
Oates, Joyce Carol. Black Water. New York: Plume Contemporary, 1993.
I've never read Joyce Carol Oates before so I didn't really know what to expect. I've heard her name numerous times. I've seen her titles countless times in bookstores both used and new. Oates is what we like to call a prolific writer. Additionally, she's won the National Book Award. Prolific award winning writers present a special challenge. If you don't already read them, where do you start? Even the best authors have the occasional flop, and it's always deflating to accidentally read the flops first. The obvious solution is to go after the award winners. However, I very often don't like the National Book Award winners. (It's awful, I know, I'm so ashamed)
Ultimately, I went to a used book store and read the first five pages of the half dozen titles of hers available. This is not my preferred method of title discovery. It's a little like throwing a dart at a bibliography tacked to corkboard. I walked away with Black Water which seemed interesting for it's oddly looping plot.
From the first page, it is clear what the outcome will be. The story, in fact, starts with a car skidding into a deep marsh. From there the plot loops back and forth through time. It alternately explores the backstory and details Kelly's, the protagonists, struggle to survive until help comes. Back and forth, back and forth, sometimes repeating, and sometimes blurring the reality with dream. It's an odd novel structure, but masterfully done.
I wasn't disappointed by my first Oates experience.
2 comments:
That book. It left its marks on me. And yet I still buy her books. *shuddering at the horror of being dragged under with the narrator*
It was pretty disturbing. The whole thing was a bit fog creating. By the time I was done I felt a little like I had just slept 10 hours and coulnd't wake up
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