A Tale of Two Novels, One I Love, the Other I “Meh”
Similar circumstances of storytelling but a vast difference in delivery
When I attended college, my first roommate was a blind draw. We met for the first time on move-in day.
We had similar circumstances: same college, same dorm, same room, same age. We had similar hopes, both wanting to do well and become successful in life.
There were also vast differences between us. He was from Taiwan. I was from Ohio. His parents were wealthy. Mine were, uh, not wealthy. He had a desk drawer full of cash. I was on a strict budget, down to the dollar.
We stuck it out for that year but it never clicked between us.
Second, two books
Last week, I read The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin. This week I’m reading Voyage Along the Horizon by Javier Marias.
Both books have multiple timelines and a complicated cast of characters. Both are set in times and places foreign to me.
I loved The Dispossessed. I found it a compelling story with suspense and high stakes. The storytelling was direct, and all scenes were shown.
I’m not loving Voyage Along the Horizon. The narrator filters all the events, telling us what is…
