But Helena Read, librarian at Cotelands school in Linconshire, said: "The bottom line is getting the pupils to read, whether it's a newspaper, comic novel or magazine. In an ideal world, I would love it if the pupils came into my library and requested some of the classics, but the fact of the matter is that pupils today are living in a different world."
She added that pupils are more interested in Japanese comics rather than literary greats. "Kids love action and adventure," Miss Read said. "They want books that excite them and are current. They love fantasy. The books for nowadays are Manga, the Japanese comic books that you read from back to front."
The librarian went on to say that the classics were "unattractive". She said: "I think they are unappealing to youngsters and you've got to fit them into your school bag."
Coming from a librarian--and one named "Ms. Read," no less!--these comments seem appalling. Since when do we judge literary merit by whether or not a book appears attractive or happens to fit nicely in a bookbag?
Reading this reminds me of the magazine Bible trend of a few years back (Revolve; Becoming; etc.), when publishers started repackaging the Bible, stripping off the staid, black leather cover and replacing it with a jacket designed to pass as a fashion magazine, a la Seventeen or Cosmo.
I like eye candy as much as the next person, but the idea that we must "makeover" texts--whether they be Great Expectations or The Greatest Story Ever Told--in order to make them enticing enough to read seems absurd.
So how much is too much when it comes to tinkering with texts to appeal to readers?
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