Crossover Literature - Essay Example

CROSSOVER LITERATURE of Crossover literature refers to the kind of literature that is written and produced for children but whose audience expands to include the adults. This genre of literature presents the reader with different kinds of writing which include realism and fantasy. This genre of literature has been in existence over a long period of time. In recent times however, writers have continued to write in this genre which has led to an increase in its popularity. One can therefore say that crossover literature is an old phenomenon that has received renewed attention and has gained increased prominence in the literary world. Most of the crossover literature that is available has been written in the post World War 2. The crossover literature has become a trend that has been on the increase. This means that there are an increasing number of authors who seek to produce work that can be read by audiences that are not limited by age. Crossover fiction is different from children’s fiction by the virtue of being different in the way it is structures and the experiences that are explored. Children’s literature is set in such a way that it captures the children’s imaginations by exploring the world as a child would understand it. Writing that is intended for children has conditions that it must fulfill to capture the imaginations of the children. Such conditions however do not apply to adult’s fiction or to crossover fiction (Mills 2006, p.157). Most of the crossover literature continues to nourish the minds and the imaginations of the children and are captivating to the young adult audience. The adults are however also able to enjoy these books because they can derive many different layers of meaning from the plot of the books. The books are written in such a way that the author continues to consider the central or the major importance of book. In the crossover literature, writers create characters that transverse the different volumes of their work. An example of such a writer who has created characters that have been found in the different volumes of her work is J.K Rowling and her Harry Potter series of books. The Harry Potter character together with the other characters that are found in her work remains consistent throughout her works making it easy for both the children and the adult readership to identify with her. The genre of crossover literature continues to show that the age distinction in deciding the themes and the characters of a given work can be irrelevant. The success of the Harry Potter series of books which include ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ can be said to have marked the beginning of the revival of the crossover literature. It is indeed estimated that the book sold more copies than any other book within the span of a year. The books in the crossover genre have therefore risen to be contenders of many literary awards (Beckett 2009, p. 1). Despite the repeated assertions that crossover fiction is a new trend, it is seen that crossover fiction can be traced to a period of decades ago. The genre of crossover fiction is traced to the book ‘Alice’s adventures in wonderland’ which was first published in 1865 by Carroll Lewis. The book has experienced immense success in both the children and the adult audiences. Several editions of the book have been published and the book still continues to be popular. This is despite the fact that the book is mainly categorized among the children’s canon of literature. In creating crossover literature, it is also possible for the different writers to use characters from literature that have gone on to cross to the public domain. The characters that are in the public domain do not require the author or writer to seek copyright in order to use them. These characters have wide audiences that include both children and adults. This makes it easier for the writer to create crossover literature as the readers will identify with the characters that he has used in his work. Examples of a character that has crossed over to the public domain and is therefore regularly used by writers include Sherlock Holmes. Characters whose copyrights have expired can also be used to create this genre of crossover literature. It is also possible for an author to create a work of literature with children as the target audience and have the same work be read and enjoyed by adult audiences. In crossover literature, it is common to find that a child or a teenager is the main character. When a child is the main character in the work of literature, it usually allows the audience to follow him as he grows, and they can therefore share his life experiences. A young character is also mainly preferred as the main character in the book as it allows the author more room to make the character take interesting adventures and make more dramatic changes in the course of his development as opposed to an older character. In previous years, it was thought that for a book to be successful, it must be targeted towards a specific audience. Age was one of the main factors that were to be put into consideration when deciding the target audience of a specific book. This is because it was expected that people in different age groups have different interests and they would therefore be expected to enjoy different kinds of literature. This was especially the case in making the comparison between children and adult audiences as opposed to different sets of adults. This is because the emotional, social, and intellectual gap between the children and the adults is much bigger than the one that exists between adults of different ages. Books that are written for children and those written for adults are different in the sense that those that are written for children have simple themes and are written in a simple style. Those written for adults are however more complex in their style and in the themes that they explore. This however does not mean that adult audiences would not enjoy the books that are written in a simple style. In recent times, there has been an increase in the number of books that are marketed as children’s books, but target readers across all age groups. This enables the audience of child readers and adult readers to share the experience of reading a particular work of literature even if they are likely to derive different meanings from the work. The crossover literature has continued to take different forms. In the previous years, the literature was limited to fairy tales. This was the main kind of literature that was enjoyed by both the children and the adult audiences. A clear example of this is the book ‘Alice’s adventures in wonderland’. This fairly tale has been enjoyed by people across all generations. In recent times however, the trend has changed to include many different kinds of literature. At present, crossover literature is characterized by different factors. This includes the inclusion or the blending of aspects of literature that would be enjoyed by both adults and children audiences. These aspects include themes. By exploring themes that are relevant to people across the different ages, an author is able to ensure that his work is relevant to both the children and to the adult audiences. The point of view from which the story is told is also an important factor in the determination of whether a book will achieve readership across the different generations. This is because the point of view from which a story is written usually has an effect on the effect that the work will have on the reader. Another aspect that has an effect on whether a book will experience success across the different generations is the structure that the book takes. The way that an author chooses to present his work usually has an effect on the reaction that the readers will have towards the work. The characters and the style that the author uses in his book also attracts different readers and it may cause the book to attract both children and adult audiences. As earlier stated, the popularity and knowledge of the crossover genre of books was marked by the introduction of the Harry Potter series of books. While the books were initially thought to target child audiences, they (the books) experienced immense success with the adult readership. This can partially be attributed to the literary brilliance that is said to be contained in the book. This proved that books written for children could become popular among the adult audiences (Falconer 2009, p. 15). The success of the Harry Potter series of books is said to have had the effect of stimulating the children’s publishing. This has come to be known as the ‘Potter effect.’ Following the success, many authors have adopted the style and technique of writing that will inspire and attract both the children and the adult audiences. The influence of the Harry Potter series also meant that there were fewer authors that wrote to target the younger children between the ages of 0-6 years old. This is because it harder for literature that is written to target that age bracket to appeal to older audiences. The style of writing in the Harry Potter series also inspired the different writers to adopt a different style of writing fiction. The crossover writers were able to incorporate a blend of fantasy fiction and realism that is edgy in their children’s books. This has enabled the books to experience success within the adult audiences. The Harry Potter books which include Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban have a storyline that ensures that the reader, whether he is a child or an adult is completely captivated by the story. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban meets the need of both the child and the adult reader by ensuring that it of high quality and that the characters therein who include Harry Potter, Professor Lupin. Hagrid, Snape, Voldemort, among others. The book also has a plot that is exciting to any reader. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban among other books in the Harry Potter series also fits into the genre of crossover literature as it invokes in the mind of the reader spectacular visual images of the plot. The Harry Potter books have in fact all been translated and adapted for the screen. The way that the themes and the events in the books are illustrates increases the book’s appeal. It is easy for any reader to identify with the endearing characters that J. K. Rowling’s has built and continued to develop in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. It is also important to note that part of the reason that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban continues to appeal to audiences across the different age groups is the fact that it follows the typical journey of a hero but has different deviations in the plot. The hero (Harry Potter) also has deep philosophical questions and issues that he is expected to resolve and face. This makes the plot exciting and interesting to read. The book is also interesting in the way that the plot is woven together. While it begins as on a lighter note, the book’s plot ‘darkens’ as it develops. The ability in the book to grow from a lighter note to explore darker themes and adventures is one of the qualities that make the book a success among audiences of different ages. The book therefore remains relevant and attractive to the different people who are interested in fantasy literature (Falconer 2009 pp 44). Another book that qualifies to be in the crossover genre is the book ‘The lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.’ According to a survey that was carried out by the BBC Magazine-Parenting, The lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was found to be the most popular book for parents to share with their children (Falconer 2009, p. 155). In the book, the reality is fused with the magical world of children when they discover a secret passage that leads into a magical world. In the book, four siblings who have been sent to love in the country with Professor Kirke in the world war period begin to explore their surroundings which leads to a discovery of a whole new world of experiences for them. When they get to know of the experiences that are to be had in the wardrobe, the children are eager to experience the adventure. Their encounters in the magical world referred to as Narnia is are detailed in the book which increases the popularity of the book among both the children and the adults. The cover of the book also helps in increasing the fascination with the book among audiences of different ages. The cover is the image of the head of a lion gazing at the reader. The content of the book is also appealing in that for the child, it presents a world of magical possibilities while for the adults; it is attractive because of the sense of adventure that it portrays. The slow pace of the book also attracts the older audiences. It is also important to note that most of the crossover literature refers to literature that was intended for children’s audiences but that has experienced success among the adult readers. It is very rare to find literature that was intended for adults’ crossing over and appealing to children (Nel and Paul 201, p. 59). In most cases, literature that crosses over from adults to children is referred to as classic literature while the literature that crosses over from children to adults is referred to as popular. Most of the crossover literature mainly contains works of fiction and fantasy as it is the genre that is most likely to appeal to people across different generations. Crossover literature can therefore be said to have been in existence for a long while but has only recently been defined and attention paid to the genre because of the increase in its popularity. Despite the assertions by some critics of crossover literature that the rise in the genre has been brought about by the ‘dumbing down’ of the adult audience, it is evident that the genre continues to grow and the number of adults that read literature that was initially intended for children continue to increase. The popularity of crossover literature can be attributed to the tendency to celebrate youth within the society. It can also be attributed by the increase in the reading culture among people of different generations. The rise in the popularity of the crossover literature can be seen as an indication of the growing popularity of literature among the entire population irrespective of their age. References Beckett, S 2011, Crossover Fiction: Global and Historical Perspectives, Oxon, Taylor and Francis. Carroll, L 2008, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Oxford, Oxford Classics. Falconer, R 2009, The Crossover Novel: Contemporary Childrens Fiction and its Adult Readership, Oxon, Taylor and Francis Falconer, R 2009, The crossover novel: contemporary childrens fiction and its adult readership, Oxon, Taylor and Francis. Lewis, C 1990, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. London: HarperCollins. Mills, P 2006, The Routledge creative writing coursebook, Oxon, Taylor and Francis. Nel, P., Paul L., Keywords for childrens literature, New York, NYU Press. Rowling, J. K., 1997, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. London: Bloomsbury. Read More