Doo-de-doo-de-doo…. here I was going through the reviews written about the Fairy Dance a few days ago, because I wanted to know what people had to say about it.
I came across a piece of absolute crap written by a writer for the Lakbima News. I have a few things I want to say to Ms. Dilini Algama and add my points of view. So here goes -
1. I honestly thought the book should have had a lot more detail about the characters. I started to get very attached to them, and I felt rudely robbed of them, far too soon. I really needed to know more.
2. I felt that the end was a little hurried and could have been developed more. But maybe that was Brandon’s intention. If you’re familiar with Brecht’s writing, he cuts you off just when things get to hot to handle and leaves you hanging. That, in my opinion is powerful writing.
3. Ms. Algama states that although Brandon had researched child prostitution, he had a narrow view of hell and should have read up on it more before he gave us his view of it. Now that’s just a petty statement to make in a review. Should he have also researched dancing styles before he wrote about the children’s Fairy Dance on the beach? I though what he did to Priya’s father in hell was fabulous. If his book is dedicated to perverts who abuse children, I hope it scared them shitless. I truly believe there’s a special hell for child abusers and Brandon showed me just that.
4. She also says that the book took a moral stance. Why shouldn’t it? It was a piece of fiction based on things that happen every second we are alive, just hours away from Colombo. The writer gave us his opinion. He told us a story and created a world for us, drawing us in. He did not write a critical essay on the Woes of Child Prostitution.
5. On the topic of language being used. She felt the story could have taken place in New York, if not for the reference to the Sri Lankan names and corrupt police force. Yes, he used very westernized colloquialisms. But he was telling us a story, in his words and in words a lot of people would find it easier to grasp. I think anything else would have taken away from the story, not added to it. After all, would you rather he took a very Lakdasa Wickremasinghe-like stance and changed not just language, but also syntax to sound Sri Lankan? This wasn’t a poem. It was a novel, honey. He did it in his own style and it did not take away from the depth of his story, nor his message.
Finally “for the sake of sanity” she refuses to even discuss the actual act of the fairy dance. For the sake of sanity, I need to. For me, it was not the title of the book. For me, the Fairy Dance was the core of it. The need for two children to dance with the fairies and forget their families. To forget that they were prostitues and remember that in that small, simple act, there could be magic.
Well done Brandon. Thank you for the magic.
In all fairness – a review is just that. A subjective ‘opinion’ of the book by the writer. You have your opinion, she has hers. Don’t you think?
I don’t agree. If there’s going to be an opinion in a review, it has to be objective. Its fine that she didn’t like the book, but her reasons for not liking it don’t make any logical sense.
Her reasons don’t make any logical sense to you, but they obviously did to her. And speaking about being objective, she probably has an edge over you in that, given that she doesn’t (I’m assuming) know Brandon. I’m stubborn – you’re stubborm. Leave it be?
By saying that you’re saying my review wasn’t objective. I did have issues with the book which I voiced here and with Brandon at great length.
Reading my previous comment, it did seem like i was saying that you were being subjective but that’s not the case. What I’m saying is that you can’t just assume that she’s not being objective. That being said, however objective a stance we may strive to take, our own personal likes and dislikes play a part in it.
Also, I’m not arguing over Brandon’s book. I read it the night after he launched it and like I told you there was plenty I liked and things I didn’t.
Hi, interesting discussion here. Would be much obliged if themissingsandwich would care to refrain from misquoting. Dilini Algama did not say that “although Brandon had researched child prostitution, he had a narrow view of hell and should have read up on it more before he gave us his view of it”.
What she did say was “As if it isn’t enough to test the integrity of the reader by writing about the plight of child prostitutes and rat-poisoning international super models in the same story, people literally go to hell. Now I’m told that the author did a lot of research into child prostitution in Sri Lanka, but why he incorporates the element of hell, where much research can’t be done remains a question to me”. It takes a lot of effort to misquote something like that “honey”.
A book is a construct after all.The Fairy Dance was written by Ingram the writer, Ingram the creator, Ingram and his notions of revenge and a whole lot more. If so, it can also be interpreted by whoever reads it in his or her own way. I didn’t do a mass survey to see what people thought of the book before getting down to write my own views on it. In any case I didn’t have to.
You do say that you find Brecht powerful. Gee good for you. Some others won’t. People respond to different things. And all this talk of Lakdas Wickremasinghe and Sri Lankan English has come a very long way from where themissingsandwich seems to be at.
Ouch. Look at who was affected and didn’t have the dignity not to respond. I don’t see why you did, when Brandon didn’t need to. But to each his or HER own I guess. You have a long way to go before you become a proper critic dear. Suggest you visit colombo critic to learn some.
Dilini – regarding being misquoted, I don’t think she ever quoted you. She merely summarised what you had said.
And yes, it is a review by you and gives your opinion of what you thought about the book. (I’ve argued this out above). At the same time, if Brandon wants to write about hell (which is his opinion of it) that’s his prerogative.
Why is this being argued over a month after it was posted??
