The action of the novel unfolds in a non-linear form, with past and present flowing freely. What does this contribute to the story? How would a more straightforward handling of the sequence of events have altered the reading experience?
Posted by: Stephanie | June 26, 2007
Mermaids Singing ?4
Posted in Uncategorized
Responses
I loved the way the novel unfolded in a non-linear form, as I thought this device pointed up the similarities across generations in an interesting way.
By: robin on June 27, 2007
at 4:56 pm
I think the non-linear form was necessary to keep the reader in suspense as, little by little, everyone’s secrets were revealed while every now and then, bringing us to the present to keep the plot moving.
By: Camille on June 28, 2007
at 7:35 am
Agreeing once again with both Robin and Camille - having the story set up this way allowed us to slowly discover the characters’ motives for various actions and how they came to be the people they are. I think if we’d read it in a linear fashion, we would not have been as emotionally invested in their story, and we wouldn’t have seen the connections as clearly.
By: Lesley on July 2, 2007
at 2:02 pm
