The Novel; a Sublime Anachronism?

I stole a portion of that title from the WSJ review of Mark Helprin’s In Sunlight and Shadow which is referenced in this article by Gordon Crovitz called How the Internet Saved the Novel, but it’s fitting based on the substance of that article. Generally I enjoy articles by Gordon Crovitz, this one . . . not so much. In the article Mr. Crovitz begins by quoting Verne’s prediction that the novel would fall out of favor then makes the case that the exact opposite has occurred.

“The death of the novel has often been declared over the years. In 1902, Jules Verne predicted novels "will be supplanted altogether by the daily newspaper," which would "color everyday events" so that readers wouldn't need well-crafted fiction to fire their imaginations. But a century later the form endures.”

Next Crovitz quotes Helprin’s book at great length, so much so that this reader started to wonder just how much Helprin paid Crovitz for this homage. Beyond the quotes was this passage which gets back to the meat that I wanted to dine on.

“Engaging with a novel written like this—whether through print or e-book—requires rare focus in our information-snacking lives.”

There is a significant difference between reading a novel and reading the daily texts, messages, emails, articles and other detritus that crowd our daily lives around computers and tablets. It requires more thought and dedication to be sure, but also more resilience. It's a great point, but I found that mixing the quotes from Helprin's novel, which require a certain type of reading, with the point-making that usually goes into an article like this was off-putting but provided a perfect demonstration of the point Crovitz was making.

“The more time people spend tracking fleeting pixels on digital screens, the more they seem to yearn for something else. The well-crafted novel is more alive than ever.”

I was eager to read this article when I saw the title, sadly Mr. Crovitz left a lot on the table in lieu of praise for Helprin’s book which based on the review I saw last week will remain on my “Probably Aint Going to Read List.”

Like an Old Friend

As I wrote, it's been a while since I read a Rex Stout novel, and having read this passage, it makes me wish I hadn't taken so long to re-visit him.


Though the name of Naylor-Kerr, Inc., was vaguely familiar to me, it was not a household word, and I lifted the brows when I learned from the lobby directory that it paid the rent for three whole floors. The executive offices were on the thirty-sixth, so up I went. The atmosphere up there was of thick carpets, wood panels and plenty of space, but as for the receptionist, though she was not really miscast she was way past the deadline, having reached the age when it is more blessed to receive than to give.

Stout, Rex - Too Many Women

I love the fact that he writes "I lifted the brows," such a wonderful way to turn a phrase and grab the readers attention just a tad.

Pabulum? Perhaps

Some might say that its not worth my time or effort to read Vince Flynn or Evanovich puff. I disagree. These are highly readable and best selling authors. When I post the first and last posts of their stuff it might come off as unreadable nonsense, but it's gripping unreadable nonsense when one is involved in the story.


Rapp stood in the surf with his gun in his hand and counted. He got to a hundred, thought of his wife, thought of the baby, and smiled. It was the first genuine smile he’d had in over nine months. He glanced down at the gun and then tossed it up in the air, catching it by its thick black silencer. Rapp hesitated for a moment, and then threw the weapon end over end into the ocean.

Flynn, Vince - Consent to Kill

Back on Track

My work-a-day life has overwhelmed my writing life . . . thankfully my reading life remains untouched. I can still post first lines, last lines and book reviews. Here's the most recent first line:


IT WAS THE same old rigmarole. Sometimes I found it amusing; sometimes it only bored me; sometimes it gave me a pronounced pain, especially when I had had more of Wolfe than was good for either of us.

Stout, Rex - Too Many Women

Been a while since I read a Rex Stout, based on this first line, I've waited too long. Sounds like a good start to a good read.

A Bad Rapp

To kill a man is a relatively easy thing— especially the average unsuspecting man. To kill a man like Mitch Rapp, however, would be an entirely different matter. It would take a great deal of planning and a very talented assassin, or more likely a team, who were either brave enough or crazy enough to accept the job. In fact, any sane man by definition would have the sense to walk away.

Flynn, Vince - Consent to Kill

Despite being one of the more hokey first passages, I'm a third of the way through the book and it's not as bad as these first lines make it seem.

Character is all that Matters

I think that these Reality Shows that are so pervasive on the television these days are the ultimate illustration that character is all that matters.

Some time ago someone told me that it's not the story that matters, it not the plot or the setting or anything else, all that matters is character. Make the reader care about the characters and they'll keep reading.

Look at these new Reality Shows on television. Flipping Out, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Dancing with the Stars, it's all about promoting the characters. Those that don't are now defunct. Why am I thinking about this? Cause among the shows about Duck Hunting, Critter Wrangling, and all the others is a new reality show that focuses on farmers.

Farmers? Yep, farmers. It's not a stretch really if you consider that it's all about character. I bet there are plenty of colorful, characterful, farmers out there. If a producer can run into a compelling enough farmer character, it doesn't matter what the subject matter is.

