Libby Sternberg | Do Women Read Books Written From a Male Point of View?
October 11, 2010
Will women’s fiction readers embrace a novel told from the male point of view?
Can a woman even write in a man’s point of view effectively? The answer to both
questions—absolutely! Two prominent examples from the recent past provide
evidence. Sara Gruen’s bestseller
Water for Elephants was
written in the first person, male point of view, the story told from the
perspective of a young man. It attracted scores of readers, many of them women.
And Marilynne
Robinson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Gilead was written in first
person from an elderly man’s perspective as he looked back on his life. Both
books, to put it mildly, did very well, proving that a good story well told is
the most important criteria for publishing success. Obviously, I’d be thrilled if my book, Sloane Hall, did even a
fraction as well as those two successes. Sloane Hall might be
inspired by Jane Eyre,
but it’s told from the male protagonist’s point of view in the first person. The
voice the reader hears throughout the book is that of John Doyle, a young Texas
reform school "graduate" who finds work as a chauffeur for a Hollywood starlet
about to make her first talking picture in 1929. I opted for this turnaround in the story—flipping the genders of the main
characters—in order to make the story seem fresh. In this way, I hoped Jane Eyre fans would feel as
if they’d never encountered the story before, and all its wonderful dramatic
moments would unfold as if new. Readers not familiar with the original,
meanwhile, will find a story of love and forgiveness, told from the hero’s point
of view. I worked hard to keep John true to the character I saw and heard in my
mind—a forthright if sometimes gruff young man. Through the many revisions
of this book, in fact, I found myself hacking away at his dialogue or thoughts,
taking out adjectives, making sentences into sentence fragments, trimming
passages, searching for the no-nonsense punch of his very male voice. I was
thrilled to receive some affirmation of my approach when this website reviewed
the book with some lovely praise. (I was also deeply touched by the reaction at
the Bronte Blog.) Women writers regularly capture the attitudes, syntax and &mquot:sound&mquot: of
their male characters—and women readers have no problem with books written
exclusively from a male point of view. So I hope publishers don’t shy away from
books written in the male point of view, falsely thinking they would have no
appeal to women readers. For more on Sloane Hall,
Jane Eyre, and old
Hollywood, please visit my blog at www.LibbysBooks.wordpress.com! My website is
www.LibbysBooks.com. At both sites, you can read the first two chapters for
free. Friend me on Facebook at Libby Sternberg. And do let me know what you
think of the book by emailing me at [email protected]. Sloane Hall is available in
hardcover and for Kindle. Sloane Hall by Libby
Sternberg
Hardcover, Five Star, September 2010, ISBN: 9781594149177
E-format, Istoria Books, October 2010
In 1920s Hollywood, young John Doyle learns the craft of cinematography when a
stupid mistake costs him his job. On a tip, he heads to Sloane Hall, the estate
of a famous silent screen actress, Pauline Sloane, where he lands a position as
chauffeur. Sloane Hall first offers him peace as he enjoys the bounty of the
luxurious home, then unrest as its beautiful namesake returns and starts
preparing for her first talking picture. Despite his best efforts to resist,
John falls hopelessly in love with his employer. His future brightens, however,
when she appears to return his affection, leading to plans for a secret
wedding—until other awful secrets intrude, leading to heartbreak and
separation. A story of obsession and forgiveness, Libby Sternberg’s Sloane Hall was inspired by
Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.
Comments
13 comments posted.
Re: Libby Sternberg | Do Women Read Books Written From a Male Point of View?
I don't feel that it matters which point of view the book is written in. The main point of the book is how well the characters mesh, and how well the story line flows. If you can get into the characters' heads, and the story flows well, the point of view doesn't really matter. Congratulations on your book!! (Peggy Roberson 8:32am October 11, 2010)
I agree with Peggy. If the story is well written and the characters dynamic, then that's all that matters. (Margay Roberge 8:54am October 11, 2010)
I just remembered a very good example of male POV that is usually on everyone's best of list: The Great Gatsby. Written in the male POV about a male protagonist. Classic. (Margay Roberge 8:55am October 11, 2010)
I like the others do not think it matters if it's a well written book. (Vickie Hightower 9:23am October 11, 2010)
It's the quality of the story line and the writing that counts, not whether it is written from a male or female POV. (Sue Farrell 11:06am October 11, 2010)
Margay, I love THE GREAT GATSBY and count it as one of my favorite books.
I hope more editors agree with this shared wisdom - that women won't shun books from a male POV! (Libby Malin 12:27pm October 11, 2010)
I agree that as long as the book is well written, I don't think it matters. I've seen women writers that use male pen names and were it not for finding out, you'd never know they were actually females. Look at all the men that write books that connect on a female basis. I think it works both ways. (Vicki Hancock 12:51pm October 11, 2010)
Quality of the writing trumps gender based POV every time. It's not like women writers live in convents and have no interactions with men; they have brothers, boyfriends, husbands, and/or sons so they are exposed to the male POV and voice. (S Tieh 5:14pm October 11, 2010)
I never notice if the point of view is written by a man or a woman. I look only for writing that connects with me. (Mary Preston 5:47pm October 11, 2010)
As long as the story is clear and precise, I don't mind whose point of view it is from. (Diane Sadler 7:24pm October 11, 2010)
Of course. Still it helps to have more than one viewpoint, but not to headhop on each page. I like when a chapter has one viewpoint or at least one side of the family's viewpoint. (Alyson Widen 8:33pm October 11, 2010)
i would think a romance novel purely from the male point of view will be very entertaining (Barbara Studer 8:54pm October 11, 2010)
I really usually like books from the womens pov, although I have read some from the mans pov that I really enjoyed. I don't usually pick those, unless there is a story line that really grabs me. (Brenda Rupp 9:49pm October 11, 2010)
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