WatchSeeLookView With Words - Playing With Form

I definitely enjoy a simple tale well-told without resorting to bells and whistles. That being said, I also enjoy something that plays with form. I read a lot and, from time to time, I like to read something that doesn’t fit into your traditional form and format for a novel. Given their experimental nature, they may not always be one hundred percent successful but, if the concept is strong enough, that can carry through any of the limitations. Here are some examples of recent ones that I’ve read (along with an old classic that’s always worth a mention).

NB These are all books that I’ve read in their original paper, non-Kindle version and I think they benefit from being read in such a way (with maybe the exception of the last one which you could read either way).

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall
In A Nutshell:- Eric Sanderson wakes up with no memory of who he is, only a cryptic trail to follow left apparently by himself
I have to admit, when it comes to television, the whole “amnesiac character has to piece together their life” thing is usually a big turn off for me but here, the mystery of who Eric Sanderson is and why his memory is missing is the cornerstone of the whole plot. It’s a fun novel with a fairly frantic pacing that lead to me to plough through it a few days. It’s got some sections that play nicely with the structure of the printed page as well as the first time I’ve ever seen a cinematic moment accurately rendered in printed form over a period of fifty pages (which takes seconds to “read”). My only minor criticism is that the riffing on a certain film goes on a little too long but how could I not enjoy a book that prominently features a grumpy cat called Ian?

Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris: Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry by Leanne Shapton
In A Nutshell:- The story of a relationship as told through items at an auction
Definitely one that’s heavy on the style element here (and quite possibly the longest title for a book that I've read) - the book is presented as an auction catalogue which traces the items owned by a couple from their first meeting onwards. The story of their relationship unfolds in the texts of postcards, letters, on the back of photos, in books and makes for a completely unique read. I definitely enjoyed the style of this (even if the life of the couple does seem utterly pretentious - not a trashy book in their entire collection!). It maybe has a few sections of items that a bit superfluous but overall I enjoyed it.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
In A Nutshell:- Wove. Twue wove.
“Hmm,” I hear you say, “does this one really count?” yes, I would say it does as the narrative device of the grandfather reading the book to his grandson is slightly replicated here in that Goldman claims to not be the author but is just the translator and abridger for the original Florinese text, prefacing some chapters with notes about the parts he’s excised, largely relating to Florinese history and customs and of little interest to the outside world. It’s a great technique and is a fun way to expand upon the authenticity of the world without pages and pages of background info dumping. Also, it’s The Princess Bride which is, in my opinion, even better in the original book version so actually, stop reading this and go off and read this right now instead. Go on, I can see you’re here. Alright, I’m stopping….now.