I have been seeing a lot of reviews lately that mention something being "too implausible". I have been guilty of questioning whether belief was being stretched too far, though I hope I have never used this bold a statement. I have been pondering this expression quite a bit. Is it possible for fiction to be too implausible, particularly fiction directed toward children?
The second half of that question is because I have seen this phrase used several places in regards to Holly Black's book Doll Bones. Yes, the kids do things kids typically wouldn't get away with. But when did that become a problem in a book? I am preparing to read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg with a group of 4th-6th graders, as I have done many years. Kids love this book and the implausibility of the situation is part of that love. Children want to believe they can run away from home, live in a museum, and succeed at it, only returning on their own terms. Kids want to believe these things are possible, live in a museum, sail a boat after only reading about it, star in a Broadway play, climb through their closet and find another world. And if they can't, they want to think that there are other kids out there who can. And why not? Why is this considered a criticism of a book? After all, isn't this part of the job fiction sets out to do?
I will say there are times a book stretches my belief too far and ceases to work for me. (Swiss Family Robinson being the worst offender I can think of.) However, I try to recognize that this may just be a personal issue and not a fatal flaw in the book itself. Hopefully that is the way I usually present it. I read fiction for many reasons, and one of those reasons is to sometimes escape the rules and strictures of the real world. I say bring on the implausible. It makes it so much more fun.
Is anyone else seeing this more lately? What are your thoughts?
The second half of that question is because I have seen this phrase used several places in regards to Holly Black's book Doll Bones. Yes, the kids do things kids typically wouldn't get away with. But when did that become a problem in a book? I am preparing to read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg with a group of 4th-6th graders, as I have done many years. Kids love this book and the implausibility of the situation is part of that love. Children want to believe they can run away from home, live in a museum, and succeed at it, only returning on their own terms. Kids want to believe these things are possible, live in a museum, sail a boat after only reading about it, star in a Broadway play, climb through their closet and find another world. And if they can't, they want to think that there are other kids out there who can. And why not? Why is this considered a criticism of a book? After all, isn't this part of the job fiction sets out to do?
I will say there are times a book stretches my belief too far and ceases to work for me. (Swiss Family Robinson being the worst offender I can think of.) However, I try to recognize that this may just be a personal issue and not a fatal flaw in the book itself. Hopefully that is the way I usually present it. I read fiction for many reasons, and one of those reasons is to sometimes escape the rules and strictures of the real world. I say bring on the implausible. It makes it so much more fun.
Is anyone else seeing this more lately? What are your thoughts?
Comments
For me, I think it depends what kind of book it is. So, for example, if a dystopia doesn't have any sort of world building whatsoever, I might declare it implausible. If it's a conceptual sort of thing where accepting a base change of reality is the whole point, then that's fine. Mrs. Basil is kind of like that; just accept that this is possible, so you can enjoy the magic of it. Or Kat Zhang's world that's like ours only each body is born with two souls.
I guess it just depends whether it feels like world building is lacking because they didn't have it or for creative purposes.
And yes to your point about accept and enjoy the magic. That is what these books are asking us to do and they are for CHILDREN, not us jaded cynical adults.
I also like your distinction between lack of world building and accepting a base change of reality. In most of the cases I'm seeing its definitely the latter. I don't think it is fair to just throw the word down as the end of the argument. You have to explain how the author failed to make it plausible to you and then tell me why that matters in assessing the book overall.
After all, in a justified, weird world (a la Francis Hardinge), weird or "implausible" behavior seems entirely in context, doesn't it?
"Too implausible" strikes me as a judgement - a personal opinion - stated as a fact. By which I mean the sentiment behind it is that the action, for whatever reason, didn't work for the reader. That might be a logical perspective if it's based on literary criteria, or an emotional reaction if the book didn't work for the reader. But it sounds too nonspecific either way.
Francis Hardinge is a great example and I think Doll Bones certainly falls in the same category.
True about the lazy generalizations. I do that at times too. Actually thinking about this has helped me a bit in that area, thinking of the terms I just toss out there with no explanation and trying not to as much.
Yes! Then I think if you are arguing that they didn't do that you need to say how they failed. Using the word can't just be it. (In the context of arguing against a book for award purposes.)
If we can't imagine the world being any different, what's the point of fiction? It's generally pretty easy to tell if a book is lacking internal logic. Just because it doesn't fit with our world doesn't mean it doesn't make sense.