Showing posts with label crichton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crichton. Show all posts

Monday, July 11, 2011

Writes not so tedious a style as this.

I've been having a little trouble getting into my latest read, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy.  I was able to get a good dent into it, but I have to admit, I'm not that excited to continue reading.  The story seems interesting enough, but I think I'm finding McCarthy's style a little tedious; I hope that changes.

Generally, I prefer a more, for lack of a better word, direct prose, which simply describes the people or the situations, instead of a more 'flowery' showcase of the English language.  This is why I like Hemingway and not Virginia Woolf.  Blood Meridian uses a similar writing style to the Bible, both old-fashioned and monotonous.  In addition to the language, McCarthy has also decided not to use any quotation marks for dialogue.  I don't know why, but I find this very annoying.  That's what they're there for, why not use them?

I'm also reading some non-fiction right now; Travels by Michael Crichton.  Yes, the same Michael Crichton of Jurassic Park.  It was written in 1988, and chronicles his journey from medical school in the 1960's to his life as a successful author, and his frequent travels around the world.  This book has been working in the way I had originally intended non-fiction books to; I must read a chapter from Blood Meridian before I can read a chapter from Travels.  It's a motivational tool.


I will be reviewing Rabbit, Run on the radio this week.  You can here me Wednesday morning at 7:40AM (MDT) on CBC Calgary.  I'll also post the podcast here later in the week.