Oh, academia.
Feb. 1st, 2012 06:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
opusculasedferaContrasting experiences:
1) Attempting to read Emily Eden's Semi-Attached Couple on the strength of discussions of her travel writing that just don't understand why her novels haven't been revived as they were terribly popular in 1860, and discovering that the reason is that most of the humour consists of how hilarious it is that Jewish people want to be treated like real humans.
2) Reading Flora Annie Steel's autobiog after being rather put off her novels by academic discussions of her influence on/depiction of stereotypes of Indians, particularly those involved in the Sepoy Rebellion, and realising that her writing about Scotland at least is disarmingly appealing and her racism on the mild side for having been born in the 1860s (i.e. the Indians are picturesque and she depicts none of their feelings, but she doesn't think they're terrible people.)
Not sure what this actually says about anyone, but the contrast amused me.
1) Attempting to read Emily Eden's Semi-Attached Couple on the strength of discussions of her travel writing that just don't understand why her novels haven't been revived as they were terribly popular in 1860, and discovering that the reason is that most of the humour consists of how hilarious it is that Jewish people want to be treated like real humans.
2) Reading Flora Annie Steel's autobiog after being rather put off her novels by academic discussions of her influence on/depiction of stereotypes of Indians, particularly those involved in the Sepoy Rebellion, and realising that her writing about Scotland at least is disarmingly appealing and her racism on the mild side for having been born in the 1860s (i.e. the Indians are picturesque and she depicts none of their feelings, but she doesn't think they're terrible people.)
Not sure what this actually says about anyone, but the contrast amused me.
