Christy Stillwell’s Reviews > The Master > Status Update

Gorgeous, succinct prose. I was never more aware of a writer not over-writing. He builds these intense, riveting scenes, and then Henry (The Master himself, who was not succinct) says nothing, goes to bed. And the reader is left to react to all that went on in the scene, both in dialogue and subtext. It zings around the mind. Whereas if Toibin had gone on, as I would have, the impact would be diluted....

Gorgeous, succinct prose. I was never more aware of a writer not over-writing. He builds these intense, riveting scenes, and then Henry (The Master himself, who was not succinct) says nothing, goes to bed. And the reader is left to react to all that went on in the scene, both in dialogue and subtext. It zings around the mind. Whereas if Toibin had gone on, as I would have, the impact would be diluted....