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"Before you know it as the years go by, you're just like other people you have seen, with all those peculiar human ailments. Just another vehicle for temper and vanity and rashness and all the rest. Who wants it? Who needs it? These things occupy the place where a man's soul should be." -- Henderson the Rain King

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Snow White

Book #49 of my 2005 reading list was Snow White by Donald Barthelme.

This one wasn't really what I was expecting. I knew it was supposed to be an experimental novel reimagining Snow White, but for some reason I was expecting the story to just be a straightforward retelling of the classic fable updated to a modern setting. Instead Barthelme uses a poetic writing style somewhere on the complexity continuum between James Joyce and William Burroughs. It's a very imaginative and unique book, but not a very accessible one.

Since I was ignorantly expecting more of a straightforward story I plowed through the book pretty quickly. In retrospect it's definitely the type of book that's meant to be savored, re-read, and analyzed line by line. I don't generally have the patience for that (also see 'Reasons Why Jamie Doesn't Read Poetry'), but if you do you may enjoy this one. Barthleme's reputation as a writer's writer didn't come from nowhere. As for me, I think I'm going to give 60 Stories a try and see if it's more my style.

You can read a brief excerpt from Snow White here.

posted by Jamie at 10:57 PM