Books: Taft
by rrusczyk, Oct 27, 2008, 4:56 PM
Taft by Ann Patchett
In an earlier discussion, djcordiero noted that good science fiction is about human nature, and what it is to be human. I would expland that to any good fiction, and Taft is an example. What's the book about? Not much. But it was excellent, nonetheless. Patchett's writing is outstanding, both technically and thematically. There are no false notes in the book, which I find very rare in any fiction. Perhaps this is why I find books like this so compelling -- it's very real, even if the underlying story isn't particularly "big" or "thought-provoking". It's a very empathetic book, in which the reader really comes to know the main character, and understand what it is to be him.
There's one Simpsons episode that ends with the Simpsons trying to find a moral in the episode. Homer asserts that there is no moral -- it's just a bunch of stuff that happened to some people. That's Taft, and, like that Simpsons episode, it's part of why it works.
In an earlier discussion, djcordiero noted that good science fiction is about human nature, and what it is to be human. I would expland that to any good fiction, and Taft is an example. What's the book about? Not much. But it was excellent, nonetheless. Patchett's writing is outstanding, both technically and thematically. There are no false notes in the book, which I find very rare in any fiction. Perhaps this is why I find books like this so compelling -- it's very real, even if the underlying story isn't particularly "big" or "thought-provoking". It's a very empathetic book, in which the reader really comes to know the main character, and understand what it is to be him.
There's one Simpsons episode that ends with the Simpsons trying to find a moral in the episode. Homer asserts that there is no moral -- it's just a bunch of stuff that happened to some people. That's Taft, and, like that Simpsons episode, it's part of why it works.
February 2012
January 2012