RE: RARA-AVIS: JDM's "All These Condemned" and literary devices

From: Mark Sullivan (DJ-Anonyme@webtv.net)
Date: 19 Aug 2010

  • Next message: jacquesdebierue: "Re: RARA-AVIS: JDM's "All These Condemned" and literary devices"

    Geoff Ryman did a similar thing in 253, where he devotes two pages to each of the 253 passengers in a subway train, I guess that should be the tube, as it's set in London's Underground, that is about to crash. Mark

    > To: rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com
    > From: craigsbookclub@yahoo.com
    > Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:32:59 -0700
    > Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: JDM's "All These Condemned" and literary devices
    >
    > MacDonald's Cry Hard, Cry Fast tells the stories of all the participants in a
    > multi-car crash. Each early chapter introduces us to the passengers of a single
    > car and ends with their entry into the pileup, whereupon the next chapter starts
    > over with another car. The accident is their connecting point. The later
    > chapters then continue to tell the aftermath, but with more interweaving of
    > characters.
    >
    > The early chapters are like little self-contained short stories, and they really
    > showcase MacDonald's skill at creating believable individuals.
    >
    > Craig Clarke
    > http://somebodydies.blogspot.com
    >
    >
    >
    > >
    > >From: Harry Joseph Lerner <harry.joseph.lerner@mail.mcgill.ca>
    > >To: "rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com" <rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com>
    > >Sent: Thu, August 19, 2010 9:52:19 AM
    > >Subject: RARA-AVIS: JDM's "All These Condemned" and literary devices
    > >
    > >
    > >Hello All,
    > >
    > >The other day it occurred to me that it might be interesting to write an article
    > >
    > >about JDM's use of multiple narrators to convey the same series of events from
    > >multiple perspectives in "All These Condemned" in terms of its effectiveness as
    >
    > >a literary device. Is it indeed effective or simply confusing? Actually, this
    >
    > >is something that has been simmering at the back of my mind for a while, but I
    > >recently picked up a copy of JDM's "The Beach Girls", which, unlike most of his
    >
    > >books, has a table of contents with all but the last three chapters labelled
    > >with the names of characters. I haven't read this book yet, but my first
    > >impression (and I could be way off here) is that it may make for an interesting
    >
    > >comparison with "All These Condemned."
    > >
    > >What I would like to ask of all of you is for any recommendations of other
    > >examples of multiple narrators/perspectives a la "All These Condemned", that
    > >would be useful reading for my proposed article.
    > >
    > >Thanks in advance!
    > >
    > >Best,
    > >Harry
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    > ------------------------------------
    >
    > RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
    > Yahoo! Groups Links
    >
    >
    >
                                                   

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