Coming back to the title of this post, do sex stories or tales with sexual innuendos sell? Of course they do! Think Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon. In the 1980s and 1990s, such novels were in vogue. Since the advent of the internet, however, with the click of a mouse at particular websites, one can access all kinds of saucy, erotic tales por gratis too! So do sex stories still sell? Not as much as in the past - over-exposure to such pornographic material can numb one to the excitement of reading about one's sexual exploits, regardless of how explicit these can be.
Today, some Asian newspapers and online news portals announced the release of a new memoir by Janet Chew, a Singaporean ex-stewardess, saucily called "The Mile Hi! Club".
According to Frank Chee of The New Straits Times (Singapore),
The new book, whose title puns on the term 'mile high club', which refers to people who have had sex on a plane, tells of crew members making out with passengers in aircraft toilets and walking around without underwear.Having attended a few writers' conferences and workshops, including the one held by Oscar Hijuelos (author of the Pultizer Prize Winning novel Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love - Antonio Banderas' first movie "The Mambo Kings" was based on this book), I know that it is not that easy to find a book publisher, especially in Malaysia. Even if one succeeds in doing so, the marketing strategy for that book could either pave the way to success or ensure that it remains covered with dust in some obscure bookshop. At the same time, not that many are willing to fork out money to publish their own book because it is definitely a big risk!
But the book written by Janet Chew also brings to light the more mundane, unglamorous aspects of the job, such as one occasion when she had to clean up after an elderly passenger who fell sick and soiled his underwear, pants and shoes.
"This is part and parcel of my job, this is what we have to do," she explains.
She admits The Mile Hi! Club's cheeky title is meant to attract readers and is not filled from cover to cover with juicy details of high-altitude sex romps.
"The 'Hi!' is representative of the famous smile we have," she clarifies.
"Episodes like the sexual romps do not happen very often. I wanted to keep the book true and didn't want it to be over-dramatic. It's not meant to be about the sleaze.
"Many people have misconceptions about cabin crew, that we are materialistic high-class waiters and the funny antics that that they think go on among us.
"So this is a good opportunity to open their eyes," says Chew, 35, who quit flying last year to take care of her five-year-old son.
The Mile Hi! Club is not the first book written by an ex-stewardess about the profession. There are at least 10 others before it, including The Sky Is Crazy: Tales From A Trolley Dolly by Malaysian Yvonne Lee, which was published in 2005.
Chew spent six months working on her book, which is based on her 13 years as a flight stewardess.
The first-time writer, who declines to name the airline she worked for, forked out about S$10,000 to design and publish 3,000 copies of the book, which is sold on her blog and in bookstores.
Are there good writers in Asia? Of course. Take a look around and one can see many brilliant writers such as Antares, Kee Thuan Chye, Penangite Tan Twan Eng (whose book "The Gift of Rain" was nominated for the Man Booker Prize 2007), Tash Aw (whose book "The Harmomy Silk Factory" won the 2005 Whitbread First Novel Award, 2005 Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Novel and longlisted for the 2005 Man Booker Prize) and many other writers.
But the sad fact is this - there are not that many readers who would go for literary gems; in fact many do not read...as discussed in my post TO READ OR NOT TO READ. Many of us live such fast paced lives that we want to read instant stories, juicy tales, political scandals but to consider serious fiction, *sigh*...few would take that path...
So dear reader, if you have not been reading much lately, I would encourage you to read a book ...a good one to start with is my favorite - Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie which you can read online por gratis at THIS LINK.
Have a good evening, dear reader...may your life be filled with wonderful, life enriching literary gems!
Chahya :)
Juicy story eh? As the saying goes, don't judge a book by its cover...
The author understands very well that such title would attract people to get her book like magnet.
People in Malaysia like saucy, salacious, and controversial stories so much that the are programmes on TV that thrives on such content.
I found the Melodi programme on TV3 appalling, the reporter likewise. There's nothing good that came out of it after watching, only bad vibes, knowing how others have 'failed' or 'blundered' in their lives, and feeling a lot of pity for them who've become the laughing stock of many.
Malaysia has yet to have good shows like Oprah, who does talk about the 'failures' and 'blunders' that people have gone thru, but highlights on how they cope, and learn, so the masses could take heed and learn as well.
When it comes to controversies, this 'syndrome' does not only apply in Msia, but also in other parts of the world. It's a plague, just like the swine flu, which has yet to be treated with vaccines...don't you think so Paula?
:)