Thoughts from Pearl

Two thoughts:

On names in a story or novel: When a writer chooses to use functional

or meaningful ones, such as Dark and Silver (in LIghthousekeeping by

J. Wintersen), a close reader might note that the writer has

allegorical intentions, as opposed to say the more realistic names of

a realistic novel. This knowledge gives the reader better insight

into what might be going on in the particular novel, what the writer

wants the reader to experience and learn.

On narrative distance: Even in a novel written in third person with

an omniscient narrating voice, there can be more and less intimacy.

Sometimes this changes sentence by sentence: the narrator can bring

you in and send you out to arm's distance (or more). Close (slow or

attentive) reading gives you an opportunity to feel the intimacy and

distance and then you can begin to ask why the writer might be doing

this. For example: Does the writer want to keep you in the fictional

dream or does she want to remind you that you are reading a story.

And how does it affect your take on a given scene or sentence or

character?

Hope this helps. Pearl