I feel the need to talk about the quote right after the introduction to Liars' Club. "We have our secrets, and our needs to confess. We may remember how, in childhood, adults were able at first to look right through us, and into us, and what an accomplishment it was when we, in fear and trembling, could tell our first lie, and make, for ourselves, the discovery that we are irredeemably alone in certain respects, and know that within the territory of ourselves, there can only be our own footprints." - R.D. Laing, from The Divided Self. It really spoke to me. I've never heard anyone put that into words before. The more I think about it, the more I think of myself and the first lie I told. At the time, I came to much the same realization. Although it wasn't until I read that quote that I understood that is what I realized. That moment in time was one of my clearest memories, which is funny because the book starts with the author's sharpest memory.
I like the way the story starts. The first sentence catches your attention. I for one did not expect it. But it is the unexpectedness of it that I like. It's simple, and is a perfect intro to the story. She expounds upon that sentence as she describes the memory, and begins the story. As I said before, the beginning was not what I expected. I've read a couple other memoirs and it's not my favorite genre. I don't care for a story where in every other scene the author is talking about something that happened later or adding how it took so long for them to understand the lesson from a certain event. Mary Karr does do that in this chapter, but it fits, it's not distracting or taking away from the flow of the story. In fact, I think it adds something to it.
I also like how she kind of explains the title. In some books it takes half the book to begin to understand the title, and others you never completely understand it. You know when she starts talking about the unofficial club her father was in, and that people called it the liars' club.
The intro to The Memoir and the Memoirist was okay. I'm not a fan of introductions. I don't like anything to spoil the book I'm about to read. That said, it wasn't bad. It told the story, I guess, of how the book came to be. I like the fact that the class didn't want to stop meeting, and that while telling of the class you get a little background information on the author. Also I like that it was rather short, sweet and to the point.
Sarah,
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you in words even before I meet you in person.
I'm glad the opening quotation spoke to you. What were the circumstances of that first lie? If you bring up something so interesting, you have to continue on that topic!
Bring us to the place Karr says she's going to leave something out of her story until later (page 9). You're right to bring us there and identify it as a tactic that can be distracting, even annoying. How and why does she make it work here, though? To what effect? How might you delay revelation of big events in your own writing? Why might a writer do that?
Glad to see you off to a good start.
I like how you started your blog off strong by using a direct quote, this really captured me into reading more. Also, reflecting on your personal experiences really helps the readers of your blog make out what type of person you are and how well you understood the similarities between you and the book.
ReplyDeleteI love how you write; it's personal, but proves your point. The first sentence was interesting to me also because of her memory starting out dark. Which is odd because dark doesn't really entail being able to see so well. I love how Karr named the book after her father's "group" because there is a bond between her and her father which will perhaps make even better sense as we read the rest of the memoir. In The Memoir, the class wanted to be guided longer by Larson, even after classes were over, but I loved how Larson just couldn't do it. I found it to be insightful and informative about what true memoir writing was about and very to the point. Brava!
ReplyDeleteSo, in response to Dave:
ReplyDeleteMy first lie I was about five. I grew up living nest door to two of my cousins, Lauren and Bryon. My cousin Lauren, who is a year older than me, had pushed me and caused me to cut my knee. My cousin pleaded with me to tell my mom it was our friend megan. (I like most little kids wanted to please my cousin) Upon walking into my house, crying and nervous, I told my mom megan had pushed me and I'd fallen and cut my knee. My mom saw straight through me, and pestered me until I admitted my cousin was the one who actually pushed me. My cousin didn't speak to me for a week after that.
Also, I think it works, because it still fits with the story. When she leaves things out, its not annoying. and I think it has to do with that first sentence. it prepares you in a way for that to occur. It allows her to not give away too much information too soon, which is critical.