I recently finished reading a book called, "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life". Never heard of it? Not surprising, since the book was pulled out of stores when the author was sued for plagiarism. Not for plagiarizing actual paragraphs, but for using similar concepts and phrasing as the Megan McCarthy, the author of "Sloppy Firsts" and "Second Helpings".
This seems ridiculous to me. In a world filled with millions upon millions of published books, let alone unfinished manuscripts and novels, it is inevitable that you will come upon someone who has had the same idea as you. Magazines and various newspaper have accused Kaavya Viswanathan of copying passages from authors like Meg McCafferty, Tanuja Desai Hidier, Salman Rushdie, and Meg Cabot. I'm sure that tons of books out there have ideas in their books that are similar to ones in other previously published books. So why did everyone make such a big deal about this particular author and this particular book? Some people think it is because of Kaavya Viswanathan's success. Her book was headed towards the New York Time's Bestseller List. Dreamworks had bought the movie rights. Little, Brown and Company had signed a 2-book deal with her for an advance sum of what was reported to be at least $500,000. As a 17-year old (at the time) Harvard student, that is quite a success. And success inspires jealousy.
As an Indian American myself, and as a fan of books written from the viewpoint of American-born Indians with Indian born parents, I would have liked to believe that Kaavya Viswanathan was innocent. However, I had read the Megan McCafferty books before, and had also loved them. I was ultimately convinced by the articles The Harvard Crimson had published, citing many passages that were disappointingly similar to Megan McCafferty's works. Here is an example
It's really to sad to think that Kaavya Viswanathan's entire career was ruined, because of a stupid mistake, that is, if it was intentional. She claims that she loved Megan McCafferty's books when she younger, and "didn't realize how much she must have internalized her words". But plagiarized or not, I still enjoyed reading the book. While her second book deal was canceled, I hope that she can overcome the stigma she has gained and continue her writing career.
This seems ridiculous to me. In a world filled with millions upon millions of published books, let alone unfinished manuscripts and novels, it is inevitable that you will come upon someone who has had the same idea as you. Magazines and various newspaper have accused Kaavya Viswanathan of copying passages from authors like Meg McCafferty, Tanuja Desai Hidier, Salman Rushdie, and Meg Cabot. I'm sure that tons of books out there have ideas in their books that are similar to ones in other previously published books. So why did everyone make such a big deal about this particular author and this particular book? Some people think it is because of Kaavya Viswanathan's success. Her book was headed towards the New York Time's Bestseller List. Dreamworks had bought the movie rights. Little, Brown and Company had signed a 2-book deal with her for an advance sum of what was reported to be at least $500,000. As a 17-year old (at the time) Harvard student, that is quite a success. And success inspires jealousy.
As an Indian American myself, and as a fan of books written from the viewpoint of American-born Indians with Indian born parents, I would have liked to believe that Kaavya Viswanathan was innocent. However, I had read the Megan McCafferty books before, and had also loved them. I was ultimately convinced by the articles The Harvard Crimson had published, citing many passages that were disappointingly similar to Megan McCafferty's works. Here is an example
| McCafferty's book | Viswanathan's novel |
| page 7: "Bridget is my age and lives across the street. For the first twelve years of my life, these qualifications were all I needed in a best friend. But that was before Bridget's braces came off and her boyfriend Burke got on, before Hope and I met in our seventh grade Honors classes." | page 14: "Priscilla was my age and lived two blocks away. For the first fifteen years of my life, those were the only qualifications I needed in a best friend. We had bonded over our mutual fascination with the abacus in a playgroup for gifted kids. But that was before freshman year, when Priscilla's glasses came off, and the first in a long string of boyfriends got on." |
It's really to sad to think that Kaavya Viswanathan's entire career was ruined, because of a stupid mistake, that is, if it was intentional. She claims that she loved Megan McCafferty's books when she younger, and "didn't realize how much she must have internalized her words". But plagiarized or not, I still enjoyed reading the book. While her second book deal was canceled, I hope that she can overcome the stigma she has gained and continue her writing career.
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