Opening 1
In my opinion, Opening 1 was explicitly very appealing to me. It opened the novel with enough honesty and frankness to keep me, the reader hanging onto every word that was written, which I find to be a brilliant literal technique. Witty, humorous and its pain – staking ability to beautifully describe such simple things in life, Saleem’s opening oozes originality and uniqueness. I also adore the way he is almost conversing with the reader; everything that is written appears to be improvised and it all flows naturally. Moreover, his ending makes you think rhetorically without him actually announcing a question; what does Saleem long to achieve in the brief amount of time he has left on earth?
Utopia Of The Sinner
Dear Lavinia,
My silence has been strangled; almost suffocated. Yet, this “literal drowning” I have suffered from over the years has transformed into a keen ability to tell you the truth. It’s what you deserve. My disappearance has caused you distress, pain, agony, anguish – all the feelings I have felt over the past few years .All the distressing words you will find in Hamlet, Othello, Macbeth; my heart has convulsed and sang Shakespeare’s entire etymology. Being alone, away from the crowds that manipulate your thoughts, I have discovered that there is more to life that the eye can usually predict. I have learnt that our pasts can ultimately write out our future. I have learnt that I was destined to discover the real truth about our parents. All the facts fit beautifully like a puzzle. I feel that you have to know the puzzle’s answers to your beseeching questions. However, nobody likes the truth – some people are even scared of it. Betrayal, hate, even murder: the whole story is interlaced with these violations. Violations they took with them to their graves. I hope we will also inherit their decisions not to tell a soul. This secret will be buried within the hearts of the family. Unless, you feel the need to live not knowing about our parents tumultuous lifestyles – the infallible reason why we were abandoned at such a young age. But, they did it for us. You must understand that they were people who shared the same aspirations in life. They were people who were also torn apart by the indulgence of wealth. Greed and jealousy were the real murderers of their relationship, nonetheless.
If you desire to find out more, please contact me. My address is written on the other side of this letter. I might not have been there when you most needed me, but I’m here for you now. I promise. I promise my awakened love for you will immortally embrace you through the difficult times life has to offer. It is the least I can do . . .
Lucinda.
xx
Part One
ReplyDeleteI think you have identified a very important characteristic of Rushdie’s writing, his honest approach to create a trust between reader and narrator works efficaciously to envelop you into the world he has created. He does not over romanticise what you describe as “the simple things in life”, which informs the reader that they can expect a reliable, frank narrative. I find his metaphor of the time particularly effective, I wondered if this is what you were describing? I think you are very correct, his writing is fluid and the lack of punctuation implies the effect of a train of thought. This emphasises that he is not writing to deceive the reader, it is simply a projection of his thought processes.
Part Two
The title of this piece immediately draws the reader into the story, and their interest is maintained through the opening sequence. It is an interesting choice to open with a letter, and I think it would be extremely interesting to see how you choose to continue the form of the novel; will the letter form the basis for a novel or would you continue in an epistolary?
Your letter is extremely dramatic, and mentions some very interesting themes, such as murder and betrayal, it will be interesting to see how these are developed. It is vital to include ideas that will hook the reader and I think you have certainly done this.
I feel that you have slightly over romanticised your writing, and it is important to remember that though you are writing to interest the reader, you have to create plausible narratives, and remember which form you are writing in. Would you really end a letter with “I promise my awakened love for you will immortally embrace you”? Maybe tone down the dramatics of the letter just a little to make the reader more enveloped in the world you are trying to create. Lace your drama with realism to ensure you don’t loose the reader in a fantastical plot.
STARDUST,
ReplyDeleteI hope you had a great break, and I can see already you’re going into the prose aspect of WordVoodoo with skill!
I agree with you on the appeal that the first opening has; it’s casual, it’s very much directed to include the reader and it’s an easily relatable train of thought. It is a brilliant writing technique, and I’m glad that you chose it as your inspiration for your opening. I think it’s the most fun, seeing as you can choose any voice and can be very open and casual with it.
I like that you’ve taken a letter format for your opening. You disclose information without being too forthcoming. You address many different aspects that the rest of your story could contain and expand off of – especially the secretive tone that you Lucinda is taking in the letter (as I said, not too much information is revealed). This is also effective, because it leaves the reader wanting more, which of course, in a long novel, is important. So, I’m glad you’ve identified this as important to you too. I also enjoy the allusion to Shakespeare and his collection of works – allusions often allow readers to relate a bit more, obviously, if they are knowledgeable, or at least knowing, of the allusion. Plus, those who have read Macbeth, Othello, Hamlet, know of the great tragedy in all of them, and the overwhelming ‘negative’ emotion and feeling. So it relates very well to the tone in your opening.
This is a great way for you to start off the term. I really hope to see you experiment with different forms and techniques. It’ll be fun, and will help broaden your scope of writing.
I hope in your own time you continue the story of Lucinda and Lavinia!
Genevieve