I have mixed feelings about this particular short story. I love the way that it is written. Atwood did such an amazing job using setting and dialogue and getting me to feel for the character's and even left that sense of mystery - even though I think that we do know that Lucy jumped off the cliff - there still is that sense of "what happened" because she never actually tells you what happens. Which is effective. It makes us think and to really be able to dive into the story and see it and look for things.
I think what threw me off was the fact that it was so predictable. I knew what was going to happen pages before anything actually happened. I think that was frustrating as a reader and as a writer. I wanted to be surprised. Maybe we are all too spoiled these days? That we need to be surprised for something to really capture our attention.
But there is no mistaking that the imagery in this story is magnificent.
"There are pictures of convoluted tree trunks on an island of pink wave-smoothed stone, with more islands behind; of a lake with rough, bright, sparsely wooded cliffs..." (pg. 45)
I don't even have to go on. I can see everything she is describing and it's wonderful. Even the relationship development throughout this short story, between Lois and Lucy is amazing. To think she was able to get through so much history in just 12 pages is wonderful. There is so much about this story that works and that grabs me. There were certain points where I was taken out a little bit and found myself skipping. I'm not sure if that is because I was expecting that ending or if it was because I just felt that those parts were necessary to the story - for me as a reader.
No comments:
Post a Comment