Big Frank is reading Patricia Highsmith's novel "Those Who Walk Away". It is an extremely well written novel; well written at the sentence level. It reminds one of Cormac McCarthy's gift for carrying the reader through scenes minute action by minute action with 360 degree coverage of the scene and uncannily revealing portraits of the characters. It is these portraits that Big Frank is most impressed with. Describing someone, a character, for example is always best done by going beyond the physical. A mere physical description carries no emotional impact. Every face that is seen is seen through another's eyes is seen through their memory, their associations, their emotional reactions, and their judgements. They are what really have an impact on the observer, and Highsmith knows that.
Here are a few good portraits, as it were, that she puts down in "Those Who Walk Away".
Inez
Ray hung his coat on a hook and sat down. He glanced at Inez, who was looking at him. She was a darkish blond, about forty-five, slight, and she wore good jewelry. She was not quite pretty; she had a receding and rather pointed chin, but Ray sensed a warmth and femininity in her, that was most attractive.
Mr and Mrs. Smith-Peters
He was a man who liked to move quickly, Ray saw. His hair was nearly white. Ray could not imagine him young, with more weight on him, but it was easy to imagine his wife young, bright-blue-eyed and pert, with a rather common Irish prettiness that needs youth or else. Mr. Smith-Peters' face reminded Ray of certain old baseball players' faces that he occasionally saw on sports pages in the states and never cared to read about. Lean, hawk-nosed, grinning. Ray did not like to ask if he had been keen on any sport before he started his business. He knew the answer would be either baseball or golf.
The bit on "rather common Irish prettiness that needs youth or else" is perfect - we all instantly know that face, and the "or else" couldn't have been said better.
Ray Garrett
From his father, an oilwell worker in his youth, a self-made man, now a millionaire with an oil company of his own, Ray had inherited wide cheekbones. It was an American face, slightly on the handsome side, hopelessly marred by vagueness, discretion, the second thought, if not downright indecision, Ray thought. He disliked his appearance, and always saw himself leaning slightly forward as if to hear someone who was speaking softly, or as if incipiently, bowing, kowtowing, about to retreat backwards.
Here the handsomeness (in Ray's mind) is sullied by his own lack of will. Even his posture belies (in his mind) his obsequiousness and cowardice.
Here are a few good portraits, as it were, that she puts down in "Those Who Walk Away".
Inez
Ray hung his coat on a hook and sat down. He glanced at Inez, who was looking at him. She was a darkish blond, about forty-five, slight, and she wore good jewelry. She was not quite pretty; she had a receding and rather pointed chin, but Ray sensed a warmth and femininity in her, that was most attractive.
Mr and Mrs. Smith-Peters
He was a man who liked to move quickly, Ray saw. His hair was nearly white. Ray could not imagine him young, with more weight on him, but it was easy to imagine his wife young, bright-blue-eyed and pert, with a rather common Irish prettiness that needs youth or else. Mr. Smith-Peters' face reminded Ray of certain old baseball players' faces that he occasionally saw on sports pages in the states and never cared to read about. Lean, hawk-nosed, grinning. Ray did not like to ask if he had been keen on any sport before he started his business. He knew the answer would be either baseball or golf.
The bit on "rather common Irish prettiness that needs youth or else" is perfect - we all instantly know that face, and the "or else" couldn't have been said better.
Ray Garrett
From his father, an oilwell worker in his youth, a self-made man, now a millionaire with an oil company of his own, Ray had inherited wide cheekbones. It was an American face, slightly on the handsome side, hopelessly marred by vagueness, discretion, the second thought, if not downright indecision, Ray thought. He disliked his appearance, and always saw himself leaning slightly forward as if to hear someone who was speaking softly, or as if incipiently, bowing, kowtowing, about to retreat backwards.
Here the handsomeness (in Ray's mind) is sullied by his own lack of will. Even his posture belies (in his mind) his obsequiousness and cowardice.
2 comments:
Speaking of physical description, the authors you have pictured all look a bit rough to me, some even a little scary.
Yeah, these photos are a little scary, and they definitely show the effects of the tough lives they both led.
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