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Martin in the Middle


Phylum of Alexandria

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On the Unpopular Opinion thread, I saw this contribution from a commenter:

"ASOIAF is not "serious literature".  It is lurid, over-the-top fiction.  It should have as many bizarre twists, fake identifies, and silly surprises as possible."

It's an opinion of course, but I do think GRRM takes his writing seriously, and so should we.

However, I would also argue that GRRM's work is neither highbrow nor lowbrow. He is resolutely a middlebrow author who makes passionately middlebrow works.

The term "middlebrow" isn't so popular now, and even when it was more popular, it was often used in a derogatory sense, i.e., "merely" middlebrow (and let's not even get into the silly and creepy eugenic origins of the whole "brow" metric). But generally speaking, middlebrow speaks to the efforts of the middle class to better themselves through education and culture. As opposed to highbrow culture, which is typically used to define the boundaries separating the elites versus the masses, middlebrow culture is targeted to the masses. Yet as opposed to lowbrow culture, it seeks to challenge and inspire the masses rather than simply entertain them. Most middlebrow art is entertaining, but has a more serious dimension to it as well.

George R. R. Martin is a bookish dreamer who was raised in a blue collar port town in New Jersey. He is the epitome of middlebrow aspirations. He is equally passionate about Stan Lee and Shakespeare. That duality feeds into his work. Most of his oeuvre can be thought of as "serious takes on unserious genres." He's in good company with such an approach, plenty of others have done it or are doing it, from Alan Moore, to Joss Whedon, to Osamu Tezuka. In all of these examples there is usually some humor, some self-awareness as a genre piece, some good old fashioned entertainment, and also some more serious, or challenging, or experimental dimensions to the stories.

This is all to say that, yes, we should expect some bizarre twists, fake identities, and silly surprises, at least sometimes, within ASOIAF. Martin knows the tropes of the genres he's blending up, and sometimes he outright has some fun with his new take. Let there be unicorns!

But ultimately, the story does have a grander purpose than all that, a higher ambition. The beats may feel as entertaining as Conan or The Fantastic Four, but he's also trying to be the Shakespeare of our time. The story may sometimes feel like misery porn, but GRRM is trying to craft a truly inspiring heroic narrative for the modern age, one that effectively and honestly addresses the darkness that plagues human societies, one that can shake us from our cynicism and give a little meaning to our lives, even in the bleakest of moments.

We won't always agree with the execution of a given scene or arc, especially given the constant blending of highbrow and lowbrow considerations, but still, let's all raise our glasses of moderately priced local wine to this man and his tremendous efforts. This is a man who is not only trying to entertain us, but trying to make better generations of humans with his piece of entertainment. That's a huge undertaking, and a commendable effort, no matter how it unfolds.

Cheers!

 

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28 minutes ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

“Middlebrow” reminds me of Michael Malice’s term, “midwit” (quite the character, that one).

Yes, in its derogatory forms, it is rather close to that usage. I remember reading something by Susan Jacoby (The Age of American Unreason, maybe?) that tried to reclaim the idea as an aspiration.

As someone with a somewhat similar upbringing as GRRM's, I am all for praising the aspiration, whatever term is used.

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2 minutes ago, Phylum of Alexandria said:

Yes, in its derogatory forms, it is rather close to that usage. I remember reading something by Susan Jacoby (The Age of American Unreason, maybe?) that tried to reclaim the idea as an aspiration.

As someone with a somewhat similar upbringing as GRRM's, I am all for praising the aspiration, whatever term is used.

I had some relatives living in Bayonne when I first started reading ASOIAF, so that was exciting.

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4 minutes ago, Phylum of Alexandria said:

 

I haven't been to Bayonne, but after reading The Stone City, I don't ever want to go!

It’s got character. Big immigrant population—Irish, Polish, Puerto Rican. Definitely working class. It’s right across the water from Manhattan.

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2 minutes ago, The Bard of Banefort said:

It’s got character. Big immigrant population—Irish, Polish, Puerto Rican. Definitely working class. It’s right across the water from Manhattan.

I'm sure it's changed quite a bit since GRRM lived there. I actually lived in Guttenberg NJ a few years back, which is only a few miles away. Nice place, a good deal cheaper and more peaceful than NYC.

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What's amusing is the commenter who described Martin's saga as "unserious" would probably see Shakespear as "highbrow," a common perspective with modern elite gaurdians of literature. In fact, Shakespear was decidedly middlebrow, with sexual inuendo, dirty jokes, and puns aplenty for the unwashed masses, with social commentary and political support (propaganda for Queen Elizabeth) for the highbrow people.

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55 minutes ago, HoodedCrow said:

I’ve been to NYC. It’s fantastic. 

I worked in Manhattan for a time and...it's not for me. Too overwhelming, too crowded. But it remains a great place to visit.

57 minutes ago, HoodedCrow said:

From what I’ve read, Q Elizabeth the First liked dirty jokes. The Elizabethans were not Victorians. The Puritans wanted it thus, and the Catholics wanted a different thus. 

I think you might be right. Still, I think @Nathan Stark's general point stands about how earlier popular works get rebranded as highbrow over time. My guess is that even GRRM probably thinks of Shakespeare as highbrow, though I can't say for sure.

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Martin's short stories prior to a song of ice and fire have been weird and something of an acquired taste.  I guess he wanted to write something which appeals to the mainstream.  Being a niche author is good for art but best sellers are better on the pocket book.  We have to wait to see if this story will stand the test of time. 

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