BP#6: Archetypes in Modern Fiction

Grist by Heather Waldorf is a twisted tale of summer romance gone wrong. Char and Kerry, have a seemingly perfect fling. Char is extremely happy, despite the fact the Char's grandmother has warned her to befriend Kerry, and nothing more. Char simply doesn't understand, and her and Kerry soon begin to date.



Char is staying with her grandmother for the summer, away from her widowed Dad and his girlfriend, Barb. Char soon discovers that Kerry's father passed away last winter in a snowmobiling accident that Kerry was involved in, leaving him with shattered bones and 6 months of rehab.



But when Char's grandmother catches Kerry and Char kissing, she spills the beans on what is really happening. I don't want to reveal the sickening twist, but Char is thrown into an absolute rage at Kerry's dead father for ruining everything.


Living in hatred, I think that Greg (Kerry's father) becomes a Shadow for Char. She battles internally with him, and is a constant reminder of the things Char wishes would have never happened.


However, Greg is also slightly atypical to a Shadow, because of the fact that Char never really has to "fight" with him at the climax of the story, the entire second half of the book is about her struggle with herself to overcome the hatred she feels toward Greg, and towards herself.









This song reminds me very much of Char's feelings, because she can't think strait because she is so consumed in thinking about Greg.

Is it Classy?

"'Classic.' A book which people praise and don't read."

-Mark Twain

A "classic" novel, often commonly known as "old" stories, are those which have withstood the test of time. If a novel was popular in its' heyday and is still considered a good read in the present, it is considered a classic.

In the forums on online-literature.com, a classic novel is described as having to meet the following criteria:

• Morality: the novel should say something of value.


• Effective language: strong, fresh words that create somewhat of a poem in the writing.


• Truthfulness: does the novel make you believe in your heart what the author is saying? Can you feel the emotions the author is trying to portray, do you care for the characters?


• Universality: the ability of a novel to be enjoyed anywhere in the world, not just in the Western world.


• Timelessness: the novel should withstand the test of time, not wither and grow old.

Grist by Heather Waldorf is a good book, but I do not believe that it will become a classic. The book itself is well-written, but the plot is choppy and it seems to end suddenly, though the ending is drawn-out. Another thing is that this book is rather twisted, and somewhat disturbing, but not in a thrilling and suspenseful kind of way. I don't think that many people would particularily enjoy this book, and for this reason I do not think it will live on.