Anaphora in Spontaneous

I picked up Spontaneous as a fun read after all the serious books I have been reading lately and it hasn't disappointed. I have been pleasantly surprised with this one. I also have been impressed with Starmer's writing. There are two notable sections where he uses anaphor to wonderful effect. One I will not quote on my blog because of the content of that passage, but the effect makes that moment for the two main characters very special. This other passage is more appropriate for the blog but has less of an impact than the first one. You'll just have to read the novel now to understand what I am talking about.

"Yes, this is what happens when your boyfriend spontaneously combusts in front of you. You fall to your knees. You press your face into the pavement as the blood drips, thick and languorous, off you, as if it were ice cream in the sunlight. You howl like you've never howled before, and the howl confirms that there are things deep inside you. Things darker than the darkest things you've ever imagined. And you believe in those things. Entirely, without question."

The repetition of the "you" does have the effect of placing the reader in the shoes of the main character. The author wants us to feel this moment, which you have to say is an earth shattering one. The metaphor in the second line is all at once beautiful and grotesque. But the repetition and switch to second person point of view is really what makes this paragraph for me. 

Like I said, the other passage was much better in its execution, but there is a lot to like in Spontaneous, by Aaron Starmer.

Charles Dickens in Spontaneous

I've begun reading Spontaneous. It is fun and humorous and interesting and fast paced and the perfect palate cleanser of a book. I really needed to read something like this after the last few books I've read. Especially since Silence was such a disappointment. 

I was interested to find a quote from Dickens' Bleak House at the beginning of the novel:

"Call the death by any name Your Highness will,attribute it to whom you will,or say it might have been prevented how you will.It is the same death eternally--inborn, inbred,engendered in the corrupted humours of the viciousbody itself,and that only--Spontaneous Combustion,and none other of all the deaths that can be died."

I don't know if Stramer is saying that he pulled the title for his novel from Dickens, or if he is just making a connection to more classical literature, but I thought it really set up the novel well when I started.

It is also interesting that Stramer has presented this Dickens quote in a poetic form, even though these lines are prose in chapter 32 of Bleak House. He separates out the words "body itself" so they appear on their own line, thus giving them more emphasis. The repetition of the word "will" on the end of the first three lines is also interesting.

I don't know how much this quote from Bleak House will factor into the novel, but it was nice to see Stramer using this classical lit quote.

Review: Red Seas Under Red Skies

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was brilliant fun. Absolutely loved the ride. I enjoyed the The Lies of Locke Lamora, but I feel like Lynch really hit his stride in this book. I enjoyed the plot of Red Seas so much more than Lies. The cause of that enjoyment stems from one word--pirates! I never knew that I loved pirates and pirate stories. This book opened my eyes and now I am searching for more books that will give me a similar feel.

The characters were fleshed out well. I loved Zamira and her first mate. Almost every character on the ship was lovable and after a while I felt like I knew them--like I was part of the crew. The antagonists felt sufficiently malicious. They were doing things for their own gain and I hated them for it.

At times, the tension was thick and I couldn't stop reading because I had to see how ol' Locke and Jean would get out of this one. But then there were times when the tension wasn't heavy enough. The second pirate battle felt like that. Like Lynch dropped a Deus Ex Machina so we could just move on. I was expecting that fight to be much bigger than it was. Although the results of that battle were far reaching and a major difficulty for the characters.

Now, this is a fantasy books and while I love me a good book with a map, sometimes fantasy authors are not the most beautiful writers. Jordan cannot turn a phrase like James Joyce or William Faulkner, and some readers would say that that isn't the point to the fantasy genre. But, I'm a bit of a book snob. One has to be when you teach AP Literature and Composition as long as I have--when you are surrounded by the best writers our world has to offer. But I have to admit, Lynch is a great writer. I found myself, on more than one occasion, highlighting lines because they were beautifully written. We need more fantasy authors like this. More that can tell a good, riveting story (about pirates) and give us beautiful sentences that leave the reader thinking. For example: "It was a red moment, all the world from sea to sky the color of a darkening rose petal, of a drop of blood not yet dry." Holy crap! This sentence! This! Such a perfect, beautiful image.

