Category Archives: LITERATURE

LITERATURE: Black Swan Green – A Touch of Philosophy

Posted on July 28, 2008 by susan

I love this, it’s as representative of the thought process of children, in carrying an idea a step further and further until it becomes another question of sorts, while at the same time, it is a worldly view and comment … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Black Swan Green – Technique

Posted on July 28, 2008 by susan

A couple of real nice exposures of change of attitude and time by Mitchell, keeping the descriptions fairly close yet far enough apart to denote a difference in Jason’s first and second visits to Madame Crommelynck: Inside smelt of liver … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Promise of Rain – Master of Subtlety

Posted on July 25, 2008 by susan

Wow.  Just caught the drift of Taylor’s genius at showing character.  In using the first person pov of the father describing his relationship with his son, there is an unreliability about the narrator not necessarily that he is hiding something … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Promise of Rain – More on 1st Person Narrator

Posted on July 25, 2008 by susan

This just makes you want to slap him hard: After raining all morning, the skies seemed to be clearing.  It was mostly bright while we sat there, with only an occasional dark interval.  During those dark intervals, Hugh ate feverishly; … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Promise of Rain – Taylor’s Unreliable Narrator

Posted on July 25, 2008 by susan

There are similarities between Peter Taylor’s stories in the first person pov and Raymond Carver’s Cathedral. What has become prominent for me is the way he handles the narrator’s evaluation of another character’s actions.  There is an underlying theme that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Black Swan Green – Metaphor & Pacing

Posted on July 23, 2008 by susan

There is an underlying theme to this novel, and that is the war in the Falklands that has affected England and comes home to Jason with the death in combat of the older brother of a friend. The ongoing war … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Black Swan Green – Nice Stuff

Posted on July 22, 2008 by susan

A few nice phrases used to establish an unspoken fact.  Here, the common knowledge of Moran’s father being an alcoholic, yet the way it is handled carefully by others: "Does your old man ever get pissed? Moran asked.If I said … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: As a Sign of the Times

Posted on July 21, 2008 by Susan

As I was reading Peter Taylor’s story The Old Forest, I read an interesting post by Mary Ellen about her frustration with Hemingway’s characterization of women (and other points she takes issue with as far as Hemingway’s writing). How and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Old Forest – Moral

Posted on July 21, 2008 by susan

Just finished Peter Taylor’s story The Old Forest and I understand that the theme is one of how people treat one another, and how change comes slowly.  There is a friendly tone to Taylor’s first person narrator and in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Old Forest – Making a Statement

Posted on July 21, 2008 by susan

Forty pages into this particular story and I’ve learned this: A young man has been caught with having had a girl other than his fiancee in his car a week before his wedding, as they’ve had an automobile accident.  The … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Old Forest – Tone

Posted on July 19, 2008 by susan

The second story in this anthology is the title story and is a long one so I figured I’d start writing on it rather than waiting until I finish. This one is first person pov, the narrator being a young … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Black Swan Green – Stages

Posted on July 16, 2008 by susan

Mitchell appears to use the chapters as episodes, focusing on an incident unrelated to the previous but consistent with a linear timeline as each refers to something happening in the prior chapter.  It seems that Jason faces a new problem … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Black Swan Green – Language and Content

Posted on July 15, 2008 by susan

There are mixed feelings about this book; after finishing the first chapter I see much I like yet there’s an ambivalence and I question the rave reviews I seem to recall when it came out. First of all, I must … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Up Also: The Old Forest – Peter Taylor

Posted on July 15, 2008 by susan

Mitchell’s Black Swan Green hasn’t grabbed my full attention so I’ve taken out as well this collection of short stories by Peter Taylor that I’ve had for years–since a creative writing class and a recommendation by the instructor. The first … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Poetry & Image

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Susan

Similar to the concept of 100 Images, this, with lovely b&w photos and deep-feelinged poetry . Continue reading →

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