I just finished reading Pictures of Hollis Woods, a Newbery Honor Book from 2003, and it felt important from page one. But what makes a book important? Is it simply writing that evokes an emotional response? Or is it a story that creates an accurate picture of some aspect of the human condition? Or is it a work that causes the reader to make a change?
What makes a book important is highly subjective. The same story will touch different readers in different ways. Holes did not feel highly significant to me. An entertaining tale full of poetic justice, yes, but important? Not for me.
Writing a fiction book with a message that matters also seems like a tightrope act. With a well balanced act, the reader would not be able to look away, but would be unaware that they were learning anything. Too heavy on one side and it becomes a lecture that you wish had ended ten minutes ago. Too heavy on the other and it becomes a farce.
Could I write something important? Do I even want to? Hmmmm.
If you could write something important, what would be your message? If that's too personal, tell me about a book you have read that made a difference to you.
