Subverting the genre?

[nkafkafi]

> > Kneasy:
> Well, before JKR there was DWJ - Diana Wynne Jones. I say 'was' in a 
> comparative sense, she's still alive and kicking and doing very well, 
> thank you, particularly now that 'Howl's Moving Castle' has hit the 
> big screen. Author of getting on for 30 fantasies aimed at the 
> younger set, she was (and I understand still is for many) the doyen 
> of Brit fantasists.
> 
> Carolyn:
> The movie version sounds quite amusing judging by the reviews. Cross 
> between Shrek and manga by all accounts; I might take advantage of 
> living in the great metrop and make an effort to see it. However, I 
> can assure you old bean that the book is beyond dire, as are her 
> other epics. I was tempted to try them by some benighted 
> recommendations on these boards. Should have known better. Slung into 
> a skip without a second's hesitation. 
> 
> Kneasy:
> "The Tough Guide to Fantasy Land" provides the low-down on navigating 
> yourself through the thickets and pitfalls of a fantasy 'Tour' i.e. 
> any volume of fantasy. Refreshingly cynical, it's an alphabetical 
> guide that tells you what to expect in the way of the fictional 
> conventions, any hardware cluttering up the place,stereotypes posing 
> in fore- or background - and how the plot (if any) is liable to 
> progress.
> 
> Carolyn:
> Enlightening. This in fact, may be the reason her books don't work. 
> Like the most diligent of Mills & Boon authors, she has reduced her 
> output to a formula, with all the dullness that entails. As I recall, 
> DWJ has been rather munificent about JKR, saying something along the 
> lines of 'I don't mind a bit she's got a similar story to mine, good 
> luck.' Which is the right reaction, as JKR has indeed done something 
> very different and original with the ingredients. Not to be compared 
> for a minute.
> 

Neri:
Fantasy is formulaic, but not more so than most genres, such as
romance, mystery, fairytales, even Shakespearean comedies. Sci-Fi is
also very formulaic, but is partly saved because it has a considerably
larger number of formulas than fantasy. In any case, the question is
what the author does with the formula.

I've read two books by DWJ (Howl's Moving Castle and another one I
can't even remember) that I didn't have to pay for. I don't
particularly recommend them, even for fantasy fans, and I didn't rush
to buy other books by her. HMC is indeed not formulaic and pretty
imaginative, but IMO much too complicated: I wasn't able to follow all
the plot details, I didn't much care how they turned out in the end,
and I wouldn't remember them today to save my life. The movie is
actually better, merely because of the beautiful imagery of Hayao
Miyazaki, a great Japanese animator. However, if you want to see the
best of Miyazaki you must see Spirited Away
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245429/
It is simply amazing, perhaps the best animation film I've ever seen,
despite the mediocre western dubbing. One word of warning: although
it's usually classified as a children movie, I wouldn't recommend
watching it with kids younger than 9. They might have nightmares for
weeks later.

Neri