Oprah: Welcome to the show Robert Cormier. Today we will be talking about your books and your writing.Robert Cormier: Glad to be here.
Oprah: So, Robert, your book "Fade" has a very intriguing plot on the subjects of incest, sexual harrasment, and crime. What inspired you to write a book like this?
Robert Cormier: Well, that's a very good question. I viewed this commonwealth as a nation filled with unmoral and unethical cases, things that are happening all over the world . I wanted to create a character that is able to witness the situations in our society unmolested, sort of like a fly on the wall. This gave me the idea for the character Paul, a child who can become invisible, where he can, in lack of a better word, spy on normal people who are intent on doing sinful things. It shows how his life changes after he views these occasions, and he questions himself and society on how these things can be happening.
Oprah: That certainly is very interesting. So what kind of books do you usually write and what type of audience do your books attract?
Robert Cormier: Usually, the books that I write have something to do with problems in society. A lot of people think my books are pessimistic and dark, and that the protaganist in the stories never have a happy ending, but I try to express my own thoughts and opinions on the topic. As for the audiences? The readers are mostly teens who are concerned with the subjects I write about [abuse, mental illness, violence], although I am slowly getting adult audiences as well. The majority of my readers are still young men and women, but these books are reasonable for people of all ages.
Oprah: Yes, I thought it was a great book myself. It is a bit on the fairy tale side, but in a way it is also a reflection of modern day society. So what made you write it in the first person?
Robert Cormier: Writing in the first person and having the main character being the narrator makes the story more realistic in my opinion. It gives the readers a closer relationship with the character, since everything is in their opinion and point of view.
Oprah: I quite agree with that. It seemed like Paul was right next to me while I was reading. Anyways, what is the voice of the narrator, Paul, throughout the book?
Robert Cormier: Paul has always been a charming and innocent boy, and despises crime intensely. I would say that his voice is somewhat shy and reserved, and afraid to speak out against people. When he falls in love with his aunt Rosanne, his narration shows his true feelings towards her, although he is deathly afraid of telling her the truth, feeling it to be wrong and afraid of her showing contempt towards him. Paul's voice, the narration, is always passionate and
caring, showing his amorous emotions towards love, while showing disgust at unmoral actions.
Oprah: That is an extremely deep narration for the book. By the way, I believe there has been a lot of controversy on your books. Can you tell us a little about that?
Robert Cormier: Yes, there definitely has been a lot of debate on the legality of my books. The Chocolate War has been challenged in many areas because of its sexual content and depiction of secret societies, and I believe has been banned by countless schools and libraries. I wanted to mainly show people the truth of the society in this modern world, and how we are not living in the ideal place that everyone believes we are living in. I know that this issue will always be debated, but I am merely just voicing an opinion.
Oprah: Thank you very much Robert for coming to our show. Robert Cormier Everyone!!!
Robert Cormier: Thank you for having me.
interview
Good job. You were able to describe the voice of your book through the words of the author. It was very interesting to read the authors opinion's on not only this book and but all his. The interview had a very good flow and it was easy to read. The picture of the author was a nice touch. Overall great job Johnny!
ReplyDeleteI liked this interview. The information is detailed and it gives you a good feel of the book. It sounds like a real interview between the author and Oprah. If I didn't know better I would think that is was real. X3
ReplyDeleteThis was a very informative blog, and I thought it was very realistic. It sounds real. I mean, I don't know how Oprah talks or anything but this sounds like how I'd imagine she would. It was easy and fast to read but also took care of all of the parts of the prompt. I like yours more than mine...
ReplyDeleteJohnny, I did read this blog and commented on it... I must have not gotten the security word thing in and therefore lost the comments. THanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteSo, here is what I probably would have said --
The response to Oprah's first question is right on and well said. Curious if there might be a passage to help illustrate this "fly on the wall" quality. Furthermore, when you talk about qualities of the narration, an example would again be helpful.
23/25