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The Shadow King


An unforgettable epic shortlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize, and named a best ...
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The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

Created: 09/16/20

Replies: 11

Posted Sep. 16, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

The format of The Shadow King is somewhat creative and unusual, with longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?


Posted Sep. 18, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janines

Join Date: 11/21/16

Posts: 102

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I found these sections annoying. I didn't think they really added to the story and the points being made in these sections could have been integrated into the story itself. I think if they it would have made the story flow better.


Posted Sep. 18, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
laurap

Join Date: 06/19/12

Posts: 413

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I agree with janines. I found the structure imposed by the descriptions of the photographs ( not really photographs themselves but words describing photographs!) and The chorus sections to be distracting.


Posted Sep. 19, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lindac

Join Date: 06/13/11

Posts: 33

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I thoroughly enjoyed these creative breaks and accents amidst the laborious, intense storyline. It gave a different perspective to what was going on and often clarified for me. It was very clever!


Posted Sep. 19, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
roberti

Join Date: 09/19/20

Posts: 5

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

The chorus was excellent because it filled in history and issues behind motives by characters. It gave reason to action. The photos gave a very graphic representation to some of the characters positions with one another revealing how they were instruments of Fucelli’s behavior.


Posted Sep. 19, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
carolt

Join Date: 03/25/17

Posts: 190

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and

I agree with janines and laurap. I found these sections annoying. I understand why the author used them - to emulate traditional plotting formats - but they really didn't work for me.


Posted Sep. 19, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Marcia S

Join Date: 02/08/16

Posts: 537

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I liked these additions to the story. They gave more depth to the story being told. I actually found them a welcome break in a long story.


Posted Sep. 20, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
sandra54

Join Date: 05/01/13

Posts: 62

ive sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I thought the structure of the book have it an authentic gif feel. The use of a chorus fit in with the time and place of the story.


Posted Sep. 22, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
jenbrinkley

Join Date: 04/05/16

Posts: 23

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I thought they were a nice break to a somewhat laborious read. It provided dapper insight into the characters.


Posted Sep. 22, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
janeto

Join Date: 06/05/18

Posts: 41

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I thought the author did an excellent job of creating a context for the political conflict and the war. She includes rich description in the narrative section to give the reader a sense of place and the chorus and other "interludes" provide detail about the human aspects of what was taking place. It was a unique way of telling a complex story from multiple perspectives.


Posted Sep. 22, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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bookfabulous

Join Date: 08/01/19

Posts: 23

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I definitely agree with Janeto that the book's arrangement added depth to a complex story that can only faithfully be told by considering the multiple perspectives. The chorus and the photo descriptions were an effective way of interjecting those nuggets of researched background to give credence to the story without overloading the story's main framework with more scenes that the writer would have had to create for them. The chorus and the photos also served as reminders for readers to re-consider before rushing into casting judgements and to consider that there is always a backstory to why someone is how they are, and how they have developed into what they have become for ultimately each individual is the sum of their many parts.


Posted Sep. 23, 2020 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
carried

Join Date: 09/23/20

Posts: 1

RE: The Shadow King contains longer narrative sections broken up by descriptions of photographs and "Chorus" sections. What do you think this arrangement adds to the story? How did it affect your reading of the book?

I don't think these breaks added anything to the story. I found them confusing, at times, and tedious at other times.


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