I most certainly will be reading The Republic of Thieves, but not right away. It is such a rare occurrence to find an author like this. I want to savor these books.

View all my reviews

Review: William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope

William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was brilliant. I've discussed this work several other times on my blog, but I truly feel that the Shakespeare-esque lines really elevated the story of A New Hope. It brought the characters to a deeper and more fleshed out place, which is difficult to do since the characters are already pretty fleshed out in my mind.

The novelty of this book drew me in initially, but there is also some beautiful lines, and that is what kept me reading. Ian Doescher mixed the dialogue of Star Wars with some of the most famous lines from Shakespeare and someone who is well-read will get a chuckled out of this book every time they notice a line from Romeo and Juliet, or Macbeth, or Richard III.

I am looking forward to reading William Shakespeare's The Empire Striketh Back.

View all my reviews

Luke Skywalker -vs- Henry V

I wish this Iframe was larger, so you could really see the document without the scrunch, but oh well. This compare and contrast exercise wasn't nearly as fruitful and I expected. Yes Luke Skywalker uses a few lines that could compare to Henry's speech, but it is minimal. Both speeches are about diving into battle. I enjoyed the play on words used in Luke's speech, "trench" instead of "breach." Which, a trench is really a type of breach, so it totally works.

Henry uses his men's fathers as the motivation for his men to fight, and discusses how the men in his army are the "noblest English." They need to fight to prove their heritage. To show the French the mettle with which they are made. On the other hand, Luke uses the pilot's lost comrades and the people of Alderaan, all of whom were killed, to inspire the other X-Wing pilots.

At the end of Luke's speech he also uses a line that is very similar to another line from King Henry V: "We three, we happy three, we band of brothers." This comes from Act IV of King Henry V from the Saint Crispin's day speech: "We few, we happy few, we band of brothers." Luke changes the word "few" to "three" but it is the same line.

And that, once again, is the beauty of this book. Doescher is wonderful at adding in all those little touches. This book appeals to Star Wars nerds, but even more so, to Shakespeare nerds. Because I doubt that many Star Wars fans who read this book picked up on all of the little subtle lines within the text. Unless you are very well-versed in Shakespeare you are going to miss things.

The moral: read more Shakespeare!

Wait a minute, did I see Christian Bale in that clip? Batman fought on Saint Crispin's day!?

William Shakespeare's Star Wars Rapid Fire

I may have milked this book too much. I've been writing about this awesome book for weeks now and so I figure that I will post one final rapid fire post where I discuss several lines from the play and then put an end to this book.

OBI-WAN

                    That number seven shall our freedom mean.
                    But only on of seven shall we need.
                    I fear those numbers--seven and then one--
                    Do something dangerous portend. But why?
          (5)     Our company is only six, unless
                    There were another join'd unto us here.
                    Then were we seven, yet what means the one?
                    O! Strangely sweeps the thought into my mind:
                    I have a feeling through the Force that ere
          (10)  We leave this place, some seven shall we be.
                    Yet one shall stay behind as sacrifice.
                    Thus seven and thus one: the numbers tell
                    The story that herein shall soon be told.

It might be because we just read Gloucester's speech in King Lear the other day, but I hear some echoes of those same sentiments here in Obi-Wan's speech. Obi-Wan feels fate tugging on him and believes that destiny is calling for him to sacrifice himself for the party. And because Obi-Wan believes in fate (or the Force or whatever) he will go through with it.

OFFICER 1     [through comlink:] But what hath happen'd?

HAN
                                                  --'Tis no matter, Sir--
                    A slight malfunction of the weapons here.
                    But all is well, and we are well, and all
                    Within are well. The pris'ners, too, are well,
                    'Tis well, 'tis well. And thou? Art thou well?

