Man, I got problems all over the place. My laptop stopped working (my fault — I stepped on it), and now my desktop PC seems to have crapped out on me (totally inexplicably). I’m having technological failures all over the place!
In other news, I’m reading “The Secret Lives of Bees,” and while I’m enjoying the book, it’s treading some very familiar storylines. I’m not sure which story has been done more: the ignorant honky learning from the magical Native American, or the ignorant honky learning from the spiritually-wisened black man/woman. Don’t get me wrong: we honkies are ignorant and could stand to learn a lot from just about everybody. But jeez. Sherman Alexi seems to be the only writer to understand that not every Native American is a magical shaman waiting to impart some dream-catchin’ wisdom. And the only movie stereotype more standard than “violent black guy” is “wise and spiritual black guy,” ala The Green Mile, Legend Of Bagger Vance, etc etc etc etc.
“The Secret Lives of Bees” also reworks the “Fried Green Tomatoes” territory of findng a utopia away from evil, evil men in a wacky, isolated southern house full of women.
That said, the book really is beautifully written. It’s just got some familiar stories.
7 Responses to “Problems”
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Hey there. I'm Ariel Meadow Stallings, a native Seattleite who's written my way up and down the Left Coast. Electrolicious is where I post daily randomata, but I also write for a living. My first book, Offbeat Bride, was published last year.
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Liz
March 18th, 2004 at 12:25 pm
I felt very similarly towards the book. I also get it and Bee Season (which also has spirituality overtones) confused in my head and for a minute I totally had no idea what you were talking about with the black folks an all. I’m with you now.
shana
March 18th, 2004 at 12:38 pm
don’t forget Louise Erdrich’s books, including the last report on teh miracles at little no horse.
from the book world tho.
donut
March 18th, 2004 at 1:34 pm
ugh… if I ever end up in a house full of wacky menopausal southern women, please just shoot me.
nancy
March 18th, 2004 at 1:53 pm
Lily in Secret Life of Bees reminded me of Frankie from Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers. Did anyone else get that? It wasn’t just because they are both southern white girls who deal with a lot of drama…there was something else…the precociousness, the internal monologues, something…what do you think?
Michelle
March 18th, 2004 at 1:58 pm
I don’t know that I would sum up Fried Green Tomatoes as “findng a utopia away from evil, evil men in a wacky, isolated southern house full of women.” Obviously the lesbian relationship and the prevelance of strong matriarchs in Southern families makes it woman-centric but I think the “utopia” and “evil, evil men” tags are a little over simple even if it is a simple book in it’s own way.
Haven’t read the Secret Live of Bees so maybe I should read it first before I criticize comparisions eh?
josh
March 18th, 2004 at 2:47 pm
As offensive as I find the whole ‘magical negro’ genre, we seem to receive at least one such script a week. And perhaps writers keep cranking them out for good reason, as production companies are still buying them up and making them at a rapid clip (witness the recent, Oscar-nominated In America).
The problem with truly original books and films, it seems, is that you can’t easily come up with comparable successes in the recent past. Why take a chance on something new if you can cash in by simply revisiting previously profitable material veiled just thickly enough to justify a new slew of sales?
philippe
March 22nd, 2004 at 5:32 am
I shall desagree with your point about Sherman Alexie. You’re dead right about the too frequent description of indians as mystical and wise beings, directly connected with the great spirit. But didn’t somenone like Tony Hillerman described in his mystery novels (starting in the 70’s) navajo characters treated as normal people, not wiser nor more miserable, just different ? As far as I’m well informed (from France) he’s very well appreciated in the navajo nation because of that. And I’ve seen his books everywere on the reservation.
Actualy, I’ve the feeling that Alexie goes too far in the opposite direction : his indians are so hopeless and desperate, his vision so dark that it is on the verge of being an other cliché.