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I've read a number of acclaimed literary novels this year, many of which I've enjoyed most of. (For the purposes of this post, I'm specifically thinking of Little Bee, Parrot and Olivier in America, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, Bel Canto, and The Piano Tuner.) And it's occurring to me that a large percentage of modern literary novels I've read, and all of the five I've listed here, have disappointing endings. (See also Her Fearful Symmetry, The Magicians, and pretty much anything Neal Stephanson has written, for literary/speculative crossovers with the same problem.)
All of them have a really intriguing idea at the heart. The characters are engaging and believable. The prose is gorgeous. The plot rolls along, pulling you in, and then at the very last second (frequently on the last page), slams into an inexplicable wall. Quite a lot of them foreshadowed their (usually tragic) ending early on, and yet it still feels like a shock, and not in a good way. It's more like the author abruptly realized that s/he had run out of events/writing time, and suddenly brought the book to a close as quickly as possible, even if the lovely graceful flow that had been sustained throughout was suddenly shattered.
I guess part of the problem is that modern literary novels are usually more focused on internal revelation than external events. The main characters' arcs had all come to a resting place, so there was no reason to continue the book...except for that pesky plot the author started. Better wrap that up right now. No one likes a denouement these days.
Except that I'm also an avid reader of genre fiction, where plot is more important than characterization. You will forgive an author who doesn't quite manage a perfect character arc if the plot gets tied up well at the end. But I've read more genre fiction that handles characterization as gracefully as plot than I've read modern literary fiction that handles plot as gracefully as characterization and description.
Is it too much to ask for both?
All of them have a really intriguing idea at the heart. The characters are engaging and believable. The prose is gorgeous. The plot rolls along, pulling you in, and then at the very last second (frequently on the last page), slams into an inexplicable wall. Quite a lot of them foreshadowed their (usually tragic) ending early on, and yet it still feels like a shock, and not in a good way. It's more like the author abruptly realized that s/he had run out of events/writing time, and suddenly brought the book to a close as quickly as possible, even if the lovely graceful flow that had been sustained throughout was suddenly shattered.
I guess part of the problem is that modern literary novels are usually more focused on internal revelation than external events. The main characters' arcs had all come to a resting place, so there was no reason to continue the book...except for that pesky plot the author started. Better wrap that up right now. No one likes a denouement these days.
Except that I'm also an avid reader of genre fiction, where plot is more important than characterization. You will forgive an author who doesn't quite manage a perfect character arc if the plot gets tied up well at the end. But I've read more genre fiction that handles characterization as gracefully as plot than I've read modern literary fiction that handles plot as gracefully as characterization and description.
Is it too much to ask for both?
A recommendation
Date: 2010-12-28 09:12 pm (UTC)From: (Anonymous)http://www.amazon.com/Great-House-Novel-Nicole-Krauss/dp/0393079988
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Re: A recommendation
Date: 2010-12-28 09:50 pm (UTC)From: