The characters may not be culturally diverse, but the stories have variety, parameters including length (3 to 21 pages), how plot- or character-driven they are, how invasive the narrator is, how much visual detail about the characters is provided, and how intelligent/literate the main character is. The most common story structure is an alternation between remembrance and observation - for example the main character in 'Between Two Shores' thinks back to his wife and lover while drinking on a night-ferry, watching women. Several of the main characters think about a friend or relative who has recently died. "St Paul Could Hit the Nail on the Head" is my favorite because of the amount of revealing description. I wasn't so keen on the 3-4 page pieces, and towards the end of the book the stories fade.
No comments:
Post a Comment