Saturday

history on repeat



Am i the only one to think that novels shouldn't have a pattern ? something that writers follow as if there were a guidebook that can explain how to make novels interesting and sell well ? I'm reading "the history of forgetting" by Stefan Merrill Block this week. A young writer, only 26, praised by all, particularly by the French press from what i've read here and there. And his novel about halzeimer is indeed interesting and i assume well-written in English but i'm reading the French translation.
But isn't his novel built in the same way as two other great authors, happily married and also residing in Brooklyn, Jonathan Safran Foer and Nicole Krauss ? It was already slightly frustrating for me to sincerely enjoy reading "The history of love" without trying to think too much that its construction was just the same as "Extremely loud, incredibly close".
2 main characters with a deep and inextinguible link. 2 narrative voices. A young one and an elderly.



Here it goes again in "The story of forgetting". Did Stefan Merrill Block attend a special creative writing course for that ? Or did his publishing house or agent play a role ? Or did he simply realize that yes, the way J.S. Foer and Nicole Krauss are telling stories is highly entertaining. Even S.M. Block's title is similar to Nicole Krauss's book. And the book covers too !

I can't help feeling annoyed by this. I don't want to think about books as a key-part of the publishing circus. I want to be enthrilled by novels. I don't want to see the tricks in them. I'll never be able to be a good writer i know that and i'm not jealous. I just wish the gifted ones didn't spoil their talent miming others.

Oh well. i'll just go back finish this book and keep knitting, moaning to myself every now and then.

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