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Thursday, 09.02.2010 |
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| Life Expectancy |
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Product Details
Notes
switches viewpoint in the first chapter from Jimmy to Rudy, section break
almost seems like an omniscient narrator until we hear Rudy's thoughts
suspense in first chapter comes from the author predicting a crazy future
we don't know how it will all fit together, but the author assures us it will
nice subtle humor, newborn infants ponder light, shadow, hunger and taxes
the homicidal clown, cool imagery
first of five terrible days prophesized by Jimmy's grandfather
great revelation bringing in the identity of the maniac leader
the author sometimes likes to preach through his characters
"We need to laugh at the irrationality of evil, for in doing so we deny evil's power"
this isn't bad because he uses first person, so it's the character's philosophy
the whole clown and aerialist circus background is unique and interesting
a lot of time spent on the first of five terrible days, must be needed for setup
the suspense in the chapter endings work because he's telling the story later
so the narrator can say, i know the whole story, so this is what will happen
rather than a narrator-character who's experiencing the story as it happens
early prediction seems like it will happen soon, but it's delayed until very late
the prediction of a shooting still occurs, but it doesn't happen where we think
in general, i think i prefer surprises that occur in realtime vs. author's knowledge
nice twist in Chapter 55, this is a big one and it occurs at the right place
they never explain how Jimmy and Lorrie figured out the connection in the twist
another big twist in Chapter 67, nice one
the more you expect from life, the more your expectations will be fulfilled
by laughing, you do not use up your laughter, but increase your store of it
nice ending, one more simple twist that's good
overall the story pace seemed slow, though the idea was interesting |
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