Comments on: A Sidelong Glance at the Content Business

By: Steve Newman

Steve Newman — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:28:42 +0000

I think many writers – either before or after they became writers – make mistakes, mistakes often born out of the very best of intentions, out of a misplaced innocence. One only has to think of HG Wells, who was a great supporter of Hitler in the early days: but not too early to have not been aware of Hitler’s plans for the Jews. The same is true of DH Lawrence, who held pretty strong fascist views in his latter years. They both remained great writers.

Leo Kessler (Charles Whiting) makes the point again and again in his novels that young men in war invariably fight for each other, and not always for their politcal leaders. That was certainly true of the German Army (and the SS in the latter stages of WWII, which was an organization made up of all sorts of odd balls by then), who fought for their homeland (as we all would), and in the end themselves and the future of their families – it’s what you do – and not for the Nazi regime, even though they had supported it, and were wholly culpable in its barbarous actions. And that’s the theme that runs through all of Grass’ work.

If only he’d had the courage to say he’d been in the SS. But that’s easy, too easy, for me to say.

By: John Evans

John Evans — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 20:03:32 +0000

Disagree, Clive.

By: Clive

Clive — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 17:50:54 +0000

Actually, many authors have extremely debatable moral values. Whereas torturers and muderers rarely have literary pretensions. And to judge Grass’ membership of the Waffen SS as having any bearing on his morals is somewhat naif – he was 15 and too young to get into the army; the SS took them younger. Grass’ political record since the war is overwhelmingly leftist – to the point that I have to disown his political views. But that doesn’t stop me from recognising him as the best writer of the 20th Century. Some people can write and the vast majority can’t; but political opinion has nothing to do with it.

By: John Evans

John Evans — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:48:21 +0000

I do like authors I read to have some sense of moral values, Clive. Torturers and vicious killers don’t generally write anything life-enhancing. Most of history’s monsters wrote nothing of value, including Hitler, Mao, Stalin, Saddam and the rest. Those who opposed them, however, like Solzhenitsyn and Dostoievsky, are the real angels.

By: Clive

Clive — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:37:30 +0000

John: I couldn’t care if Grass was Hitler’s Alsatian – he still writes like an angel.

Steve: I haven’t read Grass’ “My Century” as yet – been out of the loop for a while. But I’ll get to it…

As for Salinger, he obviously takes being a recluse seriously. Actually, I’m not that far from him now – perhaps I should pay him a visit.