The day is not done
Just thinking some more about books...
The thing I've come to know about myself is that I esteem character development above almost all other qualities in a novel. I don't know why this is other than that people fascinate, astound, and amaze me...constantly. You never know what you will get with people and a well-crafted character takes you beyond yourself...beyond simply my observations/perceptions/beliefs/judgments about you. A well-crafted character can become me (in a first person view), interact with me when I would suspend the relationship in real life (2nd person POV), and give me insight into motivations I otherwise would never know (omniscient).
What is it that you love about books?
posted by Marjorie at
7/09/2007 05:37:00 PM
5 Comments:
Well-crafted characters are a must for me. If I'm going to invest time in a book, I have to be intrigued by the characters. (Notice I didn't say I have to like them, but it helps.)
Your examples bring up the idea of the narrator's voice. One novelist said the most critical element to a novel's success was a narrative voice the reader could trust. If I want to hear more from this character (or omniscient narrator, as the case may be), I'm usually hooked on the book. Of course, some narrators are unreliable, but they have to be believable at first for that trick to work!
Finally, I look for deft use of language. Not so much showy, overwritten prose stuffed with metaphors--just writing that makes me think,"Yes, that's how that is/looks/feels." Really good dialogue covers a multitude of plot sins, as far as I'm concerned, too!
I must admit that I am not a literature connoisseur, an info snob, or a dweller of damp, musty libraries.
However, I do enjoy reading; I just don't do enough of it. Why? My life is crazy, hectic - which is why it is easy for me to identify what I love about books.
It is not the knowledge, characters, or form that draw me; rather it is the escape.
Whatever I read, be it blogs, articles, newspapers, reports, books or texts, I find myself in a parallel timezone as the world slows its spinning and pauses to allow me to catch my breath. This cherished moment of solitude, of personal time, of clarity, is a rare commodity for me - it is possibly the major reason why I read.
I know that it isn't the intellectual answer that some may have, but it is honestly what I long for and truly love.
Alison and Ellen:
Maybe I hopelessly relate everything to books I'm currently reading, but what you've both shared reminds me so much of Cervantes' prologue to Don Quixote. First, regarding the narrator. No matter how much difficulty I have completing a reading of Don Q (and I do have severe difficulty), I am suckered by his likening of the book to his child...I trust his authenticity and am therefore incapable of putting him down when the going gets tough. Secondly, his other concern is that his work is not "intellectual" enough and will thus be disregarded or disparaged. He perseveres because he knows his work to be "simple and guileless." Good advice to us all from both Ellen and Miguel! I encourage everyone to read the prologue to Donkey Otay at your own risk!
Character development is one of my favorites too, but, and tell me if I'm weird, but I love the feeling I get after reading the last line of a great book. I can't really put my finger on it, but there's something . . . sublime about it.
Marjorie,
Okay, so I'm just a humbe piano player inching my little toe outside my realm into one where I feel hesitant to comment, but I LOVE books, too! Can't have enough of them! I love them because I feel like I'm living in two worlds at once - the one in the book and my own. This may be a fault, but I also feel as though I can escape with a book.
Ann
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