Book title - You Must Remember This

Author - FranklinBarnes
FranklinBarnes

Reviewed by - MrsClaireBeauChamp

MrsClaireBeauchamp

Summary of the Plot: The Blurb is succinct- the story is exactly what it says in the blurb. It gives off a vibe of heavy reading, and trust me, that is exactly what you get. It is refreshing to see Wattpad features such pieces, it is a novel experience indeed.

Personal Experience: So, as I started reading the story, my very first impression was that I’ve stumbled upon an  Alexander Dumas or Dostyovesky novel. Long, winding descriptions of places and buildings, which although paint a vivid description of the setting in which the story is to take place, the sentences go on till you forget where it started.

But despite the tedious narrative, you forge on because you anticipate something greater than the cumbersome language, an interesting plot, an hitherto unexplored path.

As I got deeper and deeper into the story, I found that the main character of the book is the school itself. It in itself is a story, the labyrinthine descriptions using unnecessary big words tell their own story. At one point, I got the feeling of traipsing through a dark castle full of forbidden and ominous secrets in a gothic horror story. So I was jolted when finally one of the characters spoke in everyday dialect. I had kinda forgotten by that time that I was reading a contemporary novel.

The premise is promising, the build- up hints at something epic, like the formative worlds of Game of Thrones, or LOTR, honestly, my mind was boggling trying to keep up with the numerous characters which were introduced all at once. Talk about TMI.

The tracking of the different characters become easier once you’ve gathered enough patience to finish the first chapter and enter the second one. And you find out the real goal of the author. In fact, I quite enjoyed the tiny tid-bit-y way the character analyses are made. I’ve missed this style of writing in the contemporary novels, so that was interesting.

Opinions: Frankly, I don’t see the point of adopting this style of writing. I understand this piece wants to be a far cry from the usual teenage plots of high school werewolves and vampires who have time for everything but studying. But, honestly, to portray and write about a serious topic- a flawed education system and the daily life of the students and educators. The ornate words and confusing sentences instead of inspiring awe hinders the flow of the story. I’ve read till the third chapter, it is my lack of patience that I couldn’t brave more than the very long three chapters. It reminds me of a time when I was fresh off school and got perverse satisfaction in writing never ending sentences spanning an entire paragraph, emulating what I deemed was the classic way of writing.

Recommendations: I was very excited to read the story judging by the blurb, but was sorely disappointed. It isn’t the topic, which is worth exploring, but the flow. I realize the writer is heavily influenced by the classic authors, but one has to understand that those authors write in their contemporary style- so as to reach the masses. Changing with the time is an art in itself. Adopting a more present day style would benefit in spreading the point, which is important, the author is trying to make. Otherwise this piece becomes one of those books which are more obligatory to read instead of pleasure reads.

Whew! I don’t think I’ve written so formally since my college days, so thanks for inspiring me to write this way after so long!

·