Friday, June 21, 2013
The real beginning
Hope kc doesn't mind if I post a question — I've been trying to keep this component fresh in my mind — I love the calamitous way so many storylines combine into this final, and very simple, decision by Mr. M to throw two ballots into the trash. I've been trying to piece together what the beginning was, really. Although it's a story largely told in order, with some ominous reflections from Mr. M and Tracy at the start, a lot of the catalysts are off-camera. It's not a "whose fault" question, per se, but to go back and pick out a beginning, the characters spend little time engrossed in those developments. And I thought what an interesting thing for the author to do, to play around with the timeline, the reflections and the characters we don't hear from (Jack!) who are so essential to the events that unfold.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Oh, great observation. It is a really interesting beginning, where we come in midstream and have to figure out with whom we sympathize. Mr. M's voice was the first one and the last one and probably the most dominant one throughout the book, so I felt a strong pull toward him. It's weird how I sympathized almost immediately with his desire to take Tracy down a notch, without fully understanding his grudge against her!
Yes, fascinating! I think this shows how adept Perrotta is at crafting these stories and maneuvering the reader's emotions. It works perfectly. And it seems to work hand-in-glove with the changing perspectives. Each voice gives us just enough to know what happened, plus a hint about how we should feel about it.
Post a Comment