My first reaction, as I haven't read many (any?) novels in verse, is that it's almost making me read faster than I want to--the rhythm is carrying me along with it, and I'm having to go back, sometimes, and reread some lines to clarify. Not that it's difficult at all; but the rhythm gives it a rather lighthearted feel, as if even things like Eugene's coldness about his uncle's death aren't supposed to really get us down. I wonder how the tragic events later in the story will come across?
First impressions of Eugene? A rake; a young, wealthy, jaded, man-about-town.
What do you make of the narrator's commentary? An old man looking back on his youth, reminiscing about this Eugene with fondness.
Thoughts on the characters sketched out in Chapter 2? I'm very interested in Tatiana. I know from the back cover of the book, lol, that Eugene will seduce her. But rather than a young innocent girl who will be easy pickings for Eugene the jaded rake, she looks like one who has had a lot of life experience and learned from it.
I've felt the same way about it - the poetry is fast-paced, and if I'm not careful I tend to miss certain parts! :)
ReplyDeleteIt's not just me, then. :)
DeleteIt's definitely one to reread, even while reading it the first time, if that makes sense. I read back on paragraphs that seem like hidden clues that I didn't pick up the first time through, but it's quite fun. I like the daring commentary and the splash of French. I speak French and am impressed at the vocabulary he uses, even though it's only a few words. No idea really of the story yet, but content in my ignorance and relishing enlightenment.
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