Plot twist! I switched books. Although I was enjoying A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans, I actually lost the book. And I also don't think it was the best book to blog about, because there weren't any characters that I felt strongly about. It was mostly about what was going on in Juneau regarding the regular appearance of Romeo the wolf.
Now I am reading Columbine by Dave Cullen. This book is elegantly written. First of all, Cullen takes one single day in American history and turns it into a four-hundred page book. Second of all, he doesn't just describe the people involved, I'm in their heads; reading their every thoughts. It's awesome! Right now I'm on page 51, which is right in the middle of the blow by blow of the massacre. I had to stop reading because I was on a plane, and I can't read during turbulence, but I can't wait to get back into it! I'm right at the part where Ms. Nielsen staggers into the library screaming at the students to take cover from the gunmen. Cullen describes every detail, every nook and cranny of the school and the massacre. Everything you could imagine about April 20, 1999 is uncovered. It makes me want to go to Columbine High School right now and check out all the hallways, the entrances, the library, and the cafeteria. I started reading while I was in Colorado just an hour's drive from the high school so it was even more tempting to hop in the rental car and see everything for myself.
Everything about the two killers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, is divulged; their relationships with their parents, friends, and themselves. Just from reading the first 50 or so pages, I can imagine exactly what Eric and Dylan would be like if I knew them. Although Cullen is the narrator, he uses specific language according who he's talking about. For example, when he describes stuff about Eric's life, Cullen uses curse words and teenage slang. I can really feel a smooth shift every time he switches characters. It's refreshing, and definitely keeps things interesting.
This book sounds awesome! I think I almost read it at one point but now I really want to! It's so great when authors really pay attention to detail, it's like they're trying to pull you into the world to see it through their eyes. Tolkien, (I'm reading The Hobbit) writes very similarly and incorporates details that don't even seem necessary but are so colorful. It's mind boggling to think about how much thought goes into that type of writing. It might be cool to do something like that, just pick a spot and try to describe every last detail as you see it. I'd love to see some passages from this book though, especially descriptions of the killers because they seem so complex. The fact that they're actual people probably makes the character sketches that much more interesting, and could maybe help with writing fictional characters. I feel like the trouble I have with my writing is that my fictional characters never have enough dimension as real people. Studying real people could add more layers to character development in writing. (Sorry to ramble, I'm coming up with all sorts of ideas while I'm writing). In summary, I love this idea and I would love to see more passages from the book itself.
ReplyDeleteP.S. you might want to change the theme or font color, it's a little hard to read in some places. :)