Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
One consequence of a book like this, that leaves so much unexplained, is that the reader is, of course, going to impose their own interpretations. Although, we do seem to manage that even when books are more explicit  , so I have to wonder what the advantage is of being deliberately vague  . |
Vagueness isn't the problem, I think, but dullness. I didn't much care that Violet squashed Florence--neither the villain nor the victim aroused any passion.
I'm reminded of
Passing, the end of which was open to interpretation. The characters there were so much more alive and passionate and real, even in the confines of an equally short book. Fitzgerald may be a better writer than Larsen in terms of style, but Larsen did a much better job of connecting with the reader.