Wes answers “Chapter 20 - When I first read it, I...”

Steve B. asked this question about In the Distance:

Chapter 20 - When I first read it, I thought I had caught editorial errors as the same passages were repeated 2 or 3 times, word for word, only pages apart. Then realized this may be the writer symbolizing the circular thoughts that have been created in Hakan's solitude, with no longer a linear structure but simply a circular repeatable pattern. Which is it?

Wes My read was that it's the latter. That chapter marks the passage of a long stretch of time, and the repetition of passages was intended to give the re…moreMy read was that it's the latter. That chapter marks the passage of a long stretch of time, and the repetition of passages was intended to give the reader a taste of the unstimulating, repetitious nature of Håkan's life during that interlude. I thought this technique was executed well because it's obvious enough that the reader can't miss it, but it's subtle enough to make the reader wonder (at least at first) whether it was an error. I sometimes feel that confusion about my own life's rhythms: "Did we eat there last month, or was it last year?" "How can these shoes be worn out already--they're only a year old . . . or are they two?"(less)

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Calliope100 i did think it might be Hakan's perspective, but it comes across to me as more of an editorial error. ...more
Aug 06, 2019 07:55AM · flag

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