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From: Steven
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 09:04:41 PST
Whoops. I hit the "send" button halfway through and sent an unfinished, jumbled up message. Please ignore that one. Here's what I really meant to say:
I thought the form of "Whirligig" does detract from the book's success as a novel. The sentence that the young man is totally baffling, except that it makes a thought provoking premise for a novel. The characters he meet seem created for the sole purpose of helping him evolve. It all works out beautifully, and the ideas are interesting, but it's hard not to be aware of the author's hand at every moment, which in my case lessened my ability to fully care and believe in the characters development. The "Hercules" parallel went right past me (are readers supposed to get that? Does it change the reading experience if you do?)
On the other hand, I just finished Louis Sachar's "Holes," which has equally unlikely events also told in more than one narrative (but I spotted no references to classical mythology), and was completely enthralled. One reason for this is that the characters and events have life and fullness beyond the plot twists and narrative tricks. I would have cared about Stanley and Zero even if their lives hadn't intersected in such wonderfully coincidental ways.
Looking back, I think that form and structure are as important in
"Holes" as it is in "Whirligig." The difference is we're not hit over the head with it from the beginning.
-------------------------------------------------------Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library 1595 Burns Streeet West Linn, OR 97068 ph: 503e6x57 fax: 503e6'46 e-mail: steven at westlinn.lib.or.us
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Received on Tue 13 Oct 1998 12:04:41 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 09:04:41 PST
Whoops. I hit the "send" button halfway through and sent an unfinished, jumbled up message. Please ignore that one. Here's what I really meant to say:
I thought the form of "Whirligig" does detract from the book's success as a novel. The sentence that the young man is totally baffling, except that it makes a thought provoking premise for a novel. The characters he meet seem created for the sole purpose of helping him evolve. It all works out beautifully, and the ideas are interesting, but it's hard not to be aware of the author's hand at every moment, which in my case lessened my ability to fully care and believe in the characters development. The "Hercules" parallel went right past me (are readers supposed to get that? Does it change the reading experience if you do?)
On the other hand, I just finished Louis Sachar's "Holes," which has equally unlikely events also told in more than one narrative (but I spotted no references to classical mythology), and was completely enthralled. One reason for this is that the characters and events have life and fullness beyond the plot twists and narrative tricks. I would have cared about Stanley and Zero even if their lives hadn't intersected in such wonderfully coincidental ways.
Looking back, I think that form and structure are as important in
"Holes" as it is in "Whirligig." The difference is we're not hit over the head with it from the beginning.
-------------------------------------------------------Steven Engelfried, West Linn Public Library 1595 Burns Streeet West Linn, OR 97068 ph: 503e6x57 fax: 503e6'46 e-mail: steven at westlinn.lib.or.us
-------------------------------------------------------
Received on Tue 13 Oct 1998 12:04:41 PM CDT
