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Oct. 13th, 2008 11:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsI read Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian in a day. It's an amazing book, for three main reasons:
1.) Possibly most importantly, it depicts the complexity and awfulness of the reservation situation without giving any answers, because there aren't any answers to give. Arnold/Junior is a hero for braving the white, middle-class school at the same time that he is a traitor for leaving the reservation and his people behind. It's constantly a both, not an either-or.
2. Like Larklight - yes, I know, this is an odd choice of comparison, but hear me out! - it hugely benefits from illustrations to capture the tone and feel of the story. Junior's comics add as much to his characterization as the text.
3. Again like Larklight, the tone of the first-person voice pretty much makes the book. I know a lot of people have problems with first-person narration, and when it's badly done it can be awful, but I actually find myself more and more appreciative of well-done first-person novels these days. Having a fallible, flawed, unique voice tell me the story gets me immediately involved in the character and in what's happening, and I love when there's a balance between what the character believes or chooses to tell you and what you can infer around the edges. (I also, predictably, love snarky narration.) It works especially well for me in YA books, because using a voice is a great way to do complex themes and keep it YA in feel - The Homeward Bounders and Bloody Jack are a few more examples of books where this really works for me.
Anyway, I am curious now about what you guys think about the first person in books and stories now - both as readers and as writers, as many many of you are. So: bookpoll!
[Poll #1277800]
1.) Possibly most importantly, it depicts the complexity and awfulness of the reservation situation without giving any answers, because there aren't any answers to give. Arnold/Junior is a hero for braving the white, middle-class school at the same time that he is a traitor for leaving the reservation and his people behind. It's constantly a both, not an either-or.
2. Like Larklight - yes, I know, this is an odd choice of comparison, but hear me out! - it hugely benefits from illustrations to capture the tone and feel of the story. Junior's comics add as much to his characterization as the text.
3. Again like Larklight, the tone of the first-person voice pretty much makes the book. I know a lot of people have problems with first-person narration, and when it's badly done it can be awful, but I actually find myself more and more appreciative of well-done first-person novels these days. Having a fallible, flawed, unique voice tell me the story gets me immediately involved in the character and in what's happening, and I love when there's a balance between what the character believes or chooses to tell you and what you can infer around the edges. (I also, predictably, love snarky narration.) It works especially well for me in YA books, because using a voice is a great way to do complex themes and keep it YA in feel - The Homeward Bounders and Bloody Jack are a few more examples of books where this really works for me.
Anyway, I am curious now about what you guys think about the first person in books and stories now - both as readers and as writers, as many many of you are. So: bookpoll!
[Poll #1277800]
no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 04:34 pm (UTC)I tend to not read it too much but every once in a while I'll pick up something with first person.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 04:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 07:48 pm (UTC)I've read some really eh first person stuff in some mysteries, a new series I found set in a winery. They're all first person and they're alright.
Also I just remembered, a while ago I read a book by Emma Bull called Finder set in Bordertown. I liked it but what was strange was that it was first person and the character was supposed to be a man yet I just kept having to check when mention of maleness happened. She's a good author but her male first person just didn't really work so I kept being confused.
Have you ever had that mistaken identity in a series? Where you're told what the narrator is supposed to be but it just doesn't work.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 08:01 pm (UTC)Also, I am thinking back to the first-person narrator of The Crystal Cave, and although the book was decent in its own right, I couldn't seem to get any personality out of the narrative voice. I didn't feel it was contradictory really, just . . . not individual.