I’m into the fiction novel, Gentlemen of the Road, by Michael Chabon. Wow, I’m impressed. Chabon is a perfectionist when it comes to unwasted words; each and every word in a sentence has meaning. It’s like viewing the brush strokes of a master painter, or the flesh-like smoothness of a great sculptor. But as much as I enjoy his Spartan style, it has slowed down my reading speed.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
He probably doesn't want you to read it fast.
Posted by smncameron (Member # 7392) on :
Think about why the author chose one word over another is slow, but nothing is more helpfull at improving one's own writing.
Posted by KPKilburn (Member # 6876) on :
quote:But as much as I enjoy his Spartan style, it has slowed down my reading speed.
Why is that? I'd think that your reading speed would increase having not to read extraneous words or awkward prose. (I haven't read it.)
Posted by nitewriter (Member # 3214) on :
I know what you mean. Sometimes I read slowly, wallowing in and absorbing the words and images of prose that is particulary striking and appealing to me.
Posted by Antinomy (Member # 5136) on :
I absorb about 50 novels a year using my own speed reading method, kind of like skipping stones across a pond ... or passing over superfluous words. With Chabon's style there are few skip over words. And if I skip I'll miss important pieces of the story.
While I admire Chabon's work I do not intend to read him often.