Aw, technology malfunctions and the name I was intending to go by did not appear there ha? Oh and all the shes and Dilini Algamas have been changed to read ‘I’. Gee Santa’s elves must at work. And then there is this talk about dignity… What’s the “dignity”in going by ‘themissingsandwich’ herself but changing things for others? Especially since she deems it fit to say “Ouch. Look at who was affected and didn’t have the dignity not to respond.”
[of course the above comment may not be there after the elaborate "moderation" process]
Even if themissingsandwich didn’t quote with quotation marks (and there’s a sentence I never thought I’d have to say), since she says “Ms. Algama STATES…” which is a QUOTATIVE she might still like to refrain from attributing “petty” comments to writers (gee, do you think this might change if my editor ever finds out what she had to say?) who did not write them. She just might though. Annonymity does things to people.
I did not say that he should have read more on hell. So meanings can change when certain people summarize? Not quite.
you mean no one comments when a post is a few weeks old?
Dilini, you’re being very silly now. And if you want to stoop so low as to threaten me, then go ahead. You’ve just come out as very unprofessional, not me.
And for the record, this is my blog. A personal place for expression. I am not anonymous. In case you didn’t notice I have my photograph up.
You had an opinion which you published. I had one that I posted. That’s that about the story as far as I am concerned.
“I came across a piece of absolute crap written by a writer for the Lakbima News. I have a few things I want to say to Ms. Dilini Algama and add my points of view. So here goes ”
Hey missing sawndich you’re not being fair at all. You shld let dilini algama leave her comments back in their actual form.
Oh, where have I threatened you?
Ah… Is it “anonymity does things to people”?
Hey I still think dilini algama has every right to say what she has to say missingsandwich. If you were in her position you would feel the same way. sadly most people see htings only from where they are and they don’t like it when others want the same.
Give the girl a break will you?
Sadly the fact that even I don’t have the freedom to comment says a lot
no probs. I’m moving on. Don’t need to read this blog anway.
cheers
Hey Dilini, if you’re gonna make public reviews of books a career path, then be prepared for the public to make reviews of your reviews as well. Whether those reviewers have ‘misinterpreted’, ‘misquoted’ or just plain ‘misunderstood’ poor old you, is just a fact of life you have to live with. I think there’s a saying, ‘if you can’t stand the heat, get outta the kitchen’……ya?
Extremely sorry Sunshine, I logged in late today and just passed your comments through. Everyone gets to have their say on my blog, even if its to insult what I’ve written.
The only alteration I made was to the “name” Dilini had put in the first time as she was trying to comment about herself as someone else. She’s commenting as herself just fine now.
Also, I just made a summary of her review. Not a direct quote. And just as she has a right to express her opinion on what someone else has written, I have the right to comment on what she has. That was all there is to it.
I sincerely don’t see what all the fuss is about. All I can say is that some people can take critisism and other can’t.
Dilini – you have the right to criticise the book you reviewed. And the missingsandwich has the right to criticise your review!
Also, what anonymity are you talking about? Like she said, what kind of anonymity do you get when you post your pic up for the world to see????
hey i think the issue in quesiton with regards to the fact that misssandwich is anonymous wold be that no one knows her name. no one has seen her face much either
so that doesn’t help – the picture I mean.
well yeah i came back and thanks for making it up to me and seeing my comments too.
what can I say… firstly Dilini, I appreciated the fact that you took the time to write a review on my book, thank you for that, and even though you don’t seem to agree with contructive critisicm, you can rest assured that when i launch my second book, i will be sending a free copy of it across to you for yet another review, no matter how bad it might turn out to be.
secondly, i appreciate the pow wow generated over my first published book on this blog… but to all those of you out there trying to figure out what the hell everyone is talking about, please go out and buy my book, which is moving off the shelves pretty fast i might add, so hurry.
finally, dilini, if you’re out there and reading, you had asked a very valid question in your review… you had said that while i seemed to have done a lot of research on writing the book, it wasn’t clear to you where i did research to write about hell. you did pose the question, however, i never answered it.
i did do research on hell too dilini – it is my combined knowledge of the scriptures of the bible, the ramayan, the mahabarata and a whole heap of history books that allowed me to visualize in my head, what my version of hell would be and that is what i illustrated through one small chapter in my book. try and read some of those books sometime, they might help you if you ever decide to review books like “The Life of Pye”, “The October Horse”, “The Almanac of the Dead” or “The Thorn Birds”.
I wish you well in your career as a journalist, and I hope you will wish me the same in my writing career, one that I’ve had steadily for more than five years now.
I’d like to close this topic by saying that I was a writer before I wrote my first book and I will be a writer after I write my last book, and nothing anyone says can change that about me.
thank you all…
Here here Brandon!! your a male and that’s why you’re not like the missingsandwich OR dilini algama – they BOTH are coming off as typical cat and bitch
Great comment Brandon. I like it that you haven’t got all emotional like the rest of us.
Wish you the best too!
Sunrise, you little sexist! Some women are quite capable of commenting without being catty/ bitchy, you know!
Well to be honest when i look at this ongoing debate I have serious doubts Tanya.
heyy evry1 .. i didnt even read diz discussion thingy … i typed ma name on google n this came up soo i decided 2 saiii sumthin… byeeeee ma fanz