Alissa - you don't know what you're missi...Alissa - you don't know what you're missing!Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-62420947534188532042009-08-31T08:01:34.283-07:002009-08-31T08:01:34.283-07:00What a great name for them! I loved Wurthering Hei...What a great name for them! I loved Wurthering Heights and Twilight!I would add any book by Danielle Steele to that list. I used to love her-now can't stand her stuff.A Buckeye Girl Readshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08952103323793072580noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-90477664685119198392009-08-31T08:00:14.356-07:002009-08-31T08:00:14.356-07:00"yeast-based salty brown spread" sounds ..."yeast-based salty brown spread" sounds like something I would avoid at all costs.Alissa Grossohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16701189791875707920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-15475028246526722582009-08-31T07:23:48.494-07:002009-08-31T07:23:48.494-07:00Alissa, Marmite is a yeast-based salty brown sprea...Alissa, Marmite is a yeast-based salty brown spread that Brits have been eating since time began. It splits the nation into those that love or hate it - and is cleverly marketed as much.<br />I've never read Jonathan Strange, must give it a try..<br />Fiona - that's a terrible deadline. Just before the end of the school holidays - how cruel is that?Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-58199618579594654772009-08-31T07:10:59.652-07:002009-08-31T07:10:59.652-07:00Wuthering Heights – love
LOTR – hate
WITW – loved,...Wuthering Heights – love<br />LOTR – hate<br />WITW – loved, still have affection for, haven't re-read though.<br />Watership Down – never did read! Think I tried. So I guess that's a 'hate'.<br />Twilight – boring. 'Hate' too hostile, though; great concept.<br /><br />And like Mary, I fall into the 'love' category for Jonathan Strange. Trying to think of another Marmite book: I know Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time divided people quite a bit. Again, I thought it was great. And anything that employs alternate language that we have to decipher, so A Clockwork Orange, Riddley Walker and Will Self's The Book Of Dave are bound to be Marmite; again, I'm in the 'pro' camp, but can understand why some would lose patience!<br /><br />Oh dear...I've got a September 1 deadline. Stop being so distracting, Keren!fionadunbarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14774780945853573692noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-88317524112494393622009-08-31T05:56:30.282-07:002009-08-31T05:56:30.282-07:00Well, I am with you on Lord of The Rings and Water...Well, I am with you on Lord of The Rings and Watership Down and for me the latter may have a lot to do with the talking animals. I have never actually read Wind in The Willows. I enjoyed Wuthering Heights, but don't know if I would go so far as to say I loved it. Twilight annoyed me to no end. <br /><br />For those of us across the pond, what exactly is Marmite?Alissa Grossohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16701189791875707920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-54912517698020379692009-08-31T04:55:32.404-07:002009-08-31T04:55:32.404-07:00I don't love Heathcliff, but I love how Emily ...I don't love Heathcliff, but I love how Emily Bronte made me feel sorry for him, all prepared to root for him and then hate him. Hareton's my favourite though. <br />Funnily enough I was just thinking about The Hunegr Games and wondering if it fell into this category. I found it compelling but it made me feel sick. Same for The Time Traveller's Wife which was overtaken by paedophilic grooming undertones.Keren Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121027210783177857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-79471472241518324732009-08-31T04:35:18.385-07:002009-08-31T04:35:18.385-07:00Hah! What a great title for these books! I recen...Hah! What a great title for these books! I recently blogged about this too (trying to be positive about Northern Lights by Philip Pullman).<br /><br />I am not fan of Wuthering Heights or Lord of the Rings (though I adore the LOTR movies). But I do love Watership Down. I think some classics become Marmite books because they were loved in a certain time period and even though our tastes and cultures have changed with time, we're still expected to love them. Wind in the Willows falls into that category for me. <br /><br />For me, I've discovered that action doesn't really do it for me, in books or movies. So I really didn't care for the Hunger Games, even though everyone has raved about it. Maybe that also explains Northern Lights. <br /><br />I do love Moby Dick though, which is frequently a Marmite book. Thanks for letting me babble!Anne M Leonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04547591113801578453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2616410914770011438.post-72416939831133477482009-08-31T04:28:23.720-07:002009-08-31T04:28:23.720-07:00I loved Wuthering Heights but not Heathcliff. Do p...I loved Wuthering Heights but not Heathcliff. Do people forget he hanged Isabella's little dog? I could not abide a man who was cruel to animals and vengeful and spiteful like that.<br /><br />I adored LOTR, not WiW, and sort of liked WD but am not a Narnia fan. As for Twilight, I read the first one and found it quite accomplished but have no desire to read any more.<br /><br />I think Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is a bit of a Marmite book. I loved it - and Marmite!Mary Hoffmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06241989732624913706noreply@blogger.com