Bill Philibin
asked:
I started reading this before but I couldn't get through it because of the spelling and structure. I should like this book because I love dystopian fiction... Is it worth pushing through to the end?
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Riddley Walker,
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Nancy
In case you're still trying... the answer is yes. Try reading it aloud. Hearing it makes the meaning clearer.
Susan Rainwater
Yes, absolutely. Learning the characters' dialect is part of the story. I found that about 2/3rds of the way through the book, I got a real shock when the author reveals some of the word meanings and a lot of the backstory. Definitely worth the effort. --S
Rodzilla
It took me a few tries to read this one, for exactly the same reasons. Yet some friends I greatly respected had recommended it. I finally got the hang of the language and really enjoyed it. Rarely do I say this: it was worth the long fight.
J
Yis, i thynk ye shood
Henry Gasko
If you do decide to push through with it, make sure you also have some explanatory material with you. I used http://www.errorbar.net/rw/ - especially the chapter summaries, and with this I did get through it (there are also books and study guides out there but this free).
Having said that, I was quite disappointed by the end of it. There is lots of metaphor and allegory here, and enough linguistic tricks for a (pretty useless) PhD. But there is not much of a story, and what there is, is not really believable (esp. the Prime Minister of what is left of the country wandering from village to village giving a Punch and Judy show to explain his policies). No doubt another metaphor.
I also have a real problem with an author who sets out to deliberately obscure his message in an effort to make it more "realistic" of the setting. If he were writing a story about China for an English-speaking audience, would he write it in Chinese? After all, that would be faithful to the story and entirely realistic. And a real waste of time, which is largely what this is.
The author has also said that the language is deliberately confused and confusing (even when it does not need to be) to slow the reader down and force him or her to delve deeper into the story and its meanings. That might be true for the 10% or so of readers who do make this effort and struggle through to the end. But speaking mathematically, the author would have to get a lot of bang for this technique with that 10% to make up for the 90% who simply gave up. Is that what an author would want - great appreciation from a small group at the expense of alienating most of his potential readership (and I am talking about his artistic outcome, not the financial outcome).
Try "A Canticle for Leibowitz" which is largely the same story (complete with the re-discovery of dangerous technologies). But you will actually finish it.
Having said that, I was quite disappointed by the end of it. There is lots of metaphor and allegory here, and enough linguistic tricks for a (pretty useless) PhD. But there is not much of a story, and what there is, is not really believable (esp. the Prime Minister of what is left of the country wandering from village to village giving a Punch and Judy show to explain his policies). No doubt another metaphor.
I also have a real problem with an author who sets out to deliberately obscure his message in an effort to make it more "realistic" of the setting. If he were writing a story about China for an English-speaking audience, would he write it in Chinese? After all, that would be faithful to the story and entirely realistic. And a real waste of time, which is largely what this is.
The author has also said that the language is deliberately confused and confusing (even when it does not need to be) to slow the reader down and force him or her to delve deeper into the story and its meanings. That might be true for the 10% or so of readers who do make this effort and struggle through to the end. But speaking mathematically, the author would have to get a lot of bang for this technique with that 10% to make up for the 90% who simply gave up. Is that what an author would want - great appreciation from a small group at the expense of alienating most of his potential readership (and I am talking about his artistic outcome, not the financial outcome).
Try "A Canticle for Leibowitz" which is largely the same story (complete with the re-discovery of dangerous technologies). But you will actually finish it.
Cam Hoff
As a friend of mine said "the juice isn't worth the squeeze".
John of Canada
I found that reading it aloud really helped.After a while doing this it fell into place quite nicely.
Wade Duvall
I had the same problem as you. Had to read this for school and just hated it. In truth I didn't even manage to finish it. I may have to come back to this as I work my way though Pringles list.
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