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Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Angel At The Fence--Too Good To Be True

Oh, Herman, Herman, Herman.  How could you think people wouldn't get miffed at this?  Did you think they wouldn't know? "I wanted to bring happiness to people," said Herman Rosenblat, the 79-year-old author of Angel At The Fence, according to the Huffington Post.  "I brought hope to a lot of people.  My motivation was to make good in this world." And yet, when you write a Holocaust memoir about a love story on opposites sides of the barbed-wire fence, and it's based on a lie, it's just never going to turn out well. Berkeley cancelled the book, which was due out on February 3rd, presumably in time for Valentine's Day.  However, the $25 million film adaptation will reportedly move forward.
Oh, Oprah, Oprah, Oprah. Why are we so confused about fact versus fiction? Maybe this will herald a return to the novel.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Some one besides John doesn't know what fiction novels are.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I hope this brings a return of the good old fashioned, straightforward fiction novel. The "creative nonfiction" category/concept is too problematic (especially when dealing a part of history that nutjobs want to deny).

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry to be that guy, but novels are fiction. Saying "fiction novel" is redundant.

I doubt this will bring a return to the novel. It might mark a slump in memoirs, but I think this would have to coincide with the reading public (and by that I mean the average reader, not us literary types) discovering a handful of novels they enjoy.

Anonymous said...

yeah, unfortunately the idea that novels are by definition fiction has been lost. i even use the term 'fiction novel' because if i don't, i risk being misunderstood, or asked for clarification, same for others i know too.