"Whatever Just Crash It" / 
/ 2005-12-06
Toyota's recently-aired television spot featuring two male middle-schoolers and an adult technician at a crash-test facility strikes my limit when it comes to horror: i.e., mere children bullying an adult. The follow-up was even more outrageous. Thus, though not a fan exactly of gothic literature and film, but one who's aware of its pervasive (and persuasive) influence on popular culture, I keep an eye peeled. That's how I come to Jack Morgan's gem of a study. His insights into the nature of gothic make a difference, make one take it more seriously. Moreover, the actual biology is substantial and, finally, Morgan's sound scholarship and lucid prose (no slack anywhere) recommend it highly. Lucid prose.
Impressive Analysis, Very Readable / / 2003-10-09
Morgan provides persuasive readings of a number of classic and lesser-known books and films. While the book is theoretically informed, a non-specialist audience as well will find it a pleasure to read. Any fan of horror or the gothic ought to read this book.
Nobody's Home is an imaginative, incisive, and rich work. / / 1998-10-17
Arnold Weinstein is one of our most gifted literary comparativists working in the academy today, and Nobody's Home is Weinstein at his absolute best. Here he weaves together a wide range of American literature (Hawthorne, Melville, Fitzgerald, Morrison, Delillo) by demonstrating that it is the uniquely American theme of self-determinism and self-making (and its sobering corollary of determinism and disillusionment), that inform all of these works. His ability to link these seemingly disparate texts in such convincing fashion is quite extraordinary (the web never falters), and allows Weinstein an entry way into readings that make these texts utterly relevant to our lives today, and that reawaken texts that have been relegated to dusty bookshelves, or that were thought to have been plumbed. Weinstein is not just for those intersted in American literary criticism. He uses the rich record of literature to explore an American theme that is as metaphysical, psychological, and identity-probing as it is literary.
Nobody's Home is an imaginative, incisive, and rich work. / / 1998-10-17
Arnold Weinstein is one of our most gifted literary comparativists working in the academy today, and Nobody's Home is Weinstein at his absolute best. Here he weaves together a wide range of American literature (Hawthorne, Melville, Fitzgerald, Morrison, Delillo) by demonstrating that it is the uniquely American theme of self-determinism and self-making (and its sobering corollary of determinism and disillusionment), that inform all of these works. His ability to link these seemingly disparate texts in such convincing fashion is quite extraordinary (the web never falters), and allows Weinstein an entry way into readings that make these texts utterly relevant to our lives today, and that reawaken texts that have been relegated to dusty bookshelves, or that were thought to have been plumbed. Weinstein is not just for those intersted in American literary criticism. He uses the rich record of literature to explore human themes that are as metaphysical, psychological, and identity-probing as they are literary.
Our failed Enlightenment / / 1998-03-06
America's intellectual father is the Modern Enlightenement. From Descarte's turn inward to Kant's radical autonomy, the Enlightenement gave birth to our understanding of freedom. Here, the Western intellectual tradtion separated the self from Nature and God, from any determining context. Essentially, it was the isolated self which gave meaning to, instead of finding meaning in the world. There are some that claim, however, that a self requires and is a causal function of Larger contexts like Culture, Family, Tradition and Religion (to name a few). Thus, it is dangerous and misleading to separate a self from the very material it requires to live. On this reading, the expressions of self are necesserily embedded in a context which presupposes a social world and shared set of meanings - a set of meanings that cannot be created by an isolated, radically free ego. To the contrary, an ego is a function of this world and requires it as a context for expression. Without these objective situations which enframe self, freedom and speech, the self is emptied of necessary content and confronts [our modern illness of] loneliness and despair. At this juncture, one could, vis a vis existentialism, search out the subjective depths of human angst, or one could assume a number of ironic postures in hopes of illustrating the human struggle with, and possibilities for freedom and meaning in a meaninglessness age. NOBODY'S HOME, somehow, shows a unique strain of literature that does both. Read this book if you want to understand how to use your failed Enlightenment inheritence.
This book made me stop writing / / 2010-09-01
This book made me stop writing for a couple of days because I couldn't put it down. Not only is it very informative, it's entertaining too and presents the information in very lucid way. I've yet to read Card's fiction, but even the examples he provides in this book are intriguing enough to make me wish the story went on from there! He definitely knows what he's talking about.
