That’s one of the two essays linked in the last paragraph! DFW is an excellent critic.

The age-based essentialism is not without consequences.

I read quite a lot of books widely viewed as “for children”. And have noticed that (with a few exceptions, such as the Alice books) publishers seem to have a lot less respect for the textual integrity of books they regard as “children’s” than those they perceive as aimed at an adult market. Old “children’s books”, when reprinted in recent years, are very often abridged, censored or otherwise changed.

By “otherwise changed” I have in mind such things as updating pre-decimal money.

Currently, I’m reading Noel Streatfeild books, and previous experience has led me to seek early editions of these, rather modern paperbacks. Just now, a slightly scruffy first edition (1944) of “Curtain Up” rests by my bedside.

On a gut feeling about these writers, I have read not a word of Roth, Updike or Mailer. I’m rather pleased to see my gut feeling confirmed.

The big irony for me when I read about the Booker row is that my mum is the biggest Roth fan I’ve ever met! She owns everything he’s done and raves about The Human Stain.

Which doesn’t mean he isn’t very …mantastic. But Calill’s aren’t down to some innate womanly inability to enjoy him, that’s for sure. The suggestion in the press to that effect is bizarre.

I’ve often considered what makes a “believable” male or female character in the works of my favourite authors. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s realistic motivations and emotional responses regardless of gender; it’s how the characters deal with those that matters.

But my opinion is probably invalid as I only read “trashy” fantasy books and never read anything “worthwhile” anyway.

(those quote marks are there for a reason)

Yeah.

It’s funny. Sebastian Faulks has an army of fawning fans who say things like “you write women SO believably!”

Which may be true, but the implications of it – in both directions, as you say – make me cringe.

Certainly there are modes of behaviour that are socially acceptable for men and for women, and a writer could observe these. But surely that takes one only halfway to a believable character anyway.