Is it only me who feels distaste at the current crop of abusive childhood-lit?

[WideWebWitch]

With titles like "mummy don't" etc
I find it all very distasteful

Our lcal bookshop has a Survivors Lit section (far better than misery- how rude!)

I don't like it personally read the A boy Called It which my Mum lent me (bizarre if you knew my childhood but anyway)

I think the writing and publishing of them is very good therapy for some people though, so cant bring myself to say I am anti them

Yup, agree, distasteful and over-done. Except for Angela's Ashes which is A Good Book. Seem to remember Helen
Forrester's book from years ago - Tuppence to Cross the Mersey, I think, was brilliant but horrifying. Haven't read any others and don't plan to.

I must say I did get something from reading the one I did- helped me to tak to DH about my childhood, which was a Good Thing for me. And stoped me feeling like quite such a freak as I knew I wasn't the only one (although author had it far worse than me it ash to be said)

Message withdrawn

"vicarious self- pity" - If I hadn't learned to start pitying myself then I might not have recovered/might have continued believing it was my fault/might have continued pushing it away and be unable to parent my own children healthily

"Self indulgent" - I think cathartic

"attention-grabbing, distasteful, in the worst taste" - yeah it's terrible to draw attention to abuse the abuse is distasteful, glad we now talk about abuse more freely

"Voyeurism" - not if you're writing about yourself surely??

"total recall of something that happended 50 years ago" - yes, I can remember in searing detail something that happened to me when I was 4. I'm not lying, it's just true.

The titles of the books are most likely chosen by the editorial team, I actually think it's really difficult to think up a title for books like these as basically they are autobiographical but are from unknown individuals.

I'm really sad that a lot of you have described the books as distasteful because frankly I wish we talked about abuse even more openly - but then i probably have a very biased opinion as I'm a Samaritan volunteer and I regularly hear stories of horrific abuse from people who have never told anyone and who are suffering NOW, as adults.

Not self-indulgence - just people trying to cope.

I started a thread about this a while ago. We actually left WHSmiths feeling slightly grubby and sickened as every book in the top 10 seemed to be ''Donm't Tell Daddy', 'My life as a prepubecent crackhore thanks to Mother's Evil Boyfriend'' etc

MisLit it's been christened.

Lauriefairycake I know what you mean- my strongest memory by far is cowering in a corner whilst a relation beat me around the head with a vacuum cleaner. Kinda sticks with you doesn't it?

I think the initial,trailblazers of this market (And I dont really count Frank McCourt in it- his was more of a survival against the odds reminiscence from waht I recall- just seemed written in a different style) had a very important message to give out, and it is good that these books were widely read. And early authors had stories to tell- no matter whatever it is that MD thinks of Dave Peltzer, he did spend a lot of time campaigning for child abuse to be taken seriously, an important job- would that have come so well from the mouth of someone who had survived less horrific abuse? Perhaps not. And the fact his brother was STILL able to be abused un noticed is rather worthy.

I do think some of the later stuff appears to be more of a cash in- whether this si publishers accepting more though to cash in on a trend is quite possible. I also think that titles like PLease Dady Don't are too OTT- they dont give people the chance to choose not to know, some people dont want / aren't ready to know about these things (eg kids, for whom there is importance in a concept of abuse but not direct traumatic experience however vicariously gained- or other survivors simply not ready to handle it yet).

Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I do think people should be able to talk about abuse, of course I do, it's just that a lot of these books look prurient. on the surface of it (I haven't read any of them).

I think I am with you www. Not so much the content as the cover photos of tearful, pleading eyes and awful titles. It is less about a cathartic experience and more like voyeurism.

I agree with WWW, it is helpful to people to talk/write about their own experiences.

I can't understand why anyone would want to read them though. Or at any rate, read more than one? One would give you an insight (if needed) into how awful some childhoods can be.

But why would you want to read more than one? That is the bit that seems pruriant to me.

ok, read the rest of the thread now!
Cathartic for the writer- yes.
But with those pictures and titles, for the browsing public feels more like you have wandered into dodgy paedophile bookshop TBH.

No I don't understand that part of it. And whilst writing is cathartic (it is to me anyhow) writing can still be kept eprsonal, or shared with those who know you.

Not sure I'd want my name tagged as 'you know- her- with the book and the aprents- go on, you know who I mean...'

Abuse is but one of a part of a life experience, it certainly does not have to be the defining part.

MB, agree with your post.

tbh I've learnt far more about peoples experience of abusive relationships/childhoods etc on MN than if I had read a handful of those types of books.

Mumsnetters aren't making any money from their posts and aren't necessarily written with hindsight. Some posts are extremely raw.

But I also take your point Peachy and Laurie.

Shouldn't it be called HitLit?

I agree that abuse should be discussed, but not used as entertainment.
Abuse should not be sensationalised.