The Mad Stork!!
So... the recent reality of me being behind on my reading with a looming deadline prompted a frenzy of dedicated page-turning between monday and tonight. And I have to say that while it has been stressful trying to slog through it, it has also been a rewarding experience, especially now that the book is beginning to develop some hint of a story arc, which is comforting to find in novels. I have an interesting feeling where I am somewhat fond of the book right now but its progression hints that it will get better and I am looking forward to when it 'gets better.' And I have even looked past this getting better to the end, where I hope to be a little disappointed that this monster of a book I have taken on has been a sort of thrilling, peculiar adventure.
Enough about that, and on to the reading. I am finding the debate between Steeply and Marathe to become more interesting, and it gets to the point where one character makes a point and I think "wow that is a good point, there is no real argument against that" and the other character responds and I think "well... that was actually a valid counterpoint." Like I agree with Marathe when he asserts that the weakness of falling so easily for a deadly entertainment shows that the american people are not actually free, and are in fact already essentially dead. But I also Steeply's statement that "There are no choices without personal freedom.. these are just the hazards of being free" also seems to ring true for me. This small scene between a wheelchair assassin and a secret agent dressed in drag is actually a very exciting and potent debate, with each side having valid compelling arguments.
My favorite parts of the book so far have been at the tennis academy, which is probably because they are the most simply written and for the most part they clearly indicate a sequence of events, also they are characters close to my age and while I am not at a rigorous tennis academy I can identify with them as I am a teenage boy. Those parts are the most relaxing sections to get through, and when reading feels like less of a slog, as opposed to the more abstract parts like most of the early Joelle sections.
One last thing I thought was exceptional was the description of Poor Tony's seizure and the horrifying sequence of events that led up to it. I felt like the narrative appropriately got more and more abstract as Tony fell deeper and deeper into the mires of withdrawal, it began by identifying his ragged figure and strong urge for 'substance,' then fell into weird inconsistent metaphors personifying time in frighteningly obscure ways, and then the horrible, nightmarish explosion of light that constituted the seizure. It has been one of the more powerful sections so far, and stands out to me as a brilliant piece of writing.
Well that is all I have to say about the book so far... and I am excited to continue reading! And, yes Mr. Karafiol, I do know who the Mad Stork is now!
Enough about that, and on to the reading. I am finding the debate between Steeply and Marathe to become more interesting, and it gets to the point where one character makes a point and I think "wow that is a good point, there is no real argument against that" and the other character responds and I think "well... that was actually a valid counterpoint." Like I agree with Marathe when he asserts that the weakness of falling so easily for a deadly entertainment shows that the american people are not actually free, and are in fact already essentially dead. But I also Steeply's statement that "There are no choices without personal freedom.. these are just the hazards of being free" also seems to ring true for me. This small scene between a wheelchair assassin and a secret agent dressed in drag is actually a very exciting and potent debate, with each side having valid compelling arguments.
My favorite parts of the book so far have been at the tennis academy, which is probably because they are the most simply written and for the most part they clearly indicate a sequence of events, also they are characters close to my age and while I am not at a rigorous tennis academy I can identify with them as I am a teenage boy. Those parts are the most relaxing sections to get through, and when reading feels like less of a slog, as opposed to the more abstract parts like most of the early Joelle sections.
One last thing I thought was exceptional was the description of Poor Tony's seizure and the horrifying sequence of events that led up to it. I felt like the narrative appropriately got more and more abstract as Tony fell deeper and deeper into the mires of withdrawal, it began by identifying his ragged figure and strong urge for 'substance,' then fell into weird inconsistent metaphors personifying time in frighteningly obscure ways, and then the horrible, nightmarish explosion of light that constituted the seizure. It has been one of the more powerful sections so far, and stands out to me as a brilliant piece of writing.
Well that is all I have to say about the book so far... and I am excited to continue reading! And, yes Mr. Karafiol, I do know who the Mad Stork is now!
posted by Alex Zorn at 9:14 PM
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