2. How did you like the multi-layered plot? Was the plot too complicated or did you find it engaging? Which plot did you like the best: Sid and Grace's story or Nick Bowen's?
One of the main reason's I enjoyed reading Oracle Night was because of the unique style it was written in. I found the plot engaging rather than complicated. However, since it was a multi-layered plot, it was annoying when the plot would switch since I would be so curious to continue the plot line I was reading first. Since Nick Bowen's story is shorter and with no plausible solution, I prefered that of Sid and Grace. Ang even though many of the characters in both stories were similar, since the ones in the book were based on people in Sid's life, I liked the main plot much more.
2 comments:
Paul Auster's writing skills are very interesting, and as you said "unique". Certainly there were times in which the plot became complicated, but I think after you get used to the names, you know when the narrator is talking about his own life story or when he is narrating the story he is writing.
I must say, you did answer the question, but you could have gone more in depth...The are many characters in common, but you could have given an example from the text. For example, on page 15, Sidney explains that he decided to give Grace's body to Rosa Leightman...that could have been a way to justify for opinion!
Other than that, I completely understand you reaction!
I can understand that you liked the story because of the author's "unique style". I have to admit that his style of writing was the most original ive read so far, and is not so in a boring way, like in Disgrace. I did, however, find the plot relatively boring and cliché. The character's names seemed very "normal", with no hidden reason for their use. Also, i felt the speech was very stereotypical to a New Yorker. Sure, i understand that the character's are from New York, but im pretty sure that not ALL of them speak in the same way... Also, i actually enjoyed Nick Bowen's story much more than the actual plot. You might say that there was no "plausible solution", but i would still much rather know what happened to Nick than Sid, purely because his story seemed more interesting to me. Also, that's very good analysis on how Sid's characters are very similar to those he knows in real life, and i feel that these little things are what create motifs and themes in novels, sometimes without the author knowing it. Good job!
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