Thanks for the feedback. I'm a Brit, and while I've been living in the US for over 30 years now, my recent writing has somehow wandered back to British terms and spelling. In the UK, kids start school the first term after their 5th birthday, and they go to infants school, or the infant class within a broader junior school (elementary, lasting until they get to 11).
As to why he (I.e. me) didn't get to keep the books, it reflects the way that parents of that time just automatically respected authority figures, and did exactly as they were told.
As for the style, I didn't want to write it as a memoir, nor over-fictionalize it. What I wanted to do was record what happened, and to try and see things from my mother's perspective.
Hey Robert, thanks for the reply & the explanation. I figured there might be an explanation like that (about the school), I guess I should've picked up on your use of the word "hoover," but I actually hear that a lot from non-Brit, non-UK people.
As far as why she didn't let him keep the books, I also suspected that was the explanation, cuz o' the process of "asking fewer questions,"(but I guess I was hoping not. Quelling a kid's curiosity is not a good thing!)
Y'know, I've been thinking about the style, and I've got to say it had a kind of hypnotic effect on me, so no complaints! I also felt transported back in time by all of it, not sure what caused that effect the most, but....well done!
You certainly roped me in!
The more I reflect, the more I like it, and want more. I need to learn how to do that.
I tried to mimic that effect in my style in Chapter 3 of "Beyond this point..." (that's at TopChoiceFiction,substack.com), but I don't know if I did. I've never got any feedback, lol, so I guess it sucks. (It's also not really fiction, it's written 3rd person & names changed, but all true.)
Well, I look forward to the next & future installments of your story "What had to be done."
Hi Jeffro,
Thanks for the feedback. I'm a Brit, and while I've been living in the US for over 30 years now, my recent writing has somehow wandered back to British terms and spelling. In the UK, kids start school the first term after their 5th birthday, and they go to infants school, or the infant class within a broader junior school (elementary, lasting until they get to 11).
As to why he (I.e. me) didn't get to keep the books, it reflects the way that parents of that time just automatically respected authority figures, and did exactly as they were told.
As for the style, I didn't want to write it as a memoir, nor over-fictionalize it. What I wanted to do was record what happened, and to try and see things from my mother's perspective.
Looking forward to checking your work out!
Hey Robert, thanks for the reply & the explanation. I figured there might be an explanation like that (about the school), I guess I should've picked up on your use of the word "hoover," but I actually hear that a lot from non-Brit, non-UK people.
As far as why she didn't let him keep the books, I also suspected that was the explanation, cuz o' the process of "asking fewer questions,"(but I guess I was hoping not. Quelling a kid's curiosity is not a good thing!)
Y'know, I've been thinking about the style, and I've got to say it had a kind of hypnotic effect on me, so no complaints! I also felt transported back in time by all of it, not sure what caused that effect the most, but....well done!
You certainly roped me in!
The more I reflect, the more I like it, and want more. I need to learn how to do that.
I tried to mimic that effect in my style in Chapter 3 of "Beyond this point..." (that's at TopChoiceFiction,substack.com), but I don't know if I did. I've never got any feedback, lol, so I guess it sucks. (It's also not really fiction, it's written 3rd person & names changed, but all true.)
Well, I look forward to the next & future installments of your story "What had to be done."
👍
It happened yet again! I'm on my phone, tried to leave a comment, and right before I post it ...it simply disappears! Oh, well.
Robert, I'm wondering if you might be interested in my recent post, "What was lost between generations."
Its here: https://jeffro55.substack.com
I'll keep reading, I guess, but this is strange. Lots of minutia to keep track of, many sentences simply don't make sense!
I guess it's a style.
One thing I didn't follow is...wtf is "infant school?!"
I thought it was like "pre-kindergarten," but it can't be if he's reading "the books" (whatever they are).
And...why wouldn't she let him keep then, since the school didn't want them back?
(Kinda like with COVID, and even used to be with cancer. When someone is "sick," everyone gets afraid of their "germs." Or kooties.)
Definitely a cliff-hanger for now. 👍