Madeleine McCann: Selling Books And Fact As Fiction
MADDIE WATCH - Anorak’s at-a-glance guide to press coverage of Madeleine McCann, Kate McCann and Gerry McCann
WHILE the tabloids splash news of Madeleine McCann – our Maddy/ Maddie – on their front pages, spinning the single thread story into a news sensation, the Guardian uses the missing child as a touchstone for arty matters.
Just recently Madeleine has been in Edinburgh for the performing arts festival, and not. Like last year.
Today John Morton muses: “Can fiction tell the truth?”
Can fiction be fact? Anyone care to help Mr Morton before he gives this too much thought?
Many novelists have sought to dramatise the blurring of real life with drama, but this could obscure as much as it explains.
But novels are just a list of facts, right? Our man in the know is considering Kate Summerscale’s recent Samuel Johnson prizewinning book The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.
Summerscale’s book is at least in part an attempt to demonstrate that media frenzy over child abductions is not a new phenomenon (as the book concerns the abduction of a child, the parallels with today are clear - witness the fevered reaction to the disappearance in 2002 of two young girls in Soham, and the near-constant speculation over the fate of Madeline McCann).]
Can journalists ever blur fiction with fact? Discuss…
Posted: 15th, August 2008 | In: Broadsheets, Madeleine McCann Comments (566) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
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August 16th, 2008 at 4:24 am
Very quiet, appears to have been a busy day though.
August 16th, 2008 at 1:39 am
Oh I HATE you!
I said “If I can’t figure it out” so that’s why I suggested an alternative.
But I figured it out
Now it’s up to you.
Nite nite
August 16th, 2008 at 1:30 am
You of all people misunderstood what I meant by “gotcha”? Phew!
Now go have a drink and a ciggie and after that get some sleep.
Really really gone now, mrT…..
August 16th, 2008 at 1:25 am
No probs!
Will keep a check!
August 16th, 2008 at 1:23 am
No the one you mentioned
August 16th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Won’t go on the 3 stuff! Too scared!
August 16th, 2008 at 1:20 am
Gotcha go and find me!
August 16th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Looks like everybody’s going to get some sleep?
Well me too.
Night all John Boy Sue Ellen whomever.
Carefull if you smoke in bed afterwards
August 16th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Châtelaine re your post at August 15th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
So what’s the point of making that remark about them smiling when leaving the church? Because you haven’t seen people smile weeks after a funeral, does that make it wrong or even suspicious? And yes I’ve seen the photo. Did you ever had a look at perceptual Ambiguity? Did you really read what Pat Brown wrote about bias? “We all carry around our own preconceived ideas and opinions on issues of small and large importance whether we consciously realize it or not.”
You can’t be sure if there’s no evidence that would serve in court, because you [we] don’t have really access to the evidence, and the case hasn’t been to court. The AG didn’t say “not enough evidence” nor did he say “no evidence that would serve in court” he’s said “not having obtained evidence of the practice of any crime by the defendants.”
I will change my mind when I see proof/evidence and they’re charged and convicted. So far the opposite occurs. In fact, I would even be sort of “happy” if they found evidence of parental involvement, because it means
a) she didn’t suffer as awful as I don’t even want to imagine and
b) because there’s no criminal still on the loose who’s able to hurt or even kill another child.
On the other hand, I wouldn’t be “happy” thinking of the twins, the family, the friends, the people who’ve helped them/donated to the fund.
I agree the debate is interesting [well sometimes] but do you think that where a whole team of experienced investigators with full knowledge of the place, the persons, the evidence, etc. failed, we would succeed? Sorry, I don’t think so. We don’t know who’s been investigated, and most people over here concentrate on the parents or other people of who’s existence we know. There’s lots of people of whom we don’t know anything. Who stayed at the complex? Who lives in PdL? Did they [the police] knock on these 400+ doors, or did they search the houses? What appartments did they search? Did they check the closets and when? We’ve seen pictures and [biased] stories in the papers. That’s it!
I do have some reasons to doubt Amaral. Which I won’t explain over here.
I could blame the parents for their selfish behaviour that [most probably] caused their daughter’s harm. I could also blame the person in charge of the initial investigation for … better not say that.
Goodnight to you too Châtelaine.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:31 am
secret Says:
August 16th, 2008 at 12:25 am
Chateleine
You really need to read the posts as you will not understand otherwise.
As you most obviously dont
***
I Do read, Secret, but from your post now understand that I didn’t understand… Well, that can happen.
I do suggest, though, that you take you argument where it should be, which is with the Moderators, not here.
I’ve got to know all Moderators to be intelligent, well-educated, honest, fair and dedicated to this site and its cause. If this can be solved, they will.
Good night.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Merci pour les bisous Châtelaine. Un gros bisou to you.
No word for “bisou” in English, so I can’t translate.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:24 am
Marie Nicholas Says:
August 16th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Châtelaine
I agree with Peter Mac too on that important point . What do the files say about it? Are there records about the changing versions?
Time for bed. Bonne nuit. XXXX
****
I’ll try and check files available tomorrow morning.
Nice to see we agree again
Bonne nuit 2u2, Marie.
You allow me “bisous”?
August 16th, 2008 at 12:20 am
O.K. Of course, I shouldn’t get into this. But … since curiosity is my middle name:
- Secret = Fair?
- She tried to post under someone else’s name as a joke?
- this caused “problems” of some sorts?
- and she’s surprised about that?
- she thinks that Artemis, Carmen and June as moderatos failed to react in a correct way?
- she thinks that there is only one decent moderator?
- what happened to the other 2?
August 16th, 2008 at 12:19 am
M and A
That was foolish if she did really did that. Surely it was meant as a joke? I recall she tried it and failed [also a couple of days ago] and I told her it was impossible unless she’s got the username as well as the email address. I forgot about the IP address.
But as it’s your site, and it’s your decision, so it’s up to you to decide.
And please don’t get mad at me, as I like the ‘free speech’ approach of Anorak.
August 16th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Châtelaine
I agree with Peter Mac too on that important point . What do the files say about it? Are there records about the changing versions?
Time for bed. Bonne nuit. XXXX
August 16th, 2008 at 12:18 am
Secretin
August 16th, 2008 at 12:14 am
secret
August 16th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Apart from that, Marie, I think I agree with PeterMac: the apartment was NOT unlocked…
August 16th, 2008 at 12:01 am
Marie Nicholas Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Châtelaine,
Sad to say, but do you think many people would let their children spend a few days holiday with them, knowing that they leave them at the creche morning and afternoon, don’t share their evening meal with them most of the time, and leave them alone to cry at night in an unlocked appartment?
***
No, I don’t.
But, don’t forget: “It was our holiday too” …
August 15th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Châtelaine,
Sad to say, but do you think many people would let their children spend a few days holiday with them, knowing that they leave them at the creche morning and afternoon, don’t share their evening meal with them most of the time, and leave them alone to cry at night in an unlocked appartment?
August 15th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
Marie Nicholas Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
I wouldn’t have liked them for parents.
****
Do we then say: “poor twins”?
Ouch …
August 15th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Secret-Fair
Then, we still need you on the forum, to fight injustice.
Once you both have explained yourselves, you’ll feel better.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
Marie Nicholas Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Sam,
i see
‘ I wouldn’t have liked them for parents.’
no, me neither.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
Totje Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
T: I guess you haven’t been invited at my fathers funeral, is it?
****
C: No need to. As I wrote, I’ve been to funerals with lots of laughter, to say the least. But that’s really only at the funeral. Not weeks later.
****
T: Serious now, I refuse to judge people because they do things I wouldn’t do [except for murderers, thieves etc.]. We all react different to things.
****
C: I don’t judge people on being “different” neither.
****
T: IMO it wasn’t their real and ‘happy’ smile. To me it was more as a grim smile. May be they felt comforted in their grief by the caring and warm people around them.
***
C: Are you sure you’ve seen the photo???
***
T: I want real and solid [scientific] proof. There isn’t any [yet].
Untill then I won’t change my mind.
***
C: There’s obviously no evidence that would serve in court. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t doubt certain aspects of this case.
***
T: I guess you won’t change your mind either.
***
C: I always change my mind/ideas for a better one. And I’m not ashamed of that.
***
T: So what’s the use of this?
****
C: The debate, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Because we will not accept that a little girls can disappear and she will not be found, dead or alive, and the guilty one[s] will walk free.
****
T: I [still] trust Rebelo and his team as well as the AG.
They haven’t obtained evidence of the practice of any crime by them.
No more 3 arguido’s.
***
C: I have no reason to doubt Paulo Rebelo and his team. I have no reason neither to doubt Gonçalo Amaral.
There has been a crime of some sort and it hasn’t been solved yet.
And, indeed 3 arguido statuses have been lifted.
Good night, Totje
August 15th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
grim smiles upon leaving church ? it’s hard to say.
http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00351/F_200708_August16ed_351468a.jpg
August 15th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Marie N
I hate injustice in any form. No matter to whom. (yes even it were the Mc’s!)
That is probably my reason for spending (wasting?) so much of my time on this forum!
Thank you for being you. Don’t ever change!
August 15th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Sam,
What I mean is the normal reaction is wanting to grieve, and not wanting to turn your mind off it, by amusing yourself, playing, drinking etc… Their reaction seems strange to me, as it probably seemed to most people. Anyway, I find them callous with their children for leaving them at night on their own. I wouldn’t have liked them for parents.
August 15th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
With all due respect, Fair did have some trouble to post a couple of days ago.
Duncan knows, he suggested her to change her name.
Even when she renamed herself as Fair1 she got stuck in the spam filter.
M and A
With even more respect Fair succeeded in posting as another live poster, and that is what caused the problem - although she got caught up in Mods as the user name IP and email clashed
August 15th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Maravilha
You’d better watch out then:
1. never take your child[ren] to Belgium
2. quit smoking
3. beware of posters accusing you of xenophobia or discrimination
August 15th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Marie Nicholas Says:
August 15th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
‘It is not only a loss. It is the worry, the anguish of not being able to defend the child.
Khaled says they were right to play tennis and to jog (he reminds me of Ferdinand, the way he thinks). It is not a question of right or wrong according to me.
Though not religious, I find a lot of truth in a line about what we call “The slaughter of the innocents”, (when Herod had all the small children killed for fear of losing his throne). The sentence is : “The mothers cry and they don’t want to be comforted”. It depicts the early stage of mourning strikingly, when we try to overcome the deprivation by constantly keeping the missing one in mind.’
i am sorry i am not sure i understand your post, are you saying that such can bee seen as a normal reaction ?
August 15th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Châtelaine [..] “But I have never seen grieving people, just days/weeks after their enormous loss, coming out of a church, cheering and laughing, as if they just came from a wedding or something!”
I guess you haven’t been invited at my fathers funeral, is it?
Serious now, I refuse to judge people because they do things I wouldn’t do [except for murderers, thieves etc.]. We all react different to things.
IMO it wasn’t their real and ‘happy’ smile. To me it was more as a grim smile. May be they felt comforted in their grief by the caring and warm people around them.
I want real and solid [scientific] proof. There isn’t any [yet].
Untill then I won’t change my mind.
I guess you won’t change your mind either.
So what’s the use of this?
I [still] trust Rebelo and his team as well as the AG.
They haven’t obtained evidence of the practice of any crime by them.
No more 3 arguido’s.