NEWS: Slither Slither Slither Goes The Literary Prize

CULTURE: Slither Slither Slither Goes The Literary Prize

I Am Charlotte Simmons, Tom Wolfe's new novel, has been praised for its writing and ripped for presenting a ludicrously inaccurate picture of contemporary college life— sometimes in the same review. Wolfe has won Pulitzer Prizes for his work, but he probably didn't expect the Bad Sex Award from the British publication the Literary Journal. And what earned Wolfe this honor?

Here's a sample:

Wolfe has claimed in interviews he wrote the scenes to be as clinical and dry as possible, but a lot of critics, including those at the Literary Review, aren't buying it.

In any case, where else are you going to see the word "otorhinolaryngological" in print?

Oh my God, he should enter those two sentences in the Bulwer-Lytton contest for bad writing!

To call Wolfe's efforts bad writing misses the point, I think. The language is consciously artificial. Of course, that doesn't make it GOOD writing, but it certainly doesn't qualify it as BAD. Wolfe, I think, is aware of the ludicrous challenge of a 70-plus man trying to describe and understand people 50 years younger than himself. For him to just write a college sex-scene would be fucking boring; what's more interesting is seeing this aging author's attempt (and failure?) at trying to understand sex as we (college-age folk) experience it. "Otorhinolaryngological" is a perfect example of where Wolfe is aware of the trouble of his own undertaking.

Okay, maybe I'm not postmodern enough to get on board with this, but I would prefer to read a book in which the author understands the subject than one in which he does not. I see what you are saying, but if I want to get a kick out of somebody being totally out of her element, I'll ask my mom to write me a letter about ethnomusicology. That a 70-year-old has trouble understanding or describing the 20-somethings' sex scene is certainly not something I need illustrated by bad (sorry, make that 'not good') writing.

best 1st post in the history of suicide girls

I'm not buying it. It's just bad writing.

it's hideous to read regardless of his intentions, that can't be good.

I haven't read it yet, but I swear by The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Bonfire of the Vanities, and, to a lesser extent, A Man in Full.

i don't swear by any of his work, and i agree with trail, the writing is purposefully bad, or dry rather, but even though he's making a specific point of writing this way, he still misses his mark, the writing is still, well, fucking crap.

"...where the flesh of the breast meets the pectoral sheath of the chest..."

there's bad bad and then there's good bad, you know.

The book is horrible. It's a mess, and it's embarrassing. I feel sorry for his daughter, who I hear people have taken to calling Charlotte Simmons has the the character is allegedly based largely on her.

Seriously, the book is so bad. Don't waste your time.

[Edited on Dec 14, 2004 3:15PM]

Once a man. . . . once a maaaaannnn!!!

Let's not fuck around, here-- that's fantastically horrible writing. I hate when the literary Powers That Be bestow critical acclaim on utter horseshit just because their collective pretentiousness has been hard-wired into their feeble little brains. It's like their praise is diametrically opposed to the ACTUAL quality of the work. Assholes.

I know. He gives white suits a bad name.

I completely disagree that it was horrible. It was very interesting, though a bit sad at the end, and Wolfe didn't do such a horrible job on recreating college life. I haven't read Bonfire of the Vanities, but a friend gave me a rough outline. It seems Charlotte Simons is comparable. Whether or not the man is in college, he understands the basic principles of wanting to belong and not quite making it, or having some artificial security and realizing its a farce. These things aren't exclusive to college.

Granted, that sentence is a bit uncomfortable, but his sentence construction else where in the novel is really tempting, leading you into the next sentence. If you haven't read it, I would say give it a try. It takes about 30 pages to become acclimated to his style, but I think its worthwhile.