This Week (5/11)

This week, we were assigned the fiction packet, containing several different short stories by different authors. I feel that this packet was very hit or miss: some of the pieces were quite powerful, and others were very weak and confusing. I will be discussing one of my favorite passages, and then one of my least favorite passages, just to show how this packet was very hit or miss.

The Colonel by Carolyn is a great example of what is good about this set of short stories. It is clear, precise, has lots of detail, intriguing and powerful. It starts by saying "What you have heard is true" which makes the reader wonder "What have I heard that is true? What are they talking about?" And the author answers those questions in a really interesting way. Instead of giving away an answer right away, he gives a lot of detail, truck loads of it, so you can really feel what's going on. It takes quite a while to get to the answer, but this builds suspense. Towards the end of the story, the answer creeps up on you, and passes you before you realize it and forces you to read those sentences a few times, to make sure you read that correctly. It's a very powerful ending, and offers a great metaphor at the end.

Now, along with the good, there is some bad. Sharon Krinky's Mystery Stories are quite awful, as they are all way too short, confusing and bland. I feel like these "mysteries" are just random sentences thrown together in a scrap book, and are given titles. I've been looking for some sort of symbolism, some sort of idea, some sort of clue to tell me what the purpose of these stories are, and I keep getting nothing. The small amount of detail given provide no sort of clear picture of the scenario - these may as well be blank pages of annoyance.

All in all, I liked the fiction packet. When things were good, I was interested, and when things were bad, it provided a good small laugh at how strange some of these writers really are.

And just a quick word about fiction and writing: Lunar Park is the best book of all time.