tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post7243584405087496310..comments2024-03-26T23:41:10.319+00:00Comments on Authors Electric: What makes a good novel? - Bill KirtonKatherine Robertshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17196712319655603442noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-36294946609507498662013-12-09T15:05:38.372+00:002013-12-09T15:05:38.372+00:00On the one hand, Bill, I agree with you that it...On the one hand, Bill, I agree with you that it's a matter of degree: on the other, I tend to believe that the moment we assign motive and intention, our understanding of human nature becomes of necessity reductionist. Think of an acquaintance or friend who has committed suicide: we need to understand; we can't understand. I suppose that's one of the things I try to embrace increasingly in my fiction - this inherent contradiction.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-56862986535458631122013-12-09T10:32:35.850+00:002013-12-09T10:32:35.850+00:00I think I know what you mean, Lee, and I wouldn...I think I know what you mean, Lee, and I wouldn't disagree. I maybe overstated the idea of 'understanding' our characters. Rather than wishing to imply it's 'thorough', I'd say that we're more confident of having a sharper definition of their intentions than we are of knowing those of 'real' people. It's not a comprehensive but a relative knowledge. I'm pretty confident this was Blacker's thinking, too. Despite all I've said, I'm still frequently surprised by what some of my characters do. In fact, at the moment, I'm writing a sequel to a novel set in 1840 which ended on a lovers' kiss and I've no idea how their relationship has developed (or been allowed by society and friends to develop) in the 12 months since then. I'm just hoping they'll soon let me know.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-76753770224042264322013-12-09T08:47:57.284+00:002013-12-09T08:47:57.284+00:00Bill, may I suggest something different? I'm b...Bill, may I suggest something different? I'm beginning to suspect that writers who thoroughly understand their characters have, for the most part, created less interesting characters than the writers who leave room for a certain impenetrability and strangeness. All too often, second-rate fiction is the result. Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-1827782599753149892013-12-08T17:41:22.604+00:002013-12-08T17:41:22.604+00:00Ssssh.Ssssh.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-20173648287529200782013-12-08T17:10:09.812+00:002013-12-08T17:10:09.812+00:00Oh that's so true. And (perhaps I should whisp...Oh that's so true. And (perhaps I should whisper this) sometimes we prefer to spend time with our fictional creations!Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-38133666023965008112013-12-08T16:23:14.540+00:002013-12-08T16:23:14.540+00:00Couldn't agree more, Catherine. You're des...Couldn't agree more, Catherine. You're describing a very familiar experience. I've probably mentioned this before but I remember an excellent piece by Terence Blacker in The Author about what he called 'Life block'. Crudely put, it was a suggestion that we know fictional characters (especially those we've created ourselves) better than we know 'real' people. We understand them and their relationships, know their psyches, can penetrate their motives, whereas our partners, family and friends are unpredictable and sometimes act like strangers.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-46711843790872514282013-12-08T14:18:41.708+00:002013-12-08T14:18:41.708+00:00Excellent post, Bill. Bernard MacLaverty talks abo...Excellent post, Bill. Bernard MacLaverty talks about 'made up truth' and I think he's so right about that. No matter how fantastic the story and setting, there are books you believe in implicitly -because they seem absolutely true. But there are also some books - and they can be anything from the lauded literary to the bestselling blockbuster - where you find yourself thinking 'I don't believe in any of this!' I usually try to ask myself why - and I'm well aware that it's only my opinion. My current favourite, China Mieville, has (so far) captivated me twice, in two completely different novels: The City & The City and Railsea. In both of them I was immediately in the (bizarre) world of the novel, believing implicitly, not once thrown out of it - rushing on to the end but dragging my feet to slow it all down, sad to leave the central character, and reflecting afterwards on all kinds of ideas - layers and layers of them - contained in the books. Isn't reading wonderful?Catherine Czerkawskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14554969254207924049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-69156143158773221152013-12-08T12:36:12.052+00:002013-12-08T12:36:12.052+00:00Yes, Lee. Somewhere long ago I read that Da Vinci ...Yes, Lee. Somewhere long ago I read that Da Vinci on or near his death-bed and referring to his work said 'Was anything done?' It's probably apocryphal but I'd prefer to believe it.Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-19883357692685802712013-12-08T08:15:38.177+00:002013-12-08T08:15:38.177+00:00This comment has been removed by the author.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-69347529361390666772013-12-08T08:15:07.564+00:002013-12-08T08:15:07.564+00:00Hi Bill, it's reputed that the famous Japanese...Hi Bill, it's reputed that the famous Japanese painter and printmaker Hokusai said on his deathbed - he died at 89 - that if he could only be granted another five or ten years of life, he might become a good painter. I remind myself of this when disheartened, but also when I read yet another 'great' or 'brilliant' accolade in a book review or tweet. How have we managed to produce such a surfeit of genius in just a generation or two? Beats me.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-8131690321367251172013-12-07T17:16:52.853+00:002013-12-07T17:16:52.853+00:00Thanks, all.
You're right Lee, there are plen...Thanks, all.<br /><br />You're right Lee, there are plenty of novels about but not so many merit that adjective.<br /><br />Kathleen, yes I'm happy if I can approach 'good'. I leave 'great' to real writers.<br /><br />Jan, for me Beckett is what I believe nowadays is called 'Da Man'. So many brilliant one-liners, starting with 'In the beginning was the pun'. Priceless.<br /><br />Lydia, earlier this year I wrote a short story called 'An evening with Emma Bovary' and realised I'd been in love with her since I was 18. Bill Kirtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16345949773423764808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-19441423202945183802013-12-07T15:52:30.476+00:002013-12-07T15:52:30.476+00:00Well said Bill! Being part of thefictional world i...Well said Bill! Being part of thefictional world is the gift of novels and plays. I was addicted to patrick o'brians novels for that reason. That world was so real to me I spoke of a character in a party conversation, quite forgetting he is fictional!Lydia Bennethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09328239009863878547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-34159205301313718592013-12-07T12:29:13.953+00:002013-12-07T12:29:13.953+00:00who was it who effed the ineffable? either beckett...who was it who effed the ineffable? either beckett or one of his characters. good man, billJan Needlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15823078224282953782noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-32192513159222509702013-12-07T06:27:41.829+00:002013-12-07T06:27:41.829+00:00Very hard indeed! I particularly liked the paragr...Very hard indeed! I particularly liked the paragraph where you distinguish the great from the good Bill - I agree entirely 'ineffable'.<br />Lovely, thoughtful post.Kathleen Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07645566938871914385noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2429560125838989988.post-21781288053381908142013-12-07T05:20:38.395+00:002013-12-07T05:20:38.395+00:00A lovely post to wake up to this morning.
Only th...A lovely post to wake up to this morning.<br /><br />Only thing is, you haven't mentioned how hard it is to actually write one - a good novel, I mean!Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13770069472552779217noreply@blogger.com