Monday, 8 September 2008
Oracle Night
Oracle Night is a relatively easy-going novel. You don't really feel heightened moments of sadness or stress until the very end. I like these kinds of books because they keep my emotions at bay and give me time to think about the novel as a whole while reading it. I think, however that my biggest attraction to the novel was the mystery that paul austen built around the central plot. Everything from the blue notebook to Grace's dreams seem to leave a trace of mystery and ambiguity in the reader's mind. I think that Paul Auster did a good job at creating this air of uncertainty in this novel without cliche. It is unlike most novels in that sense because we never really loose touch of the reality of the story. Paul Auster remains true to realistic fiction and still manages to deliver a novel stimulating to the reader's imagination.
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3 comments:
The way Auster sets the conflicts and other issues does bring out many elements. First he keeps many things ambigious and mysterious leaving the reader some time to imagine, This is a great asppect because unlike other novels the reader has the ability to both go away with his/her imagination and also stay captivated with what is really happening in the plot. I must partially disagree with you with what you said about the emotions....the realistic touch that Auster puts in the novel did trigger my emotions but the in a way that did not break the flow of the "ongoing" reading!
Indeed the novel is easy-going and it grasps the reader’s attention. Auster uses a unique technique in his writing style, which is the use of footnotes. Even though some footnotes were long and detailed but it helped me visualize the events taking place and helped clarify the narrator’s thoughts. Also, as you have mentioned, one doesnt lose the touch of reality in this story. I really enjoyed reading this book :)
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