Honestly, I can never get through all the way through it. I get to Judges, and then it's like - I get so hyped up! But then, the momentum sort of flags after that one. It can't sustain.
But the way the book itself is put together has always intrigued me. I wonder why nobody writes their books like that these days? Like, a whole bunch of semi-unrelated books with different titles jammed between two covers and - most importantly - broken down by chapter and verse. That's a nice little touch! Got to have the chapter and verse. Little numbers dancing in superscript!
Now, don't misinterpret me. I don't mean such a book would have to be explicitly biblical in theme. In fact, that's my whole point: it shouldn't be. It's been done. But I believe the Bible's peculiar format could be fruitfully adapted to some other narrative purpose. Why not? Where is it written that the Bible is the only book that can be put together in that crazy numbered-up pastiche of styles? Let's experiment with the form! Let's at least give it a try, to let that style spread its wings across farther skies. See where the wind takes us!
Now, obviously this isn't a project for just any author. It would have to be one of those writers with mammoth stamina, and promethean creativity to match. One of those 850+ page churner-outers. Wally Lamb could totally do it!
Mr. Lamb, I am totally looking forward to your next book. Whatever it may be.
However long it may be.
2 comments:
Well, the chapters and verses were added much later, so theoretically it could be done with any book! Maybe you'd like to give it a try.
Try something really long like LOTR, besides how cool would it be to go around citing chapter and verse for that?
That's a quite scholastically-adept observation there, jul, and spot on!
Still, even chapter/versed up, LOTR is still a pretty smooth "of a piece" narrative style. I was more getting at something where each section was to some extent a different literary form. Like in the OT, you've got your unadorned matter-of-fact historical accounts such as Judges, but then you've also got your Song of Solomon or your Proverbs or your Deuteronomy or what have you. Basically a number of different formats.
Post a Comment