Let me begin by stating that I am not a well-read person. I love to read, but mostly for entertainment purposes. I do not, nor have I ever considered myself to be a literary wiz.
Having said that, we all agree that this story could have taken a different route. However, for some strange reason, with all of its inconsistencies, I found my self becoming quite engaged in this book. Yes, there were alot of characters. Yes, we are not sure why some people are even there. But as the characters were introduced, I thought that they were relevant at the time and didn't think much of it.
This book, with its many flaws, created a positive dialogue. I believe that this book presented an opportunity in which it opened up the door for many views to be expressed. Some of these views represented peoples belief and were very sensitive and dear to people's hearts. Many views were expressed that I would have never thought of. They made me realize all the potential aspects that a book has.
As awful as this book may have seemed, it gave me an opportunity to expand on my Literary knowledge of the Mystery Genre. I have added another book to my repertoire that I would have otherwise never read. I personally feel that every book I read after this one will be observed differently. Aside from having more in-depth questions that I could ask, I feel that I am a little closer to becoming equipped with the necessary tools to distinguish between good and bad literature. On that note, Here are some pressing questions (pressing to me that is) :
What is great literature?
Who defines what great literature is?
Is it possible to dissect a book so much that it takes away from its original intent?
Maybe Laura Lippman's task was not to invoke deep thought in "What The Dead Know". Maybe she wrote it because she had a great idea for a mystery novel and hoped that someone like me would find it interesting. Yes I said interesting (not sure about award-winning worthy, but it held my attention if that it saying much). Whatever the intent, whatever the views, I believe it offered a platform in which many different perspectives could be presented.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think you hit upon some interesting points here, Jennifer. I think that some books are not intended for deep scrutiny, but I think the best books can stand up to deep scrutiny. Otherwise, I think books that cannot stand up to analysis, fall by the wayside, get forgotten, pushed into the shelf, and not regarded again. A good story is, unfortunately, fleeting. But, the best literature, I think, is more than a great story, it also illuminates parts of our world or parts of ourself and has the capacity for change.
ReplyDeleteI think I will remember the Lippman book, maybe more so for our interrogation of it than the book itself, though I admit that I liked the novel more when I learned that she based it on a real situation and tried to recreate what could have been an explanation.