A Goodreads user
asked
K.K. Edin:
I have not read much science fiction, but I have read a good deal of philosophical literature, both ancient and recent. I have read summaries, passages, and reviews of "Measurements" and am very intrigued. I am a bit intimidated by what some are calling "daunting" prose. I enjoy complexity, mind you, but how would your novel compare-in terms of intricacy-to something infamously so, such as Infinite Jest? Thank you!
K.K. Edin
Hi Carson,
Thanks for your question. I think a few people have been wondering the same. Bear in mind that my answer may not be fully accurate since I am very familiar with my own novel, and with familiarity comes ease.
I do agree with most of what others have said about the complexity of the novel, but I think the real complexity is more philosophical than stylistic. Someone with a background in philosophy such as yourself should probably not worry. There are some stylistically more difficult and ornate passages (e.g. Chapter 38), and I have consciously decided to buck the trend of minimalism, but overall I do not consider the prose to be impenetrable. The novel is not entirely composed of such difficult passages. Furthermore, these passages do not compare to the type of difficulty presented by post-modern novels, I don't think. Rather, the style is inspired by works such as Confessions of an English Opium Eater, Notes From the Underground, Moby Dick or Blood Meridian, which people find difficult for other reasons.
In terms of intricacy, I believe the narrative structure can be a bit confusing at the beginning. Without wanting to spoil anything, the overarching plot tying together the three main characters is not obvious until later on in the novel. However, the three narrative strands are not individually difficult to follow, so I am not sure there is a real difficulty there. In addition, a lot of the stylistic choices have an internal, thematic or plot-based reason which is not revealed until later on.
Lastly, I think the other reason some might have difficulty with the novel is by treating the Narrator as an extension of the author rather than a character in his own right. That approach is doomed to result in difficulty for moral and for narrative reasons. This is partly because the style of the language is intrinsic to the character of the Narrator and the philosophical problems that motivate and torment him. Understanding the novel really requires treating the Narrator as a character with an idiosyncratic world-view. The comparison here would be (somewhat) to how one should treat Humbert Humbert in Nabokov's Lolita.
To summarize: Yes, the book has intricacy, difficulty, and complexity, but probably not entirely of the sort found in post-modern classics. The better comparison in terms of difficulty would be to more romantic or 19th C. works. I would say that something like Gravity's Rainbow is much more difficult and impenetrable than TMOD, for example.
Someone who would be able to understand the philosophical content and themes of the book I think would have no problem following my novel.
I hope that satisfactorily answers your question. Thanks for reaching out, and please don't hesitate should you have any other questions in mind.
Sincerely,
KK
Thanks for your question. I think a few people have been wondering the same. Bear in mind that my answer may not be fully accurate since I am very familiar with my own novel, and with familiarity comes ease.
I do agree with most of what others have said about the complexity of the novel, but I think the real complexity is more philosophical than stylistic. Someone with a background in philosophy such as yourself should probably not worry. There are some stylistically more difficult and ornate passages (e.g. Chapter 38), and I have consciously decided to buck the trend of minimalism, but overall I do not consider the prose to be impenetrable. The novel is not entirely composed of such difficult passages. Furthermore, these passages do not compare to the type of difficulty presented by post-modern novels, I don't think. Rather, the style is inspired by works such as Confessions of an English Opium Eater, Notes From the Underground, Moby Dick or Blood Meridian, which people find difficult for other reasons.
In terms of intricacy, I believe the narrative structure can be a bit confusing at the beginning. Without wanting to spoil anything, the overarching plot tying together the three main characters is not obvious until later on in the novel. However, the three narrative strands are not individually difficult to follow, so I am not sure there is a real difficulty there. In addition, a lot of the stylistic choices have an internal, thematic or plot-based reason which is not revealed until later on.
Lastly, I think the other reason some might have difficulty with the novel is by treating the Narrator as an extension of the author rather than a character in his own right. That approach is doomed to result in difficulty for moral and for narrative reasons. This is partly because the style of the language is intrinsic to the character of the Narrator and the philosophical problems that motivate and torment him. Understanding the novel really requires treating the Narrator as a character with an idiosyncratic world-view. The comparison here would be (somewhat) to how one should treat Humbert Humbert in Nabokov's Lolita.
To summarize: Yes, the book has intricacy, difficulty, and complexity, but probably not entirely of the sort found in post-modern classics. The better comparison in terms of difficulty would be to more romantic or 19th C. works. I would say that something like Gravity's Rainbow is much more difficult and impenetrable than TMOD, for example.
Someone who would be able to understand the philosophical content and themes of the book I think would have no problem following my novel.
I hope that satisfactorily answers your question. Thanks for reaching out, and please don't hesitate should you have any other questions in mind.
Sincerely,
KK
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more