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Feb. 26th, 2008 12:32 pmI just want to record the entire awesomeness of Nick Stathopoulos. I'll do a proper post later (I don't awe easily and I need time to recover).
Feb. 26th, 2008
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Feb. 26th, 2008 04:57 pmI'm back to looking at characters. Those impatient few waiting for more posts on introductions and characters can heave a sigh of relief.
Today's book is Book Four of a series. The reason I chose it was because series and trilogies have special problems of character introduction. Continuing readers already know the chief characters and new readers need a clear introduction. Continuing readers often need an affirmation that what they know is right in order to read further. New readers need to be tempted to read further with none of this prior knowledge.
Felicity Pulman* does all this well. It's obvious the story is about Janna**, that she's living in another time or place and that she has the capacity for acute observation and a generous amount of caring. This all affirms what previous readers know about her as a young adult finding her way in England during the Civil War (not the Roundhead/Cavalier one - the other one, Stephen vs Matilda). It also sets her up very well both to travel with the pilgrims and to be interested in who they are and what they are doing. All of which is going to get her into trouble, of course, especially given the slight rebelliousness she displays (I was going to say 'stroppiness,' but it's the wrong word and I can't find the right one).
What's neat is how Pulman does it. Janna observes events and acts upon them. Simple. It's through this observation and her attempted action that we gain so much information about her and get the sense of what her story is going to be like.
It's a fairly standard style of introduction, but by making it so much owned by the main protagonist gives us the capacity to see Janna sharply and clearly. This is one reason why this kind of introduction isn't so unusual: it's extremely effective for stories where one character is inextricably intertwined with everything that happens later on. It is - in fact- very good craftsmanship.
Let me give you the first three paragraphs.
"As the small band of pilgrims passed through Wiltune, Janna saw a crowd ahead, gathered into a shouting, gesticulating knot outside a cottage. At their centre was a cowering wretch who groaned and howled in pain. Those standing close enough kicked out at him, or stretched to pull out tufts of his hair. Dogs barked in excitement and pushed past legs to get closer, slavering over the scent of fresh blood.
Ever soft-hearted for someone in trouble, Janna quickened her steps to come to the man's aid, but was stopped by a firm hand on her arm. 'Leave it off, lass,' a gravelly voice advised. 'There's nowt you can do for him now.'
'Who is he? What's he done to deserve such treatment?' Janna strained against the pilgrim's grasp. She felt angry that he should be so lacking in compassion, but was even more furious that he had taken it upon himself to tell her what to do."
* In case you rush out and get the Janna Mysteries - which you should - and you pay attention to a particular line in the acknowledgements, I'm only responsible for advising the author on bits and pieces. All that lovely writing skill and thoughtfulness in character development is Pulman's own.
** Why I Hate Most Prologues #43: even in stand-alone books they too often don't introduce characters from the novel and so I have to spend double the energy finding my way into the book. It's not me who hates most prologues - it's my laziness.
Today's book is Book Four of a series. The reason I chose it was because series and trilogies have special problems of character introduction. Continuing readers already know the chief characters and new readers need a clear introduction. Continuing readers often need an affirmation that what they know is right in order to read further. New readers need to be tempted to read further with none of this prior knowledge.
Felicity Pulman* does all this well. It's obvious the story is about Janna**, that she's living in another time or place and that she has the capacity for acute observation and a generous amount of caring. This all affirms what previous readers know about her as a young adult finding her way in England during the Civil War (not the Roundhead/Cavalier one - the other one, Stephen vs Matilda). It also sets her up very well both to travel with the pilgrims and to be interested in who they are and what they are doing. All of which is going to get her into trouble, of course, especially given the slight rebelliousness she displays (I was going to say 'stroppiness,' but it's the wrong word and I can't find the right one).
What's neat is how Pulman does it. Janna observes events and acts upon them. Simple. It's through this observation and her attempted action that we gain so much information about her and get the sense of what her story is going to be like.
It's a fairly standard style of introduction, but by making it so much owned by the main protagonist gives us the capacity to see Janna sharply and clearly. This is one reason why this kind of introduction isn't so unusual: it's extremely effective for stories where one character is inextricably intertwined with everything that happens later on. It is - in fact- very good craftsmanship.
Let me give you the first three paragraphs.
"As the small band of pilgrims passed through Wiltune, Janna saw a crowd ahead, gathered into a shouting, gesticulating knot outside a cottage. At their centre was a cowering wretch who groaned and howled in pain. Those standing close enough kicked out at him, or stretched to pull out tufts of his hair. Dogs barked in excitement and pushed past legs to get closer, slavering over the scent of fresh blood.
Ever soft-hearted for someone in trouble, Janna quickened her steps to come to the man's aid, but was stopped by a firm hand on her arm. 'Leave it off, lass,' a gravelly voice advised. 'There's nowt you can do for him now.'
'Who is he? What's he done to deserve such treatment?' Janna strained against the pilgrim's grasp. She felt angry that he should be so lacking in compassion, but was even more furious that he had taken it upon himself to tell her what to do."
* In case you rush out and get the Janna Mysteries - which you should - and you pay attention to a particular line in the acknowledgements, I'm only responsible for advising the author on bits and pieces. All that lovely writing skill and thoughtfulness in character development is Pulman's own.
** Why I Hate Most Prologues #43: even in stand-alone books they too often don't introduce characters from the novel and so I have to spend double the energy finding my way into the book. It's not me who hates most prologues - it's my laziness.