This passage made me laugh. It pays such wonderful homage to the movie, but amplifies the comedy in Han Solo's answer to the officer through the comlink. The repetition of the word "well" makes this happen. Over and over again Han keeps saying "well," and each time it just adds to the final punchline: "Art thou well?" Like Han Solo really cares. This was just perfect for this character.

But now that I have been looking back through this book, I think that I have one more post to get out of this. I want to compare one of Luke Skywalker's speeches to the original Shakespeare from Henry V. I think it will provide some good fodder for my thinking. So, until then...

Finding Terrific Writing in Unusual Places: William Shakespeare's Star Wars--Vader's Turn

I can't get enough of William Shakespeare's Star Wars. As I have been working my way through it, I have found myself reading with pen in hand so I can mark the passages that are truly beautiful. This time a line from the greatest of villains: Dark Vader.

VADER

                                                        --Distract'd is my mind,

               But through its cloudy haze the reason comes:

               Unless I am in error, someone here

               Has come. I have not felt this presence since

     (5)     The days that are but dark in memory.

               This presence I have known sine I was young,

               This presence that once call'd me closest friend,

               This presence that hath all my hopes betray'd,

               This presence that hath turn'd my day to night.

     (10)   This awful presence here must be,

               So shall I to this presence violence 

               Present.

I love the heavy-handed use of the "presence" in this passage. This choice in diction helps the reader feel the ominous spirit that is hanging over Vader, almost like Obi-Wan has already died and haunts Vader like a ghost. The word hangs on the passage like a shade, creating this gloomy atmosphere. A beautiful passage.

Finding Terrific Writing in Unusual Places: William Shakespeare's Star Wars

No analysis this time, just the beauty of some lines from this outstanding book.

     LUKE

     Now I am split in twain by Fate's sharp turns.
     Two paths: the one toward adventure leads,
     The other taketh me back to my home.
     I have, for all my life, long'd to go hence.
     And now this Obi-Wan hath reason giv'n
     Why I should leave my Tatooine and fly
     Unto the stars. Aye, he hath told me of
     The pow'rful Force. And yet, another force
     Doth pull me home: the force of duty and
     Responsibility. I would go hence,
     Would fly today and ne'er look back again,
     Except Beru and Owen are my true
     And loyal family. 'Tis settled, then,
     I stay on Tatooine until the time
     When I may leave with clear, unfetter'd soul.

Finding Terrific Writing in Unusual Places: William Shakespeare's Star Wars

Another wonderful aside from William Shakespeare's Star Wars. This time from Luke:

                    Unbidden doth adventure come, yet here
                    I stand, prepar'd to rise and welcome Fate.
                    The twisting strands she threads we must but trail,
                    For 'tis the wire that leadeth us through life.
          (5)     Fate's hand hath plac'd me here on Tatooine
                    And now she beckons onward to th' abyss.
                    Now o'er adventure's great abyss I perch--
                    Above all time, above the universe,
                    Above the rim of chance and destiny--
          (10)   And sister Fate doth dare me look in.
                    And there--aye there!--I find my happiness.
                    I peer therein, embrace my Fate--and blink.
                    Come, life! For I am ready now to live.

Such depth this adds to Luke's character. We know that he craves adventure, but he doesn't get to truly express this other than through his passing comments and his facial expressions. But this is so beautiful. I love how Luke calls Fate a she, that is perfect. In line 6 he beings comparing the fact that he is about to launch into his adventure to him looking over a cliff, off into an abyss, preparing to jump in. This metaphor is simply wonderful for what is about to happen. Luke does indeed jump off into the abyss and falls flat on his face at first. Finally I want to talk about the last line: "Come, life! For I am ready now to live." Hot dang! I love it. Luke Skywalker truly hasn't lived up till this point. At the beginning of Episode IV he is simply hanging around. He has a destiny that is not being fulfilled and he feels this tug on him; Fate is calling him, beckoning him, and he desires to answer the call. To move forward through the clouded darkness and discover the mettle that is within himself. Jump off, Luke! Jump!

