cantspellrestaraunt t1_itcumto wrote on October 22, 2022 at 5:48 PM

Reply to comment by braineatingalien in What is a book that you found to be the most underline-able, highlight-able, or quotable? by Fossill4

First quote is a little purple for my taste. Super abstract imagery. Though it does sound pretty. Second quote is phenomenal.

braineatingalien t1_itd0i46 wrote on October 22, 2022 at 6:27 PM

I understand but it does make sense within the plot line of the book. The MC is an African American woman in the early 20th century who, after a lot of trial and tribulation and dealing with some really shitty humans, meets the love of her life. She subsequently >!has to shoot him after he contracts rabies and tries to kill her.!< She’s reminiscing at the end of the story about how her life is still worth living despite the fact that she had this love that was everything she ever wanted. When it’s gone, she has the wisdom and maturity to recognize its worth and substance without giving up. It’s really a book worth reading by an author gone way too soon.

Edited for clarity and covering spoilers.

cantspellrestaraunt t1_iteu6fn wrote on October 23, 2022 at 2:42 AM

"The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall" is purple. Again, sounds very pretty. People can write sentences for the sake of them sounding pretty. Don't really get why I'm being downvoted for saying it's purple and sounds nice.

>The kiss of his memory

ok, a metaphorical memory kiss is a little out there, but I'm definitely following

>made pictures of love and light

the kiss of his memory made pictures of love? right, so 9 words in we're 2 metaphors deep. sounding a bit twee, but I think I'm with you

>against the wall.

oh... so now we're throwing those double-stacked metaphors at a metaphorical wall? Trying to see what'll metaphorically stick? The wall of what, exactly? may as well keep it coming. The wall of her mind? A literal wall?

If I read this verbatim in a poem written by a thirteen-year-old, I wouldn't blink twice.

lurkcatcher t1_itewgi5 wrote on October 23, 2022 at 3:02 AM

You're getting downvoted for being condescending, to be honest. It's purple, it's twee, it's as if a 13 year old wrote it.

It's fine if you don't like or understand the metaphors, it's fine if you like starker phrasing, it's even okay if you don't get the concept of prisms or memory, but don't say "it's fine" to write sentences just for the sake of sounding pretty, but then basically call the author a 13 year old.