An eloquent post with which I agree almost entirely.
I will note that I don't have a problem with people analyzing
the
"carpentry" of anyone's writing, and in fact I think such
analysis can be productive of more than just nice papers. It
can help the reader appreciate what's going on in a book, and
presumably can help other writers improve their craft as
well.
My note on Macdonald's similes was not intended as that kind
of analysis. I did find them a little offputting at first,
before he won my "sympathy" and I began to appreciate his
writing better. Others have noted that they were put off by
Macdonald's style, and this seemed relevant.
Stephen Burridge
On 8/21/07, Jacques Debierue <
matrxtech@yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
<rara-avis-l%40yahoogroups.com>,
> "Stephen Burridge"
> <stephen.burridge@...> wrote:
> >
> > Macdonald's way with similes can seem forced
and excessive at times.
> > I believe this is a common
criticism.
>
> Perhaps, but reading older literature requires an
adjustment. And
> there is no real positive evolution of style but
something different:
> changes in discourse, different mechanisms of
mediation between the
> written word and what goes on in the head of the
reader, changes in
> the perception of time, etc. You could say that
Shakespeare's
> metaphors and jokes seem forced at times, you could
say that he is
> wordy, etc. You could say that Dickens should have
used the scissors
> instead of pouring on so much stuff into any one
novel. You could say
> all that but their works wouldn't change.
>
> What I'm aiming at is that any writer needs the
sympathy of the
> reader. Bad writers don't do a very good job of
getting such sympathy,
> but the good ones usually do. Which is why
Shakespeare can hook you,
> and why Ross Macdonald can hook you. If you choose
to look at the
> carpentry of his writing, you could end up with a
nice paper, but
> that's several steps removed from the experience of
reading.
>
> Best,
>
> mrt
>
>
>
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