Real toads, yes. In fact, that's what inspired me to make the list-- 'cause I was realizing how important that was-- the depth, the telling detail, the layers. I dunno if I referred to all that directly enough, I guess (directness is usually one of my problems), but that's what I meant. Well, that and "voice" or personality, also being very important (of which style & language would probably be a subset of).
I don't know if I consciously notice layers as such-- I think I just automatically pick one or two I like almost immediately and see the work that way. I mean... I like to feel that -roominess- there, but I don't necessarily think about it as I read. I definitely notice a lack or presence sort of dichotomy, though. There's just a sense of -depth- if there's subtext-- like the colors & flavors of everything seem more vivid, more intense, because there are more shades of meaning there. I think of it as "vividness", maybe? The closer it is to reality, the more vivid it is, and reality is by nature multi-layered, isn't it.
I think any work that achieves emotional/physical realism would contain that sense of multifariousness. JKR just... has a lot of threads most of the time-- plot threads, but not emotional threads, which I think is what trips her up.
Heheh I wasn't even mentioning my own obsession with style & language-use 'cause I think I take it for granted :>
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2004-04-02 07:59 pm (UTC)I don't know if I consciously notice layers as such-- I think I just automatically pick one or two I like almost immediately and see the work that way. I mean... I like to feel that -roominess- there, but I don't necessarily think about it as I read. I definitely notice a lack or presence sort of dichotomy, though. There's just a sense of -depth- if there's subtext-- like the colors & flavors of everything seem more vivid, more intense, because there are more shades of meaning there. I think of it as "vividness", maybe? The closer it is to reality, the more vivid it is, and reality is by nature multi-layered, isn't it.
I think any work that achieves emotional/physical realism would contain that sense of multifariousness. JKR just... has a lot of threads most of the time-- plot threads, but not emotional threads, which I think is what trips her up.
Heheh I wasn't even mentioning my own obsession with style & language-use 'cause I think I take it for granted :>