Losing patience with Fall on Your Knees at the 1/4 point of 500-some pages, which is a really yeeeeergghy place to lose patience as I already have a bit of a commitment to it. Sort of like breaking up after you've met their really nice parents. There has just been an orgy of violence, death, and incest that has left me disgusted, dislocated, and disgruntled.
Disgusted, because it was gross, and the casual approach to the incest was the grossest of all. Dislocated, because it was such a sudden shift from the style of the book to date that I feel like my relationship with all the characters snapped. Okay, all the events that happened were the natural conclusion of events that had happened previously, including a very non-casual build up to the casual incest. The story hasn't betrayed me. But this sudden jump from linear narration to record-skipping between revolting and disturbing scene upon revolting and disturbing scene just feels wrong and I don't know who I'm reading about anymore. Not least because character's characters have slipped by the waysides. The final days of Materia especially left me totally unconvinced that MacDonald wasn't just using her cast cynically and unfaithfully as a way to deliver us a steaming platter of blood and guts.
Finally, disgruntled, because as I was going through the gross bit my mind flashed back to the balls MacDonald had had in bringing in Wuthering Heights in the opening aphorism or whatever you call it when people quote someone else's book or a poem right before starting a chapter (five shiny new Euros to anyone who can tell me the name for that device - Americans, that can buy you a house, so I really want to you try on this one). Because Wuthering Heights also had a mid-point orgy of violence as Cathy died of brain fever - or was it from her child? - as Hindley died of a rotten liver - or was it at Heathcliff's hand? - as a pregnant Isabella Linton ran for her life across the moor with a headwound, and as all the other icky, creepy suggestions stayed with us from earlier in the book (Cathy and Heathcliff were raised brother and sister! and what is this Heathcliff anyways?)
But you know what? In that whole sequence, the only blood we saw was Isabella's, which she was remarkably light-hearted about. The only account we had of Cathy's death was a comforting second-hand narrative within a second-hand narrative. And Hindley - his death is practically reported to us as hearsay. What's more the whole nasty episode came out seemingly in a linear fashion, though not really, since we heard about events as Nelly learned about them or told them, and not as they happened. Good god, that book is well-told. Maybe the best ever.
My point is - little blood, no guts. And roughly one million times more effective than the blood and guts in Fall on Your Knees. Okay, fine, we can't all be Emily Brontë. But you know, don't evoke Emily Brontë and then give me V.C. Andrews with better sentence structure.
Anyways, Melbine and Dale, I know you've both read the book already, so advise me about whether or not I should continue and if it gets better. After an unbearably twee two page chapter with italic fonts and little flowery decorations and declarations about the things we mutter while we're fucking our first love, MacDonald has just switched gears to Frances, Mercedes and Lily, and I have to say so far I'm really not caring. Does it pick up if you stick with it?
6 commenti:
I read it a long time ago and was supposed to read it again during my MA but decided it was a scheduled holiday from reading because I didn't want to invest the emotion in reading it again. I think that you are at the worst part but that it gets better and doesn't really stay there. Anyways, I remember that I was surprised at who in the class said they enjoyed it. It would be a shame to throw it away now - especially since you read so quickly. You can then make your own opinion about it. Anne Marie MacDonald is very talented at what she does though I do wish she would stay away from the molesting children themes. But I think the book moves away from the father and into how the children adjust and that is interesting.
Oh yes, it certainly picks up if you stick with it. Sugarplum is right, the girls are definitely the most interesting part of the book. As I said yesterday, MacDonald is not an easy author to read. But you'll benefit from finishing the book...if you ask me...
Alright, I'll plug along awhile longer. It can't be any bigger a waste of time than the last two seasons of The Sopranos.
By the way, a quote opening and setting the theme of a chapter is called an epigraph. Five shiny new Euros from my left pocket to my right.
Now that you mention it. I knew that. I'm too lazy to search the corners of my mind for words that escape me. I have an interview on Monday where I have to be bilingual for the first time in YEARS. I had better clean those corners out. But, I must ask, do I want a job where I have to proofread French?! We'll see.
Watch a couple Vincent Cassel movies, you'll be fine. If foul-mouthed.
I'm with your other commenters Mistress, stick with it and I think you'll be glad you did. If not, I can't wait to hear about it!
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