Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Shocking shallowness

The article, "A good book? What's that?" (Jan. 4) on the shocking shallowness pervading Britain's publishing industry is relevant in the Indian context too. Merit is rarely counted in our country while selecting a work for publishing. Same is the case when a literary work is considered for a major award. Groups and cliques have become an inseparable part of the literary scene. As the author points out, extra-literary factors such as age, gender, and looks matter a lot.

V.R. Pillai,
Thiruvananthapuram

In Britain, if the "looks" of its author are what makes a book good, imagine the state of affairs in India. In the name of competition and "marketing," the container is given more importance than the contents. Even school textbooks are hastily revised and "repackaged." The result is our children acquire faulty knowledge.

N. Nagarajan,
Hyderabad

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