VoyForums

Sun, May 18 2025, 22:56:49 PDT [ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, 2, 3, [4], 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ]

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Date Posted: Mon, March 13 2023, 23:25:46
Author: CindyG
Subject: QOTD for Sunday March 12 & Monday March 13

Forgive me please! I completely forgot to post quotes. I’m getting ready to move from California back to Indiana to be near my son, and I’m totally discombobulated. I’ll do my best to remember the rest of the week.

The following quote is from Voyager by Diana Gabaldon, chapter 11, “The Torremolinos Gambit.” Copyright 1994 by Diana Gabaldon, all rights reserved.

“This evening, they had come from the dinner table, still discussing Samuel Richardson’s immense novel Pamela.
‘Do you think that the size of the book is justified by the complexity of the story?’ Grey asked, leaning forward to light a cheroot from the candle on the sideboard. ‘It must after all be a great expense to the publisher, as well as requiring a substantial effort from the reader, a book of that length.’
Fraser smiled. He did not smoke himself, but had chosen to drink port this evening, claiming that to be the only drink whose taste would be unaffected by the stink of tobacco.
‘What is it—twelve hundred pages? Aye, I think so. After all, it is difficult to sum up the complications of a life in a short space with any hope of constructing an a substantial effort from the reader, a book of that length.” Fraser smiled. He did not smoke himself, but had chosen to drink port this evening, claiming that to be the only drink whose taste would be unaffected by the stink of tobacco. ‘What is it—twelve hundred pages? Aye, I think so. After all, it is difficult to sum up the complications of a life in a short space with any hope of constructing an accurate account.’
‘True. I have heard the point made, though, that the novelist’s skill lies in the artful selection of detail. Do you not suppose that a volume of such length may indicate a lack of discipline in such selection, and hence a lack of skill?’
Fraser considered, sipping the ruby liquid slowly.
‘I have seen books where that is the case, to be sure,’ he said. ‘An author seeks by sheer inundation of detail to overwhelm the reader into belief. In this case, however, I think it isna so. Each character is most carefully considered, and all the incidents chosen seem necessary to the story. No, I think it is true that some stories simply require a greater space in which to be told.’ He took another sip and laughed.”

[ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

Replies:

[> I've always seen this as a thinly veiled attempt to justify the size of DG's books. Fortunately, I love big thick books so no justification needed. -- Susannah, Tue, March 14 2023, 4:30:54


[ Edit | View ]


[> [> Exactly! -- DianaH, Tue, March 14 2023, 14:18:10


[ Edit | View ]





[ Contact Forum Admin ]



Forum timezone: GMT-8
VF Version: 3.00b, ConfDB:
Before posting please read our privacy policy.
VoyForums(tm) is a Free Service from Voyager Info-Systems.
Copyright © 1998-2019 Voyager Info-Systems. All Rights Reserved.