Michele Gorman: Chick lit is rooted in the real world
5th August 2010
People should not look down on 'chick lit' just because some
critics say it fails to deal with real-life issues, one of the
genre's advocates has asserted.
In a column for the Guardian, Single
in the City author
Michele Gorman claimed that many of the attacks on chick lit
are based on the misunderstanding that it does not address the
problems facing readers.
'Well actually, some of it does. From sibling rivalry to
infidelity, addictions to poor body image, a woman can take her
pick within the genre if she wants to,' she argued.
Gorman admitted that the books which do not deal with such
weighty issues are written for 'pure indulgent enjoyment' - but
added that she can see nothing wrong with this.
In addition, she pointed out that genres such as science
fiction, crime writing and historical novels do not often confront
the real problems their readers struggle with, but they are not
pilloried by critics.
Launching an attack on chick lit recently, Julian
Corkle is a Filthy Liar author
D.J. Connell wrote in the Guardian that she finds the
genre 'offensive' because it seems to regard women as being less
intelligent than men.