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A Northern Light
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From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:29:38 +0000
You make some great points, KT.
I agree with you that the then/now structure introduces tension as the mind strives to anticipate how the character will get from point A to point B. I guess it's just that Donnelly did such a good job of making me like Mattie and presenting her dilemma in the then sections that I had already invested emotionally in her future and really didn't need the now sections to serve that function.
I really do like this type of then/now narrative structure and in thinking of books that used it more successfully from my point of view (thinking of POSTCARDS FROM NO MAN'S LAND by Aidan Chambers from a couple years ago and NOTHING TO LOSE by Alex Flinn from this spring, just off the top of my head), what I really appreciate is the balance between the two narratives, how when I'm reading in the past, I want to be in the present, and vice versa. In contrast, when I read A NORTHERN LIGHT, I always wanted to be in the past, and as a result the narratives felt very lopsided to me, and led me to wonder how they served the story.
I like your suggestion about unfulfilled promises. There was an interesting discussion of ANL on a smaller listserv last year which drew some interesting comparisons between the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series and A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN. I wonder if any here see the similarities.
Jonathan
_________________________________________________________________ Dream of owning a home? Find out how in the First-time Home Buying Guide. http://special.msn.com/home/firsthome.armx
Received on Thu 26 Feb 2004 08:29:38 PM CST
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 02:29:38 +0000
You make some great points, KT.
I agree with you that the then/now structure introduces tension as the mind strives to anticipate how the character will get from point A to point B. I guess it's just that Donnelly did such a good job of making me like Mattie and presenting her dilemma in the then sections that I had already invested emotionally in her future and really didn't need the now sections to serve that function.
I really do like this type of then/now narrative structure and in thinking of books that used it more successfully from my point of view (thinking of POSTCARDS FROM NO MAN'S LAND by Aidan Chambers from a couple years ago and NOTHING TO LOSE by Alex Flinn from this spring, just off the top of my head), what I really appreciate is the balance between the two narratives, how when I'm reading in the past, I want to be in the present, and vice versa. In contrast, when I read A NORTHERN LIGHT, I always wanted to be in the past, and as a result the narratives felt very lopsided to me, and led me to wonder how they served the story.
I like your suggestion about unfulfilled promises. There was an interesting discussion of ANL on a smaller listserv last year which drew some interesting comparisons between the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES series and A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN. I wonder if any here see the similarities.
Jonathan
_________________________________________________________________ Dream of owning a home? Find out how in the First-time Home Buying Guide. http://special.msn.com/home/firsthome.armx
Received on Thu 26 Feb 2004 08:29:38 PM CST
