Saturday 8 January 2011

8 x 10

Finished January 7
8 x 10 by Michael Turner
This is a collection of vignettes of unnamed people's short experiences. Most vignettes have some sort of subject connection to the vignette previous to them, but one is unsure if any characters recur since no one is ever named. Pronouns are used throughout for characters.
The reference to 8 x 10 is a grid. Each vignette is introduced by a grid of this size with one square darkened. Not all squares are represented, but the grid is worked top to bottom, left to right. The experiences described vary widely and include a variety of relationships, both intense and casual, intimate and passing. I found only one that seemed outright strange.
To me, the structure and parameters of the writing encouraged thought and speculation. I found myself wondering whether the same character had reappeared, about whether one experience led to another, and about some characters mental health. A thought-provoking read.

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