Petite Anglaise, by Catherine Sanderson, is not a crime novel, but it earns a mention here because it’s the first book about blogging that I have read. The author is a Brit who moved to France, found a French partner, had a baby, and then started a blog which became very successful and changed her life.
It’s clear she was dissatisfied with her relationship, and before long her blog attracted comments from ‘Jim in Rennes’ with whom she struck up an email correspondence. When they met in person, she fell for him big style. An affair followed and she left her partner. But Jim proved not to be into commitment and she was left literally holding the baby.
You can interpret this story in a number of ways – not just about the perils of blogging! The author struck me as a slightly self-absorbed person, but I must say she does write really well and entertainingly. I’m not surprised her blog was a success and her book is very readable.
There’s a big difference, though, about that type of blog, which focuses on the writer’s life in a manner similar to a reality tv show, and a blog like this, which focuses on a shared interest, namely crime fact and fiction. Any blog reveals something of the personality of its author, and that is fine, but I am not convinced that turning one’s life into a soap opera via a blog is a great move. Don’t worry, dear readers – I shall continue to spare you most of the quotidian details of my life away from the world of crime!
Saturday, 25 September 2010
Petite Anglaise
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3 comments:
I think with people like this, who have a high profile blog and then get some kind of writing contract out of it, are just lucky. I don't think they are better or worse writers than we are (I am) I think they just fell into the cow poop sooner for putting themselves out there for all the world to see. Personally I don't hang any of my laundry on my blog, dirty or not.
I plan on attracting attention the old fashioned way. Begging.
Martin - You really raise a fascinating point! How much personal information do we share, and how much do we focus elsewhere. I think personally that the most interesting and successful blogs are those which have a theme (in your case, crime fiction) and stay focused on that theme. Where personal details are relevant, I don't mind them, but with a theme and a focus, the blog maintains its quality better in my opinion.
Good points; thank you.
And I like the begging line, PW!
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