J.
Mead Falkner
There
was no question of passing this book by when i saw it in the library:
Falkner wrote Moonfleet,
one of the best children's stories ever written, so clearly i was
going to have to see if i enjoyed this as much as the other. It is
different, quite different, that is important to say at the outset.
Stradivarius
is a lot shorter, possibly a novella or novelette, though i'm never
sure of definitions with those words, and intended for adults not
children (not to say that Moonfleet
can't be enjoyed by adults). It is more of a ghost or Gothic tale
rather than an adventure; indeed, very little adventurous happens at
all: It is more what happens within the characters, most especially
the protagonist, who is almost possessed by a ghost or a piece of
music or a violin, or all three.
Falkner
has purposely reached back into the past ~ his past, as well as ours
~ to create his story, telling it by means of a letter from an aunt
to a nephew ~ the protagonist's sister and son ~ some number of years
after the event, as an explanation of his family's past. I have to
say that, were this the first of Falkner's books i had read, i would
not now be considering it a success; my reception of it, however, is
affected by my affection for the other. Gothic is not my favourite
genre, though i don't hate it; nor am i overly enthusiastic about the
narration technique ~ not just here, but in general the epistlatory
style is not one i love. These are not enough to make me turn from
it, though; i think that more of my response is due to the story
itself, which is curiously plain, meaning that the events do not seem
to flow properly from the character and actions given. It is more
forced, in other words, than i am comfortable with.
No comments:
Post a Comment