I felt like after reading the book I had a much clearer understanding about what I was doing in my own characterization. Just being aware of things like the difference between presentational and representational stories, levels of narrative penetration and so forth really help demystify the writing process. I've read a fair number of writing reference books and was pleasantly surprised to find that even in the most basic chapters, like the point of view sections, there was new information for me or information that was presented in a different light.
I think this book could be helpful to writers of all skill levels. If you're a novice, the amount of information and number of choices he presents might at first seem intimidating, but even if only a tenth of the book sinks in the first time you read it, you will be a better writer for it. And if you're already pretty comfortable with your level of expertise, I think you'll find the breakdown helps you become more consciously aware of what you're doing.
Another thing I liked about it was that it provides examples of bad characterization. I've read writing books that don't give any bad examples, and find it frustrating; I like having references to check myself against, as well as those to which I can aspire.
Also, he doesn't give the reader specific writing exercises to do, for which I'm grateful. Does anyone actually do these exercises? I'd rather apply the information to projects I'm already working on, or go back to old stories and improve them.
More Wisdom than One Man Can Glean / / 2010-08-26
I can hardly believe all of this wisdom came from one man. It would take me a hundred years to learn all that is contained in this book from any other source. Before this book I thought my own writing skills served me well enough, now I see clearly how much I didn't know. I'm sure to refer to this book over and over, it is a must have for any writer's library.
A Must Read for All Writers / / 2010-07-26
Whether you're a novice or a seasoned writer, you should read this book. I say this not just because characters are perhaps the most important aspect of a story, next to plot in some cases, but because your skill in developing characters can catapult you to the next level in your ability as a writer. And Orson Scott Card can help you in this pursuit. He thoroughly explores all the various devices for creating deep, realistic and moving characters and how properly justifying the motivations of these characters and how showing their attitudes at varying levels of intensity will tell your story the way you want to tell it so that readers will understand your story and feel invested in it.
This book is thorough and well constructed. The author explores, in depth, the construction of character, choosing the appropriate character type for your story, the devices of characterization, justification of motive, and character transformation (or lack thereof). Furthermore, the author explores points of view, a commonly overlooked area of fiction. He explains things like narrator voice and the pros and cons of each type of viewpoint. With third person limited, he goes so far as to explain the levels of penetration (this has to do with relaying a character's attitude via thoughts and emotions not spoken aloud) and the effective intermingling of these types as a device to raise the emotional stakes in your story. A lot of content is laid out in this book and the author explains everything in great detail and utilizes lots of well known examples to highlight his points in clear, easy-to-understand ways.
One of the reasons I bought this book is that I am currently writing my own novel and in the middle of my first revision, I got stuck. I started hating my story and I doubted my ability as a writer. Orson Scott Card equipped me with the knowledge to understand why I was stuck (I hated one of my protagonists) and what to do about it (reevaluate my character's motives, which will in turn make her transformation justified, and employ devices to make her more real). He shared some of his experiences as a published author and how things don't always go so well. Characters sometimes don't reveal themselves with ease. We have to discover them. After reading Characters & Viewpoint, I regained my confidence to do so.
Techniques for Developing Characters and Viewpoint / / 2010-06-13
In "Characters & Viewpoint" award winning novelist, Orson Scott Card addresses the important techniques for developing characters and viewpoint. The book is divided into three parts. Scot discusses the topic of inventing characters in part one. He describes character, the audience, the story, and ideas for creating and naming your characters.
Part two helps the reader construct the character based on the kind of story being told, considerations for creating supporting and minor characters as well as the protagonists. He talks about emotions, the hero, comic characters, and transformations. Part three introduces the important elements of voice, presentation, and person.
Illustrations from well known authors books and dramas back up the advice and suggestions Card presents throughout the narrative. I found the index extremely useful in helping me revisit those areas of particular interest or my weaknesses as I attempt to assimilate Card's suggestions into my own writing projects.
Orson Scott Card has packed a lot of definitive techniques for creating and developing character and viewpoint into170 pages. This is a book that should be on the reference shelf of anyone wanting to improve their writing skills as a fiction writer.
The Best Book I Have Read about Writing / / 2010-06-09
This book packs a huge punch. It showed me everything I am doing wrong but also what I do well. It is like a 3 day writer's workshop all in one. I am so enthusiastic about this book I am giving it to a writer friend and ordering another. What a gift. It is interesting to read and provides a concise, condensed series of lessons in writing fiction. Thank you!
