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I'm curious... Generally speaking, given the books released in let's say the last 5 years through the present & reactions to those books, do you feel that messages and experiences are taken more seriously (or given more credit) when released as nonfiction/memoir as opposed to being released as fiction? Which style of writing holds more weight for you when it comes to taking the overall theme of the book to heart? Are you more likely to relate to the book when it's nonfic/memoir or fiction?

What a terrific subject/question Jo...

I tend to view memoir/nonfic as more of a 'realistic, too serious or tedious' read, now that you've asked. I very rarely go to that section/row/web site.
My reading, even the most realistic/dystopic, seems to be fiction.
I want escape...

Jo wrote: "Which style of writing holds more weight for you when it comes to taking the overall theme of the book to heart? Are you more likely to relate to the book when it's nonfic/memoir or fiction?"

Speaking only for myself, I generally prefer fiction. It seems, perhaps because of the "iffy" "memoirs" I've read, that fiction is more honest. The author is free to speak freely about whatever they feel or think through their characters without needing to... I don't know, ENHANCE their experiences, or even tone down their opinions -- or in some cases, make them so offensive that they are virtually unreadable.

I don't know if that makes any sense, but essentially I'm saying that I think that authors who write fiction, even if it is based on real or true events, have a freer hand to say what they want without it being turned into a judgement of the author's credibility or mindset, if you know what I mean.

I'm thinking of books like "Angela's Ashes", "A Child Called It", "The Glass Castle", "A Million Little Pieces" which are presented as memoirs or non-fiction, but are suspect for that very reason. Whereas, if they were presented as fiction, true or not, they have a little cushion of "artistic leeway" for the author to rest on.

I'm probably not making sense, but... eh. There it is.

Suzanne wrote: "What a terrific subject/question Jo...

I tend to view memoir/nonfic as more of a 'realistic, too serious or tedious' read, now that you've asked. I very rarely go to that section/row/web site.
..."

Thanks Suzanne!

Becky wrote: "Jo wrote: "Which style of writing holds more weight for you when it comes to taking the overall theme of the book to heart? Are you more likely to relate to the book when it's nonfic/memoir or fict..."

Becky, you're making sense to me!!!

Of course, I thought of more after posting this originally, lol! Regardless of preferred genre, if Eat Pray Love or The Glass Castle has been written as fiction books, do you think they still would have had the same impact they've had? And what if The Help or The Story of Edgar Sawtelle had been written as nonfiction/memoir style books? (Whether you've liked or disliked these books, they've all had a great impact on their readers).

I've been thinking about this a lot and I figured this would be a great question (well, questions!) to pose, especially if say a book like EPL was released as fiction would its' impact be as far reaching as it is being a memoir.

The more I'm thinking about this, other things come up, like it seems to me that women authors are taken more seriously as fiction authors than women memoir authors because of the self indulgent perception. And what surprises me lately is the often Hateful reactions to memoirs directed at their authors, which is something I just don't get. I can fully understand not relating to someone or liking what they've written but to get so down & dirty is surprising and shocking to me.

Me personally, I Love both fiction and memoir, not so much auto-bio, bio or non-fic.

I understand what you mean, Jo. I haven't read EPL, The Help or Edgar Sawtelle yet, so I can't comment on those... Can say that generally, with fiction I can identify more with a character who experiences profound events, or life changing circumstances, because as a CHARACTER, they are sort of everyone and no-one. They could be me.

But, a memoir or auto-biography etc is automatically going to be more detached, because the story is about "THEM". Whoever "they" are.

Oddly enough, I have An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography on my shelf right now waiting to be read. I hope *HOPE* that this book is the exception, because I LOVE Rusesabagina's story. Maybe already knowing the story, and coming into it from a mindset of wanting to know more about the man, will make that difference.

I'm not sure. But I can say that I haven't yet read a biog or memoir that I've truly liked. I hope this is the one!

Memoirs, by their very nature, are biased. That person is telling us only what he or she wants us to know. I think, for that reason, they tend to feel one-dimensional. Fiction usually encompasses more perspectives and (I think) draws the reader into that world easier.

I don't read a lot of memoirs. Shattered Silence is one that has stuck with me. It's written by the daughter of a serial killer. But the only memoir/autobiography that truly made huge impact on me was When Rabbit Howls. I read this book about 15 years ago and I still think about it now and then. I cried through most of it.

Very interesting! I thank all of you for your thoughts on this!

