Too Like The Lightning may be the great novel I ever have read.
Or, it might be terrible. I'm halfway through the third book of the series, The Will To Battle, and I still don't know.
I'm lost about a quarter of the time. Does the novel challenge me, or is it itself confused?
The protagonist has discussions with the Young Reader, Master Reader, and Thomas Hobbes. Is this a poor trick, or is it an expertly used knife searing away avarice and distrust?
The social structures in the novel are nearly as foreign to my eyes as to The Visitor, whom the novel often addresses as The Addressee. I do not know to what extend this is intentional, to what extent I fail to live up to the novel's beliefs of it's readers, or if it is a byproduct of the Author taking more upon herself than any of our dear Hobbes's Leviathans ever could.
There are exchanges in this novel that, when I reread them, I feel the turn of the ages and the swelling of humanity. I do not know, dear reader, if this is merely a product of my own dreams and faverstate, or if this Author has written a poem worthy of the Visitor.
In short, this novel is either among the greatest that I have ever read, or it is a foolish endeavor that has momentarily deceived me. I knowest not, and pray you would help me understand.
Also, no spoilers.
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I used to think the singular 'they' was a good candidate for general use, until I experienced it broadly applied in TLTL.
ReplyDeleteTell me what bothered you about the use of they, Luke Miller? That is, can you expand?
ReplyDeleteIt just felt uncomfortable and awkward to read, especially when more than one character was relevant to the paragraph and distinguishing cues were lost.
ReplyDeleteThis was the first work I have read that really put 'they' through its paces. I had previously been in favor of the idea based on academic arguments and isolated contextless examples -- but for me it really fell down when it was put into near exclusive use in a full length novel.
I think it is telling that the author couldn't even stick with it, instead she explored using gendered pronouns based on social roles rather than sexual characteristics. Those were a refreshing break from the otherwise ubiquitous 'they'.
My next unfounded theory is that we can construct meaningful and readable English sentences entirely without pronouns.
ReplyDeleteJury will remain out until I or someone else tries it across a couple hundred pages.
Luke Miller "The next unfounded theory is that people can construct meaningful and readable English sentences entirely without pronouns.
ReplyDeleteJury will remain out until this or an other person tries it across a couple hundred pages."
I think the Hannar in Mass Effect already tried it.
How did it go?
ReplyDeleteLuke Miller Well they were already religious fanatics, so they mostly came off as religious fanatics.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to derail this into a singular 'They' conversation.
ReplyDeleteI have a bunch of conflicting opinions about TLTL that are probably more interesting to discuss than pronouns -- I'm just not sure how to delve into them without spoilers.
Luke Miller Sorry, derailing threads is kind of an accidental hobby of mine. Especially when I am sitting in my car for an hour and a half waiting to board a ferry. Please feel free to ignore me.
ReplyDeleteI'll allow spoilers of Too Like The Lightning, but let us stay away from its sequels, I can't claim Madam's influence over others to help us stay the course, nor Utopia's vision toward the stars, nor even MASON's strength, but I do hope we can alleviate our doubts as good cousins ought.
ReplyDelete... I read it for another hour. This series is addictive.