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BLACKWOOD FARM CHAPTER 26
May. 26th, 2017 07:25 pmIn this chapter, Anne Rice attempts to make a scientific explanation for ghosts. I will be honest, I hate when she tries to do this for her supernatural creatures. I don't think she's ever done it for her vampires, though I could be wrong, but she's done it for the witches and werewolves I believe, now for ghosts and spirits.
Now, let me tell you the reason I dislike it. It's not that I think that writers should never try to make scientificly-plausible explanations for supernatural creatures. There's a lot of instances where I really LIKE that, actually. But it has to...fit? This is gonna be more just opinion than everything else, but I feel like Rice's supernaturals are the type that work better when left purely in the realm of mysticism, outside science, outside explanations. The overall style and tone of her work just lends itself much better to that, to things that just ARE without anyone really know why they are or how they work. I am someone who usually likes explanations. But I feel like, in the case of Rice's mythology, supernatural explanations are better than “scientific” ones. For example, the first vampire being created by a spirit entering her flesh, that works for her stuff. The stuff said about ghosts here...I don't think it really does. But this is very much my opinion, your mileage may vary.
Also I don't think the science posited adds up but I don't understand enough about science myself to actually dispute it.
I just realized Hamlet is a theme in the book, like Father Kevin talks about Banquo and the ghost, I think it was quoted in Lestat's conversation with Aunt Queen, and a few other times. And I was randomly flipping through the book and came to a place ahead where Quinn quotes it at someone in anger. And, of course, Mona's shit about Ophelia. I wouldn't say that novels can't reference classical works or have them as a recurrent theme---Nabokov did that expertly with Carmen—but there doesn't really seem to be a point with how Rice does it, it's just there? It just seems kind of hackneyed and pretencious, like she thinks sticking Shakespeare in will make it classy elevated literature or somehow “smarter” and...I don't think she's pulling it off. There's still half a book to go, of course.
By the way here's a fun reminder she's a bratty vindictive person above and beyond anything LKH ever did:
http://lindsayetumbls.tumblr.com/post/160932356738/do-not-trust-anne-rice
I'll be honest, it kinda makes me scared to keep posting?
BLACKWOOD FARM CHAPTER
( Read more )
Now, let me tell you the reason I dislike it. It's not that I think that writers should never try to make scientificly-plausible explanations for supernatural creatures. There's a lot of instances where I really LIKE that, actually. But it has to...fit? This is gonna be more just opinion than everything else, but I feel like Rice's supernaturals are the type that work better when left purely in the realm of mysticism, outside science, outside explanations. The overall style and tone of her work just lends itself much better to that, to things that just ARE without anyone really know why they are or how they work. I am someone who usually likes explanations. But I feel like, in the case of Rice's mythology, supernatural explanations are better than “scientific” ones. For example, the first vampire being created by a spirit entering her flesh, that works for her stuff. The stuff said about ghosts here...I don't think it really does. But this is very much my opinion, your mileage may vary.
Also I don't think the science posited adds up but I don't understand enough about science myself to actually dispute it.
I just realized Hamlet is a theme in the book, like Father Kevin talks about Banquo and the ghost, I think it was quoted in Lestat's conversation with Aunt Queen, and a few other times. And I was randomly flipping through the book and came to a place ahead where Quinn quotes it at someone in anger. And, of course, Mona's shit about Ophelia. I wouldn't say that novels can't reference classical works or have them as a recurrent theme---Nabokov did that expertly with Carmen—but there doesn't really seem to be a point with how Rice does it, it's just there? It just seems kind of hackneyed and pretencious, like she thinks sticking Shakespeare in will make it classy elevated literature or somehow “smarter” and...I don't think she's pulling it off. There's still half a book to go, of course.
By the way here's a fun reminder she's a bratty vindictive person above and beyond anything LKH ever did:
http://lindsayetumbls.tumblr.com/post/160932356738/do-not-trust-anne-rice
I'll be honest, it kinda makes me scared to keep posting?
BLACKWOOD FARM CHAPTER
( Read more )
