Make-up for Week 9

Edward P. Jones’s The Known World is fascinating. First of all, I might as well address the obvious observations about the writing and narrative style. Jones does not employ a linear, plot-driven style, instead choosing to focus on a sort of all-at-once, overhead view exploring themes and connections. Upon beginning the book, I found this approach somewhat off-putting. Directly after finishing Octavia Butler’s first-person, heavily plot-driven Kindred, it took some time to adjust to the differences in storytelling style. In fact, I was essentially lost in Jones’s narrative for the first 40-50 pages before finally getting a handle on where and when I was while reading.

I appreciate the way that The Known World is set up. I find the God-like, aerial, all-time-exists-at-once-but-we’ll-only-focus-on-one-thing-at-a-time narration unique and well realized. At first, I was horribly confused as to how Jones had won a Pulitzer Prize for this novel. It wasn’t until I was about halfway through or so that things began to come together, and the themes and connections between the characters started to show themselves more clearly.

I liken The Known World to a grand-scale, sweeping, epic film, in the vein of The English Patient or Lawrence of Arabia in terms of scope and vision. Jones seeks to give us the biggest picture of slavery that he can, through the use of an entire region of the country. I find it particularly interesting how whenever we’re introduced to a new character, Jones quickly (or sometimes not so quickly) diverts from the main story to give us details on that character’s life. That can include the story of their death, or something interesting and telling from their life. The sense of community is reinforced strongly through these digressions, which often include other characters we’re already familiar with.

Overall I was extremely impressed by Jones’s work. I can’t really recall another novel I’ve read that told its story in this manner.