This question came up in Marisel Vera’s workshop two weeks ago: which books do you recommend to study characterization? A few that come to mind are Anne Carson’s AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF RED, García Márquez’s THE GENERAL IN HIS LABYRINTH, and Giuseppe de Lampedusa’s THE LEOPOARD. All brilliantly distinct.
What are your favorites?
Thanks,
Cristina
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Forwarding from the incomparable Denise Chávez ...
Dear Brujas, The Master of All Characterizations is Anton Chekhov. Read the plays and work on your dialogue as well. I have been accused of having no plot. To me, character IS plot.\
Moises de la Mosey's soleful three-part saga, PhiloPie's Foot Fetishes Among Pygmies. It's not to be missed! Izquierda and Derecha are my favorite characters. Their love-hate relationship carries the narrative over many feats of splendor and, yes, I have to say squalor, that can issue only from De La Mosey's wicked imagination. The orgy at Solomon Zapato's Shoe Horn Mansion, wherein many ties are made with leather straps, stiletto heels, and Keds, while others are merely strung along, makes anything out of Celine look like Pipi Longstocking. And speaking of longstockngs, some appear in the chapter entitled Pygmies Who Dream Big. I'll stop there. I don't wish to give too much away.
Forwarding from the incomparable Denise Chávez ...
Dear Brujas, The Master of All Characterizations is Anton Chekhov. Read the plays and work on your dialogue as well. I have been accused of having no plot. To me, character IS plot.\
With love to everyone!
Denise Chávez
I especially love "The Darling" as a brilliant character study in a few short pages.
Moises de la Mosey's soleful three-part saga, PhiloPie's Foot Fetishes Among Pygmies. It's not to be missed! Izquierda and Derecha are my favorite characters. Their love-hate relationship carries the narrative over many feats of splendor and, yes, I have to say squalor, that can issue only from De La Mosey's wicked imagination. The orgy at Solomon Zapato's Shoe Horn Mansion, wherein many ties are made with leather straps, stiletto heels, and Keds, while others are merely strung along, makes anything out of Celine look like Pipi Longstocking. And speaking of longstockngs, some appear in the chapter entitled Pygmies Who Dream Big. I'll stop there. I don't wish to give too much away.
Hahaha!