Week 7: Writing Style

     After Equiano's story, which managed to be simultaneously dense and long-winded, this book feels like a breath of fresh air. The story is written in a very easy to digest way, with the third-person perspective often lending direct insight into every character's thoughts and emotions. This makes it easy to understand what every character feels about a certain situation, which also has the benefit of offering many different perspectives that help create a story that feels populated with a variety of diverse opinions. It is a lot like Home Fire in this way (and also very different from Equiano's book and The Secret River).

    It also has a bit more dialogue than some of the books we have read this quarter, which was refreshing. I think that has made reading it a much more enjoyable experience. Both of the other books we have read this quarter have been paragraph-dense, which made them tough to read for longer than 20 minutes at a time for me. But this book is honestly very well-paced. I haven't found myself enjoying many of the stories we read (not because they are bad, but because reading for homework often feels more like a chore than fun), but this story is different. It's got dialogue, descriptive language, and a fast-pace that makes it easy to pick up and get into. The plot itself also has enough suspense and intrigue that isn't boring or predictable.

    Overall, I am enjoying the writing-style of this story. It suits my reading-style very well, which has made me not only enjoy the book, but also allowed me to pay deeper attention to it's themes and characters.

Comments

  1. Griffin JonesFebruary 27, 2023 at 5:07 PM

    I totally agree with you! Equiano's story was a bit of a struggle to get through, and this book is a welcome change. The writing style is much more accessible, and I love how we get to see into the thoughts and emotions of each character. The dialogue is also a nice touch and makes it easier to follow along. I'm glad we finally got a book that's both enjoyable and thought-provoking.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 28, 2023 at 1:38 AM

    Hi Jalen, I also am enjoying the writing style of this book. It reminds me much more of last quarter's books, especially There There and Home Fire. I think this book is even more rich with thoughts, details and imagery than the previous books we have read.

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  3. Gema Sanchez GamezFebruary 28, 2023 at 7:29 AM

    Hi Jalen, I agree that Pachinko feels a lot easier to read than Equiano. I also appreciate that there's more dialogue than in "The Secret River". I feel that we can really understand the characters more as well as the political and economic situation of Korea and Japan at the time. The author's note to the reader at the beginning of the book also helped me feel more connected to the story.

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  4. CassiFebruary 28, 2023 at 2:29 PM

    Hi Jalen! I am enjoying this book a lot as well. I am someone who enjoys to read in my spare time, and reading this book has definitely felt more like a personal book rather than a "school book." I feel like the language Lee uses helps bring the characters alive, and this story is able to live in my imagination a bit easier than some of the other stories we have read.

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