Reading with Style discussion

20.3 - We read (Fall 2011, 20.4)
Read an epistolary novel, a narrative mode in which a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Examples can be found here.

Would this one count for this? ttyl
It's written in the form of instant messages.
It's a YA without lexile points because it's not prose so I know it wouldn't get style points, but just want to check that it is OK for the task.

Rosemary wrote: "Would this one count for this? ttyl
It's written in the form of instant messages.
It's a YA without lexile points because it's not prose so I know it wouldn't get style points, but just want to che..."

I'll take it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for this task? I have never really read anything like this except Dracula and I really didn't enjoy that very much.

I have two books penciled in for this:


Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Evelina

One very popular book that qualifies is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which I've read and quite enjoyed.

And here is a listopia:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/30...

And here is a Wikipedia offering of comparatively recent works. I didn't look to see how many are repeats from the GR Listopia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistola...

And here is a new release that one of my GR friend's has awarded 5 stars (from an arc):

Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady

I decided to first read The Letters of Abélard and Héloïse and if I had time then The Fox Woman since they have both been sitting on my to-read shelf for awhile now ^_^

Would Letter to My Father work?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "And here is a new release that one of my GR friend's has awarded 5 stars (from an arc):

Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady"

Does this one work? From the description and reviews it doesn't sound like it's all told through the diary (and if it is, it sounds like the diary was real, not fictional). Do real diaries and letters count?

Connie wrote: "Would Letter to My Father work?"

This is a tough one. It appears to be only a single letter & I tend to think of epistolary novels as multiple letters/documents. Also, I don't think it is a novel. I don't think it fits.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "And here is a new release that one of my GR friend's has awarded 5 stars (from an arc):

Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady"..

Rosemary is correct -- this is a non-fiction book, not a novel.

Liz M wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "And here is a new release that one of my GR friend's has awarded 5 stars (from an arc):

Mrs. Robinson's Disgrace: The Private Diary of a Victorian Lady"..

Rosemary is c..."

My error, I thought it was fiction. I see now her earlier work was also non-fiction.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson

How much of the novel needs to be "epistolary"? I'm reading I've Got Your Number. There are numerous emails and text messages throughout -- indeed, the emails and text messages drive the action. However, they are only at most 10% of the novel.

Deedee wrote: "How much of the novel needs to be "epistolary"? I'm reading I've Got Your Number. There are numerous emails and text messages throughout -- indeed, the emails and text messages drive the action. ..."

The entire novel should be written as a series of documents.

From wiki: "An epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs, and e-mails have also come into use. "

Here's another list that may have a few different choices
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/46...

Ella Minnow Pea is a quick and fun read

I just started reading The Prestige by Christopher Priest and the first few pages are not written in the epistolary format but the rest of the book is. The book is over 400 pages and I would guess that more than 90% is in the form of journals. Is there anyway that this can count? I found this book on one of the wikipedia lists and assumed it would work before I saw Liz M's message.

Ceraphina wrote: "I just started reading The Prestige by Christopher Priest and the first few pages are not written in the epistolary format but the rest of the book is. The book is over 400 pages and I would guess ..."

If all but the first few pages is written as a series of documents, I'll take it.

Does The Historian qualify? The majority of the story is told through letters and journals.

Jenifer wrote: "Does The Historian qualify? The majority of the story is told through letters and journals."

I don't think it qualifies for We Read, as I recall there is a lot of 3rd person narrative. However, nearly all of the time the characters are on a journey, so it would qualify for Road Trip.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jenifer wrote: "Does The Historian qualify? The majority of the story is told through letters and journals."

I don't think it qualifies for We Read, as I recall there is a lot of 3rd person narra..."

Thanks, Elizabeth. I found these links that do list it as epistolary:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...
and
http://www.abebooks.com/books/letters...

Let me know what you think. If not, I can just use it as my first tdos book. I was just thinking it would be worth more points if I can get some style points for it. :)

Jenifer wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Jenifer wrote: "Does The Historian qualify? The majority of the story is told through letters and journals."

I don't think it qualifies for We Read, as I recall there i..."

From the wikipedia article: "Letters, excerpts from books and academic literature, and the narrator's reconstructions of stories told to her by her father."

It is this latter - reconstructions of stories - that takes it out of the epistolary novel classification for this task and is what I recalled as not falling into the category of journal entries or diaries or letters.

Okay. Thanks.

Would Darling Jim work? The summary indicates it is told through diaries.

Sara Grace ('00-'05) wrote: "Would Darling Jim work? The summary indicates it is told through diaries."

The summary seems to indicate three levels of storyline -- Jim, two sisters, and Niall. It appears that only the sisters' storyline is told through diaries. So I don't think it works.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "And here is a Wikipedia offering of comparatively recent works. I didn't look to see how many are repeats from the GR Listopia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistola..."

I chose Letters In Cardboard Boxes, which was given as an example of epistolary writings in this list. However, I am sure now that I am reading it that it will not fit the definition of this task as Wikipedia seems to include books that have an epistolary element but not totally epistolary books. This one has narration which is accompanied by letters written to the protagonist by her grandmother.

I'm right about it not fitting, aren't I?

Liz M wrote: "20.3 - We read (Fall 2011, 20.4)
Read an epistolary novel, a narrative mode in which a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Examples can be found here."

Letters In Cardboard Boxes is also on this list.

I thought I had figured out another book to read - Kate: The Journal of a Confederate Nurse, but then it turned out not to be a NOVEL.

So...I just happened to be looking at some sale books I recently picked up from the library, and, behold, I think I got it! One Thousand White Women: The Journals Of May Dodd It says right on the cover that it is a NOVEL.

Is this one acceptable? I hope.

Will epitaphs count for this task?

I was thinking about reading Spoon River Anthology. Except for the introductory poem which is less than 40 lines, the entire collection is epitaphs in the first person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoon_Ri...

If it won't work for this task, I can use it for 20.8 - Serially. But that would be a repeat for me, so I thought I'd ask for a ruling on using it for 20.3.

D wrote: "Will epitaphs count for this task?

I was thinking about reading Spoon River Anthology. Except for the introductory poem which is less than 40 lines, the entire collection is epitaphs in the first..."

I'm going to say no to this; the epitaphs are poems.

Liz M wrote: "I'm going to say no to this; the epitaphs are poems. "

OK, thanks. I'll use it for 20.8 if I stay with it and finish it.

I was wondering if you would accept "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet" for this task because each chapter is broken down by date. I thought I check first before posting.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "I was wondering if you would accept "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet" for this task because each chapter is broken down by date. I thought I check first before posting."

Dated Chapters alone do not make a book epistolary. Is it written as a series of letters or diary entries?

No not really, they are just dated chapters.

Jayme(the ghost reader) wrote: "No not really, they are just dated chapters."

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet is not written in the first person as an epistolary novel, so it will not qualify for this task.

okay, that is what I thought.

Would Frankenstein work for this task? When I interpreted it right (listened to the audiobook), the frame narrative consists of letters and the "main story" is told in a very long letter. But perhaps someone else who read it got another impression?

Yes, Frankenstein is epistolatory. I read it this season and claimed combo points for 20.3. It is all told in letters from the Captain to his sister.

It also qualifies for 10.4 and 20.9 :)

Thanks, Rosemary. I got that impression as well but wasn't sure.

I'm planning to use it for 10.4 anyways, but it's always nice to get a few extra combo points.