Some observations on prose technique

[goliard]

I was rereading one of my favorite action sequences in fantasy, the mantichore battle in E. R. Eddison’s The Worm Ouroboros, and was struck by some of the technical devices in it. Here’s the passage:

Comments

[ijon]

I tried, but I can't stomach the Eddison you bring here (and it's the first bit I see of Eddison's work). I note all the effects you mention, of course, and they're certainly there, but the underlying substance is just... I don't know, turgid? Or maybe it is just that this sort of narrative bores me to tears, however stylish it may be.

Synchronicitously, I'm re-reading The Hobbit these days, and enjoying every minute.

[goliard]

Hmm, so it's the substance you object to rather than the style? (Though "turgid" sounds like a criticism of the latter...) If so I'm hopeful that you might like the Zimiamvia books, which are interesting as a philosophical statement (and contain lots of Greek!). But then I don't really know your literary taste that well.

The Hobbit hasn't palled for me either - the storytelling is pitch-perfect - but I can't say the same for The Lord of the Rings, unfortunately. I was rereading it this summer for the first time in years, and got stuck halfway through, thinking the book could have used a ruthless editor.

[ijon]

Oh, and if you want to read some fantastic narratology, check out any book by Meir Sternberg. Perhaps begin with his first book, "Expositional Modes and Temporal Ordering in Fiction" (a mouthful, yes, but I guarantee a high insight-to-page ratio.)

[bpretty]

I haven't read Eddison, and I have heard mixed accounts of the book, mostly in relation to the prose, from those who find it enchanting and others who count it among the most challenging out there. The brief passage you included certainly seems effortful, and it brings me in mind of the question of what I'm looking for when I read. I can certainly see the beauty in the style and composition as you explain Eddison's work, but I am unlikely to have made notice of any of these items myself! I congratulate you on this explanation, and I sincerely hope you'll continue to point out these kinds of things in the future, as your entry certainly adds to my interest in Eddison's work.
(Though I'm not a big fan of Stevenson's Kidnapped...)

[goliard]

Well, you don't have to be conscious of these devices for them to be effective, you know - I didn't notice any of this stuff the first time I read this passage, I just thought it was an extraordinary scene. This entry was me returning to the passage trying to figure out why it had impressed me so much.
And I find Eddison's prose at once enchanting and challenging - no contradiction there.

[bpretty]

yeah, sure, I know what you're talking about. i write music to be enjoyed, not because I expect people to be able to pinpoint the relationships between the different sections. But I also know that when I find these kinds of connections, it enriches my appreciation for the work, especially if I've already had a chance to let it speak to me on its own terms. by that I mean that I prefer to start by listening to music instead of analyzing it, but that eventually the analysis helps me to further enjoy it. It's a similar premise for me with books - certainly I hate knowing what happens in a book before I start reading it - but your analysis of the writing in the passage you included also piqued my interest in his writing overall. And in general, I'd like to see more of these detailed analyses of authors in this community, because that's the kind of thing that both helps me figure out what to read and also bolsters my enjoyment of the things I've already read.

[mojave_wolf]

Probably came to this discussion too late for many to see, but there was a great book by Lin Carter on pre-Tolkien high fantasy that I read in middle school which first aquainted me with Eddison, Ghormenghast, and several others. Alas, I can't recall the name of it and it's back in the bedroom where I grew up, waay cross the country. Worth looking for if you're fond of this kind of thing, tho.