Plagarism is a term used, abused and reused. We hear the Russian President plagarised his thesis. We hear the young writer plagarise an unpopular book. Face the truth instead of blaming a helpless teenager. If she has poured old wine in a new bottle and won laurels she needs to be appreciated. If I teach the Bible, Koran or Mahabharatha I cannot be held guilty of copying someone elses plot. In a planet of over billions can't two persons have the same thought. That the books have sold well is a testimonial to the writers ability. To sell a new story is easier then to sell a stale story. I would request one and all to stop harsh comments. The author has displayed courage to accept that portions may be similiar even when her books were doing extremely well. I think its time to put the issue to rest and look foward. Lovil
If someone gets inspired by reading something and provides a different prespective of it, then whats the big deal. I don't think many people can do that also properly. we should encourage people to be orignal but not let others down. appreciate the honesty atleast.
Kaavya may have copied the entire subject of the McCafferty's novels. It's typical bollywood style. Take something that truly inspires you from outside and create your own story based partly or wholly or differently from the original one. Kaavya is an out and out copycat and doesn't deserve the accolades.
When she retorts in the interview given to the newspaper 'The Star-Ledger' that 'nothing I read gave me the inspiration' for the Opal Mehta book thne how can she now apologises that she might have unintentionally may have copied some portions of McCafferty's novels.
This is the classic example of an unscrupulous teen who wants attention, glare, success and money at any cost.
Shame on her. Remove her books from the shelves. Let the readers who stand by originality and creativity boycott her novels.
It's a shame that a teenager who seems to be bright, a Harvard student, should have done this. More painful is her disgusting "explanation" for it that she might have "internalized" those passages that she plagiarized. I have an MFA in creative writing and am a writer myself. Nearing 40 now, I sometimes feel despair about not having published yet. I don't envy younger writers their well-deserved success--as a writer I celebrate every writer's success, young or old--but when I see someone trying to take short cuts to court publication and fame, notwithstanding writing talent, I feel he or she deserves no mercy, only justice, for his or her lack of integrity.
RE:Plagiarism Charges Against Kaavya Vishwanathan
by akanksha on Jun 27, 2006 01:06 PM Permalink
Mr. Dave I am interested in knowing from where have you done your MFA in creative writing.
We as Indians should be ashamed of this individual. She and her likes do not let go of a single opportunity to assert their superiority over us, underpriviledged, resident Indians and this is the reputation they earn for the country. While immigrants from a neighbouring nation are doing their country proud as killers of innocents. Products of our own nation do not seem to have made a bad start as .. do I need to use the word?
It has been very disappointing to know the whole chapter. Though its never beeen wrong to get inspired from somebody else work, it may be in music,books or in any other field. But at the same time we should recognise, acknowledge or take permission from the original writer before taking some of his lines/passages into your own creation. I think this is what Varuvya needed to do.