There Has to Be a Story in This

Actually I think there is a great story here.

Everyone who reads this blog knows that I use it for my own personal filing cabinet as well as to communicate to readers. First I put my book reviews here so I can remember what I have read. Also I put my Story Ideas in here so I can remember I want to write something. Here's one for the Story Ideas file.

I like to read the conservative National Review every now and then. This story, linked here by Jonah Goldberg, would make a terrific thriller. Tracking down and confronting a hostile reader and finding out it's the 17 year old son of your best friend. That's awesome thriller plot stuff there!

Despite It All, . . . I'll Do It Again

Armageddon by Leon Uris . . . my first Uris book, and I liked it. Liked it more than I thought. When I started it I was a underwhelmed. It was a slow start and really the first quarter of the book was slow to start. It's a novel about Berlin, yet Berlin doesn't come up until the second half of the book.

That being said, I had no idea I wanted to read about the Berlin Airlift. Here I was thinking I was going to read about World War II instead I read about the nascent days of the Cold War. Who knew that the Berlin Airlift was so interesting? I was enthralled and engrossed once that sucker got off the ground. As long as the reader as the patience to wade through the politics that Uris describes, in somewhat agonizing detail, then the payoff is worthwhile.

It reminded me of Red Storm Rising. There is a huge cast of characters, one of whom is a main character, but who is not always a part of the central storyline. There is a war, political intrigue and lots and lots of detail. The problem? . . . Like my problems with Michener . . . I hate fiction that takes place in the real world. There's a fine line between writing historical fiction, history and fiction. I never knew what to believe in when I read a Michener book. That's the same way I felt with Uris. It wasn't historical fiction so much that it was true fiction. I don't like not knowing which parts are actual events verses which are completely made up.

I highlighted a description of the morning . . . it happens in every book.

DAWN CAME WITH A crispness that gave a new life to the wet misery of the soldiers; and it brought the news that during the night a battalion of infantry had crossed the Landau in rubber boats and now held the south bank.

This next one is a long one, but I loved this description of Russian soldiers.

“Russians are like a pack of animals on the attack and otherwise. The pack strikes best in numbers. And ... like the animal ... he is most vicious when he is cornered. 

“Like the animal, the Russian blends into the natural backgrounds of the landscape and he knows how to use terrain for protection. Like the animal, the Russian is able to endure cold and hunger ... better than any soldier in the world. No Russian soldier would think of surrendering to the enemy merely because he is starving. He can disappear into the land like a fawn. He can survive from roots and herbs. For a Russian soldier to get frostbite is considered a crime by his superiors. And ... like the animal ... his instincts are sharper and his courage greater under the cover of night. He is a superb night fighter. 

“Although this Russian soldier is a resourceful animal he does not exist as an individual for he is a conditioned and controlled animal. All the thinking is done for him from above. He is never asked or expected to make a decision on his own. 

Then there was this, a description of Leningrad.

In the last days of April Russian victories were counted in inches, casualties in tens of thousands. No siege, this; batter it out foot by foot, room by room; isolate it house by house, street by street, section by section; reduce it to shambles. Artillery and tanks fired down great streets at point-blank and walls grotesquely buckled and crashed. Human fodder, bearing bayonets and flamethrowers, gutted and gored its way forward. Rivers of blood spilled into the gutters. The back of the Nazi was being broken by unstoppable sledge-hammer blows. 

All things considered, despite my aversion to Michener-esque writing, I'd be willing to give another Uris a try.

A More Compelling Start for Fiction

After Uris commitment book (review to come soon) I've gone trashy and short. Another Evanovich novel. It's like eating junk food. Tasty and quick, but fun at while you're doing it. This one . . . Hot Six.

Okay, so here's the thing. My mother's worst fear has come true. I'm a nymphomaniac.

Janet Evanovich - Hot Six

It's got me hooked.

A Compelling Start for Nonfiction

I'm currently reading a nonfiction book recommended to me by both my wife and NPR. I heard about The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg about six months ago while listening to NPR one morning. I thought it sounded intriguing, but not being an avid nonfiction reader, I didn't pursue it beyond mentioning it to a co-worker. The other day my wife said that I should read a book she was reading. Guess which book it was.


She was the scientists’ favorite participant.

Lisa Allen, according to her file, was thirty-four years old, had started smoking and drinking when she was sixteen, and had struggled with obesity for most of her life. At one point, in her mid-twenties, collection agencies were hounding her to recover $ 10,000 in debts. An old résumé listed her longest job as lasting less than a year. 

The woman in front of the researchers today, however, was lean and vibrant, with the toned legs of a runner. She looked a decade younger than the photos in her chart and like she could out-exercise anyone in the room. According to the most recent report in her file, Lisa had no outstanding debts, didn’t drink, and was in her thirty-ninth month at a graphic design firm.

Duhigg, Charles - The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

I don't know about you, but those first passages were enough to grab me.