RE: JCO: The Falls

Hi Cyrano,
I find it so interesting that different people have such different reactions
to Oates's novels. I couldn't put MHLB down if I tried, but just recently,
for the now fourth time, I have abandoned Mysteries of Winterthurn. I just
cannot make it through this book, and I know there are people on this list
who consider it one of her best. Every time I start again I get a little
further, but then it loses me, which the other Gothics did not, so it's not
a matter of the language being too purple. I'm not even through "Honeymoon"
yet, so I have yet to meet the Woman in Black. I'm interested to see where
Oates is going with the whole damned/fallen thread she is setting up in this
first section.
--Chris

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-jco@usfca.edu [mailto:owner-jco@usfca.edu]On Behalf Of
Cyranomish@aol.com
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2004 5:01 PM
To: jco@usfca.edu
Subject: Re: JCO: The Falls

Hi, Chris. Ariah is a difficult heroine -- a real pain in the neck. And
she
gets less likeable as the novel goes on. She grows into something like
Loretta in THEM -- Loretta with an education and some money. But the
novel did
carry me along. I was never tempted to put it aside as I was with My Heart
Laid Bare. The Falls is not among my top 25 JCO books -- or even top 50.
But
I'm glad I read it. I'll be interested to know what you make of the Woman
in
Black. Is she a real figure or an Arnold Friend-like fantasy/myth?
Cyrano

In a message dated 9/20/2004 10:53:20 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
cpace@jupitermedia.com writes:

<< I'm about 60 pages into The Falls, and I am hooked. To be honest, though,
I
felt the first 20 or so pages were written by a different person. Much of
the language seems forced and contrived, and I was starting to wonder if
the
whole book was going to be like that, and then it seems to settle into its
rhythm and Oates's familiar voice shines through >>
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