I think it depends entirely on the book and the author. I'm a sucker for a good memoir, there's just something about the authenticity that appeals to me. I think too, there's a difference between falty memory - which many of us have, and changing a memoir in order to make the story more sensational or appealing. Maybe it's a fine line between forgetfulness and selling out, but authors need to be aware that the line is there.


Of course, I read more fiction than memoirs, so... whatever. Being a teacher, my favorite memoir is Losing My Faculties by Brenden Halpin. It's fantastic. It's something I can totally relate to knowing that the events (or some close variation of the events) actually happened.

I love a good memoir too! Authenticity is a biggie for me as well. I'd have to take a look at my 'shelves' but I think I'm reading an equal amount of memoirs & fiction books whereas I used to read mainly just fiction.

I really like these questions! For me though, I can't pick. It's a completely different experience, reading something fiction vs. something non-fiction, and I enjoy both in different ways.

Also, I tend to enjoy non-fiction or memoirs WAY more when it has something to teach beyond their life story, like if it has historical significance or something...if that makes any sense. Although, that goes for the fiction I read too. There are only so many variations on a characters success or failure that can be told, it's the background of the story that's going to tell me something new and make me care (or fail and be a bad book).

Oh, and one more thing. Lately my favourite memoirs are graphic novels (The Complete Maus, Blankets, The Complete Persepolis). So maybe pretty pictures are the key to a good memoir? ;)

Becky wrote: "Jo wrote: "Which style of writing holds more weight for you when it comes to taking the overall theme of the book to heart? Are you more likely to relate to the book when it's nonfic/memoir or fict..."

I agree with Becky that fiction can seem more honest. I like memoirs, but I always wonder how these memoires can be so specific. It only makes sense that most memoirs have to be somewhat fictional. I'd rather read fiction based on a real experience, but that's just me.

Interesting!

Christine wrote: "Becky wrote: "Jo wrote: "Which style of writing holds more weight for you when it comes to taking the overall theme of the book to heart? Are you more likely to relate to the book when it's nonfic/..."

That's the mark of well written fiction. I call it Imaginative Realism, fiction that makes a reader ask, "Is this really fiction?"
Mark Twain said that all fiction is based on an author's personal experience. Without that seed of truth a story cannot hold interest. Twain's characters and locations in Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, for example, were taken from real life. He lists them all in his autobiography.

I agree with you completely. I love it when I keep flipping the book over to see if it's actually marked fiction. Thrity Umrigar's books have that effect on me.

I like them both, but for different reasons. I like fiction for many of the same reasons that you all have sited. The characters and stories seem more alive a lot of the time. The caveat, of course, is that fiction writers are free to embellish, so if they are writing about an actual person you have to take it with a grain of salt. Non-fiction biographies are not supposed to be embellished, of course, that said, we all know that embellishment probably takes place to some extent. A lot of it depends on the availability of data regarding the subject.

As for memoirs, I agree that you are seeing things through the writer's filter, but sometimes that can tell you as much about a person as the facts of their life can.

I read a lot of non-fiction, but am a fiction junkie as well.

Being well-written will get a book far with me. I also like a narrative, either fictional or non-fictional, to actually go somewhere. I will also confess to a fondness for narrative. (I suspect that humans are hardwired to like it and we forget that at our own peril.)

One thing I can't stand are books that are sold as "it really happened!" memoirs which aren't. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Twain was a good one for never letting facts get in the way of a good story.
"Those are the facts. Some are true."
"Whoever said a lie cannot live didn't know how to tell one."

Every story must contain at least a kernel of truth if it is to be believed at all. The trick is knowing the kernel from the chafe.

Christine wrote: "I agree with you completely. I love it when I keep flipping the book over to see if it's actually marked fiction. Thrity Umrigar's books have that effect on me."

I love when a fiction book does that to me too!

Even in fiction there's always a bit of truth! Or we wouldn't have that reaction to it I suppose.

I am totally a fiction junkie. That said, I do pick up the occasional memoir. My particular interest in memoirs is in Holocaust memoirs, as I seek to learn more about social justice and to make an attempt at understanding the magnitude of genocide and hatred, particularly bureaucratized hatred. I agree, the stories which resonate the most with me contain a grain of truth, even in fantasy. For example, I loved Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, because it was about repressed people rising up and rebelling, because it explored sociology and how a revolution starts, to me, that felt true although it's fantasy.