Miles:
<<Truth to tell, I find Burke's style confusing at
times, and I would say that he would serve his readers better
by shortening up just bit. But then, who am I to criticize?
He sells lots of books and I don't. There must be a
reason.>>
Burke has created strong, durable characters. That maybe why
people go back to his series. His descriptions of weather,
vegetation and the local scene are often repetitive -- at
least, I have the feeling of having read them in a previous
book of his series.
I find Burke at his best in stories like The Convict, where
every word serves a purpose and one can feel and smell each
scene.
In the long sentences of Conrad, one cannot take anything out
without subtracting meaning. That is not the same as being
long-winded.
Faulkner's many astonishingly long and convoluted sentences
create a hypnotic effect, the effect of following somebody's
thinking or somebody telling the story without an outline.
It's effective writing, strong writing. Short sentences
wouldn't to to tell the same thing. His writing is always
self-assured. If you trust that he knows what's going on, you
can continue reading and unravel the story. And what
fascinating stories he told...
Best,
MrT
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