Finding Terrific Writing in Unusual Places: William Shakespeare's Star Wars

My mother gave me the boxed set of these books, by Ian Doescher, which I thought was a wonderful gift. I love Star Wars and I love Shakespeare. I thought they would be a fun read, but probably not have a lot of substance to them. They sat on my self for a least a year, but recently I have been preparing a How to Speak Yodish lesson plan to help prepare my students for reading Shakespeare and I decided to give them another look--maybe it would be a fun addition to my lesson. Boy was I surprised. There are some beautiful lines in this sucker, and I absolutely love how the Shakespearean language elevates the story of Star Wars. So, I believe that I will be spending some time looking at beautiful lines from this trio of books.

First, let's look at a line from C-3PO in Act I, scene iv:

               Malfunctioning small fool!
               'Tis all his fault. He trick'd me so that I
               Should go this way. But he shall not fare well.
               O gods above, why have I once again
     (5)     Been short with R2, sending him away?
               I trust he knoweth well I hold him dear,
               Though in his presence oft my speech is cruel.
               'Tis words that do betray my better self
               When harshly they express my droidly rage.
     (10)   And yet for protocol I'm made, and must
               With words fulfill my task. So then 'tis true
               That words are both my ruin and my strength.
               And yet--although I find myself adrift
               And lost within a speechless sea of sand--
     (15)   This word is true if ever words have truth:
               Forever lost I'd be should I lose him.

I love the depth that this soliloquy adds to C-3PO's character. In the films you get the sense that 3PO both loves and hates R2-D2, but it is hidden behind the comic relief that those two characters provide throughout the movies. Because C-3PO is able to express his feelings here he is able to become a much fuller character. He doesn't quite understand why he rails on R2 so much. He "hold[s] him dear, / Though in his presence oft my speech is cruel," and he doesn't understand why. He wonders why he is so mean to someone he loves so much, someone he calls a friend and a companion. Someone who would cause him to be "Forever lost" if he should lose his friendship. 

The other part of this soliloquy that really adds to 3PO's character is these lines: "And yet for protocol I'm made, and must / With words fulfill my task. So then 'tis true / That words are both my ruin and my strength." Such a beautiful thought for C-3PO. The skill that defines him, the skill that he is best at, is also his curse. He is really good at talking, but often talking gets him into trouble. He is mean to his friend because he is programed to be. He cannot change who he is, but desperately wants to.

Who knew that C-3PO was such a round and conflicted character?

Finding Terrific Writing in Unusual Places: Red Seas Under Red Skies

 Sometimes I worry that people see me as a bit of a literature snob. My favorites include such literary giants as Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Joyce, Shakespeare, and McCarthy. But I also am a huge fan of science fiction and fantasy literature. I love sitting down and just enjoying a fast paced adventure. Recently I have been enjoying Red Seas Under Red Skies, by Scott Lynch. In many cases, fantasy books are not written very well. I mean they convey action fine enough, but the beauty of the sentence is lacking. Not true with Lynch. He is an accomplished writer that has perfected his craft, he just chooses to write fantasy novels. Here is a nice paragraph from chapter two.

"Jean cleared the barrier from the third-floor hallway, left a few more coins (from Locke's purse) with the bemused innkeeper, and bustled about the room, allowing some of the smell of drunken enclosure to evaporate out the open window. Upon reflection, he went down to the bar and came back with a glass decanter of water."

This paragraph is, in essence, two sentences. The first is far more complicated than the second. We have a list in the first sentence: Jean is accomplishing three tasks. Lynch uses the oxford comma before the conjunction--my man! The sentence becomes slightly more complicated though with the final phrase attached to the list with a comma. And he has some great 50 cent words in here: bemused, enclosure, evaporate, and decanter. If this were a lesser writer the amount of attention would not have been given to such an insignificant paragraph. I have read quite a bit of bad writing in fantasy and Sci Fi novels and it is so refreshing when you find someone who is a master of his craft. 

Not what I though Lynch would look like. See, you learn new things all the time.