I was absolutely appaled by the ending comments on this book.I listened to the book on cd at the end of the book the author made comments regarding how smokers should spontaneously combust about giving people cancer!!! I lost my husband to brain cancer the actual book doesnt actually condone it but the author thought it would be great to be able to do so! I have never bothered posting to a site such as this but this absolutely was the most incensing insensitive pompass statement I have ever heard. I hope that the author has his own bought with the same.
Posted by belfryview (Member # 9610) on :
Quoted from the author the perfect solution would be if one every 10,000 cigarettes they would suddenly erupt in flame and cause the person smoking it to spontaneously combust then smoking would become a spectator sport! This man is sick..
Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
Are you talking about the book Card wrote? Please elaborate more.
[ July 27, 2006, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: B34N ]
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
But if people knew that smoking enough cigarettes would eventually kill them (from spontaneous combustion), surely the sensible thing to do would be to quit smoking right away. So it certainly wouldn't be an issue since no one would be fool enough to keep indulging in something that could some day kill them. Posted by B34N (Member # 9597) on :
I think some people would still probably keep smoking anyway. I have heard of people who have cacer or other life threatening illnesses who keep smoking after they find out. It all depends on the person, but your right I am pretty sure that most sensible people would definitely quit smoking.
Is the Card book really that bad, I haven't read it but it doesn't sound like his writing, but then again I have only read the enderverse stuff and haven't branched out yet.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
That was actually my tongue-in-cheek commentary on smokers, since as you said, people do know that smoking may kill them and they do continue to smoke regardless.
Posted by Joldo (Member # 6991) on :
Which book is this out of? I haven't heard it.
And honestly, yeah, I think it's a tongue-in-cheek comment, too. It's just a bit snarky, and not at all tasteless.
Posted by Jay (Member # 5786) on :
quote:Originally posted by belfryview: Quoted from the author the perfect solution would be if one every 10,000 cigarettes they would suddenly erupt in flame and cause the person smoking it to spontaneously combust then smoking would become a spectator sport! This man is sick..
First off he’s telling a story. Next off he didn’t say this was something he wanted, but was making a point about the nature of people. You might have taken this a bit wrong. I still need to get out my copy to see what you’re all upset at, but it certainly seems that you’ve gone a bit on the deep end over it.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
I'm not familiar with whatever writing you are referring to, belfryview, but let me say that (from what I've seen people get upset about before here on forums) - it appears that many times readers get confused between what a character in a story thinks/feels, as opposed to what the author thinks/feels.
If it is fiction, don't assume the story character in any way reflects how the author feels. Can you give us more information on what you're reading?
FG
Posted by JennaDean (Member # 8816) on :
quote:If it is fiction, don't assume the story character in any way reflects how the author feels.
ESPECIALLY if it was written by Mr. Card! He's very good at writing points of view opposite to his own in such a way that they still sound convincing.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
The thread starter said that the remark is in the afterword. But since no one here seems to have read it, we can't really tell if she's misinterpreting the context.
In any case, it sounds like the remark was meant to suggest that the world could do with fewer smokers giving people cancer from second hand smoke. While the point is obviously being exaggerated by suggesting that smokers should spontaneously combust, I don't see why someone who lost her husband to cancer would be against the idea of protecting people from it.
Posted by DDDaysh (Member # 9499) on :
and as a mother of a child with severe asthma, I'm all for the combustion idea.... Ok, maybe that's a little strong, but I don't think they take it seriously yet that they're a health risk for others. Most people feel like smoking should be a freedom we can't touch. I feel that smoking up "public" air is like getting behind a wheel intoxicated, it creates a public risk.
Posted by neo-dragon (Member # 7168) on :
I wish the thread starter would come back and elaborate on her position. I'm really not sure why she's so upset.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
There were those commercials about how smoking kills one in three of its "customers" a few years back.
But I know how it is to have a great big sore spot around the death of a family member. I remember how much I hated Sleepless in Seattle, for reasons that are difficult for me to comprehend. It was just too soon after the death, and the aftertaste still makes the movie not worth it for me.
Posted by Orson Scott Card (Member # 209) on :
Oh, take a joke.
I didn't say I wished for anybody to get cancer. I said that occasional spontaneous combustion would be more effective at getting people to stop smoking than cancer, since we all know smoking promotes cancer and yet people still do it. But since spontaneous combustion doesn't actually happen, clearly I am not calling for a serious program! I was expressing my disgust at the rudeness of smokers back in the mid-80s.
apparently I wasn't the only one, since in the years since then public smoking has been banned practically everywhere.
I'm sorry for the original poster's grief over loss of her husband. But she should still keep perspective and make sure she's not grossly misreading somebody's comments before she goes off about them.
Posted by Lupus (Member # 6516) on :
the curse of being famous...you get yelled at for a comment you made 16 years ago (at least I believe that is when the original book was published).
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