A Goodreads user asked this question about The Lincoln Highway:
I find the use of long dashes instead of quotation marks very distracting. It takes me out of the story. Does anyone know why this punctuation choice was made?
Elizabeth It was a tiny bit distracting at first, but I quickly got used to it.

I've seen this style used in French literature.
(I just did a search and learned…more
It was a tiny bit distracting at first, but I quickly got used to it.

I've seen this style used in French literature.
(I just did a search and learned that James Joyce used this technique as well):
—Damn me, said Mr. Dedalus frankly, if I know how you can smoke such villainous awful tobacco. It's like gunpowder, by God.
—It's very nice, Simon, replied the old man. Very cool and mollifying.


[- James Joyce, "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"]

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by Amor Towles (Goodreads Author)
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