Ian McEwan is a new favorite writer of mine. Not only do I adore his prose, but he intrigues me with the psychological suspense aspect of his fiction.
His skill with narration is genius. This is from The Cement Garden, and hints at the show/tell hybrid that helps describe narration for me:
“When I was eight years old I came home from school one morning pretending to be seriously ill. My mother indulged me. She put me into my pajamas, carrried me to the sofa in the living room and wrapped me in a blanket. She knew I had come home to monopolize her while my father and two sisters were out of the house. Perhaps she was glad to have someone at home with her during the day. Till the late afternoon I lay there and watched as she went about her work, and when she was in another part of the house I listened closely. I was struck by the obvious fact of her independent existence. She went on, even when I was away at school.”
I think I am following your train of thought. I think a key to good narration is all in passing along the feeling. Its like how your memories are stored in your head, and how you would convey them to other people.
Here, he doesn’t show/describe the house, mother, etc…but you get the overwhelming feeling that you know exactly what it is like.
haha. I am just reading Atonement this weekend, and I am in LOVE.