4 ms·
I’m not opposed to sharing an author’s unpublished works after death because their is value in allowing certain readers access. But after reading Douglas Adam’
by sjansen 5y ago
I’m not opposed to sharing an author’s unpublished works after death because their is value in allowing certain readers access.
But after reading Douglas Adam’s, I’m personally hesitant to read unpublished item from any other authors. After finishing The Salmon of Doubt I felt vaguely embarrassed, like I’d barged into his house and found him relaxing on the couch in his boxers. I’m a fan, not a scholar, and there were reasons he wasn’t ready to share the material yet.
- ghaff 5y agoAre there any truly great posthumous novels other than maybe ones that were in essentially a final polish edit state? Hemingway's True at First Light wasn't bad but by Hemingway standards pretty so so.
- handrous 5y agoAusten's Persuasion is easily my favorite of her novels, and I believe it's understood to have been not just a polish-edit away from ready for publication, but one or two content and punch-up passes, too (which reveals to me that I probably don't really like the stuff she added to her other books in that stage).
- vidarh 5y agoI liked A Salmon of Doubt. If he'd published it himself in that state, I'd have found it embarrassing. But as a posthumous memorial that I knew from the outset would be unpolished, it was fine and a bit sad knowing it's never be finished. I think comes down to how well you're able to keep focus on that what you're reading is unfinished, and enjoying the glimpse of something raw.
- iggldiggl 5y ago> ...there were reasons he wasn’t ready to share the material yet. Not saying that the parts of the story that have been published might not have needed some additional polish, too, but wouldn't the major reason simply be the fact that the whole thing wasn't yet finished as in "the story just stops mid-way"?