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Horrifying
Which aspects of the novel do you find the most horrifying and why?
_________________ "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never say a common place thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." ~ Jack Kerouac
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SPOILER ALERT!
[spoiler]I posted it in another thread but it does bear for me repeating. I think the description of the photograph in which a vulture follows a vulerable starving African child, waiting for her to die so it could feed on her. It is horror for two reasons: One, why didn't the photographer saves the child? Well, in my opinon, if the photographer saves the child, people who see this photograph would go 'oh it's okay, the child is safe and is recovering thanks to that heroic photographer.' Then perhaps millions of same children would be lost. But if the photographer was willing to sacrifice the child for that harrowing picture, he would have to live with the unbearable choice of allowing that child to die for the photograph to have more impact. I could see why the photographer was depressed enough to commit suicide.[/spoiler]
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I definitely find that to be a horrifying revelation in the book, Patrick, and I have to agree with you in some senses. Though for me, the most horrifying moments are much different.
_________________ "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never say a common place thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." ~ Jack Kerouac
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[spoiler]When Holloway goes insane and starts shooting people in the bowels of the house.[/spoiler]
And
[spoiler]In the Whalestone letters when we find out that Johnny's mother tried to kill him out of love.[/spoiler]
Patrick-
[spoiler]I find what people do to each other to be the most horrifying things in the book. By the time I get to the story of Delial, I am numb almost to these things.[/spoiler]
_________________ "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never say a common place thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." ~ Jack Kerouac
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I've just started the book, so I can't really comment on the subject.
I was just thinking that for me the outside environment while I'm reading seems to be very important. I'll probably read half of the book alone in my flat, late at night, when everything is quiet, and the other half in the London tube, which believe me, during rush hour is a very, very crowded place. I strongly suspect that for me the most terrifying point of the book will something that I happen to read alone......
Also, as a whole I find Zampano's story far more impressive, in a subtle, creepy way and I think that touches me more....
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I read this story alone in a flat for the very first time. I didn't sleep without lights on for at least a week. *G*
_________________ "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never say a common place thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." ~ Jack Kerouac
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I can't explain why too much... but I wasn't really horrified by this book. I was never scared or terrified in any way. I did find Zampano's writing more intriguing and was a bit stumped over all of the gratuitous lecherousness inherent in Mr. Truant's storyline...plus a bit confused and with a tendancy to skip over the sections that had all of the funky typesetting... but no horror.
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Now that I've finished the book, I can agree with Poetess.
For me there were no really horrifying points. Nothing that made me leave the lights on during the night! Fortunately!
I found the point where [spoiler]Holloway shoots and kills Jed[/spoiler] really startling, but this is something different.
The point mentioned by Patrick was very moving and tragic for me, but again no terror.
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kal - See the question about how you would classify the text. I would be really interested to know how you feel about it now that you've finished it.
_________________ "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never say a common place thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars..." ~ Jack Kerouac
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