The Lacuna and Heathers reviews
Nov. 6th, 2011 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alobearThe Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver:
It takes a while for this book to explain itself, and it does so in intricate layers. To being with, the narrative is third person and very remote. The protagonist is only referred to as “the boy”, effectively demonstrating his lack of importance to those around him, but also making him hard to relate to as an individual.
The second section reveals that the whole narrative is based on someone’s diaries, compiled and somewhat annotated by someone else after his death. This makes the impersonal presentation of the protagonist his own choice – in the diaries of the first half of the book, he never uses the first person at all. It’s very well written, and a little disconcerting.
I probably didn’t get as much out of the middle section of the book as others might, since I know nothing at all about any of the real-life people who appear as characters. I had never heard of Diego Revera, while Frida Khalo and Leon Trotsky were just vaguely familiar historical figures to me. However, the narrative of the young man who (in this story at least) works as their cook and secretary is riveting.
However, the second half of the book is even better. On page 364, just over half way through, “I” suddenly bursts out all over the place – it’s incredibly emotive after so much reserve, a joyous acknowledgement of self at a very significant and personal moment, when the protagonist feels he has unexpectedly been given his life back. It’s really effective, and lifts the whole tone of the book. It also makes the second half much more engaging and dynamic.
What lifts it even more is the eventual introduction of “the archivist” as a character in the diary narrative – she makes a great counterpoint to the solitary, world-shy narrator with her forthright attitude and down-to-earth wisdom.
There are four quarters to the novel – displacement, Trotsky, writing, and HUAC – making for a varied set of events, though the over-riding theme is, of course, that of the the lacuna, the part missing, the fact that there is always something hidden about someone, which forms the most important part of their story. A lot of the book is very sad – it shows how public perception can destroy a person’s life, and is vitriolic about lack of integrity in the press – but it also has great warmth and heart, and I found its conclusion very satisfying.
Heathers:
A classic 80s high school movie I had never seen before. The ridiculous hair and clothes detracted somewhat, but it got ten times better every time Christian Slater was on screen (even if he wasn’t saying anything). It was perhaps a bit surreal in presentation for me, more stylised than I generally prefer, but with a sharp script, mostly good performances, and a subversive message that I’m sure appealed hugely to teenagers at the time. Certainly not the best 80s film I’ve ever seen, but enjoyable enough.
It takes a while for this book to explain itself, and it does so in intricate layers. To being with, the narrative is third person and very remote. The protagonist is only referred to as “the boy”, effectively demonstrating his lack of importance to those around him, but also making him hard to relate to as an individual.
The second section reveals that the whole narrative is based on someone’s diaries, compiled and somewhat annotated by someone else after his death. This makes the impersonal presentation of the protagonist his own choice – in the diaries of the first half of the book, he never uses the first person at all. It’s very well written, and a little disconcerting.
I probably didn’t get as much out of the middle section of the book as others might, since I know nothing at all about any of the real-life people who appear as characters. I had never heard of Diego Revera, while Frida Khalo and Leon Trotsky were just vaguely familiar historical figures to me. However, the narrative of the young man who (in this story at least) works as their cook and secretary is riveting.
However, the second half of the book is even better. On page 364, just over half way through, “I” suddenly bursts out all over the place – it’s incredibly emotive after so much reserve, a joyous acknowledgement of self at a very significant and personal moment, when the protagonist feels he has unexpectedly been given his life back. It’s really effective, and lifts the whole tone of the book. It also makes the second half much more engaging and dynamic.
What lifts it even more is the eventual introduction of “the archivist” as a character in the diary narrative – she makes a great counterpoint to the solitary, world-shy narrator with her forthright attitude and down-to-earth wisdom.
There are four quarters to the novel – displacement, Trotsky, writing, and HUAC – making for a varied set of events, though the over-riding theme is, of course, that of the the lacuna, the part missing, the fact that there is always something hidden about someone, which forms the most important part of their story. A lot of the book is very sad – it shows how public perception can destroy a person’s life, and is vitriolic about lack of integrity in the press – but it also has great warmth and heart, and I found its conclusion very satisfying.
Heathers:
A classic 80s high school movie I had never seen before. The ridiculous hair and clothes detracted somewhat, but it got ten times better every time Christian Slater was on screen (even if he wasn’t saying anything). It was perhaps a bit surreal in presentation for me, more stylised than I generally prefer, but with a sharp script, mostly good performances, and a subversive message that I’m sure appealed hugely to teenagers at the time. Certainly not the best 80s film I’ve ever seen, but enjoyable enough.
