I've just finished Jon Del Arroz's "Justified" and think it might be worthwhile to do a blog post review. I don't do this for most books I read, but in this case I think I have enough to say that it's merited.
To tease what I will be putting in that review, I do think there were some deliberate choices made in the writing of this book that, though well considered I'm sure, held it back. I'll try to put my thoughts in order for a blog post on the topic in the next few days.
Writing community, how much do you try to deal with nuance in your work, especially in characters' moral situations and decisions? Do you try to make their moral landscape as complex and messy as a real one, or do you try to make it as simple as possible so the morality of their decisions are inarguable? Do you highlight the decent (or at least not villainous) people whose lives are made harder by a virtuous decision, or who benefit from a wicked one?
(Art by Igor Solovyev.)
I've just finished Jon Del Arroz's "Justified" and think it might be worthwhile to do a blog post review. I don't do this for most books I read, but in this case I think I have enough to say that it's merited.
To tease what I will be putting in that review, I do think there were some deliberate choices made in the writing of this book that, though well considered I'm sure, held it back. I'll try to put my thoughts in order for a blog post on the topic in the next few days.
Writing community, how much do you try to deal with nuance in your work, especially in characters' moral situations and decisions? Do you try to make their moral landscape as complex and messy as a real one, or do you try to make it as simple as possible so the morality of their decisions are inarguable? Do you highlight the decent (or at least not villainous) people whose lives are made harder by a virtuous decision, or who benefit from a wicked one?
(Art by Igor Solovyev.)
