tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164206822403278866.post2062233289419556148..comments2024-02-27T07:05:52.851-05:00Comments on Beth Revis: Plot DevicesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11431700962951592287noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164206822403278866.post-72994125533363996282008-11-27T15:12:00.000-05:002008-11-27T15:12:00.000-05:00I shouldn't comment, because I haven't yet read Ba...I shouldn't comment, because I haven't yet read Battle of the Labyrinth. Still, can't help myself.<BR/><BR/>I have read three of the Olympian books, and found them all charming and utterly enjoyable, yet I could never shake the feeling that they were terribly derivative, relying both on HP and on Gaiman's works, especially American Gods.<BR/><BR/>Still, they are written for an age group (to which you and I don't belong) that cares not a scrap if a book is derivative. If they did they wouldn't finish the HP series and then begin reading Charlie Bone books.<BR/><BR/>Still, the dream and vision element in Rowling's books was absolutely fascinating, and it set a very high standard.<BR/><BR/>Both in the dream link between Harry and Voldemort and in many other aspects of the Hogwarts world Rowling left a great deal in the realm of mystery. She did not feel that everything had to be explained in pedantic detail. This is entirely enchanting and realistic, for mundane life is never fully explained, nor do we want it to be.<BR/><BR/>But in fiction this is very hard to pull off. Writers either explain too much (American Gods did, I thought, while Coraline left more in intriguing mystery) making us feel that they think us stupid, or they leave gaps that seem to disrespect our desire to understand. Either way it feels to the reader like the author is selling us short. This is a very tricky business and few pull it off so sparklingly as Rowling did.<BR/><BR/>So it sounds to me like the problem in the dream series is that it is not coming across as a legitimately mysterious element but rather feels (to the reader) like a lazy attempt at real mystery. If this is right, then reading it probably feels a little bit like being insulted by Riordan.<BR/><BR/>Just my thought, it is an intriguing problem. Now I have to actually read Labyrinth to see how it plays to me.Doug P. Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10259297751420532238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164206822403278866.post-62246129749311312852008-11-27T06:17:00.000-05:002008-11-27T06:17:00.000-05:00If authors could know all the contents of every bo...If authors could know all the contents of every book, they might find your warning impossible to heed. Certainly Potter was not the first character to have visions. <BR/><BR/>Personally, it surprised me that Storm Front's main character is Harry the Wizard, though I found more strange coincidences than that in the book.Bowmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11031226145526664876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164206822403278866.post-38190854443665101252008-11-26T20:58:00.000-05:002008-11-26T20:58:00.000-05:00I just can't get myself to agree with you only bec...I just can't get myself to agree with you only because it's Rick Riordan. But I agree in theory.<BR/>In book 2 of my Emerald Tablet series I had this entire dream thing going on which totally got yanked in a revision back in April. Thank God.PJ Hooverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02602205868934777662noreply@blogger.com