I'm reading a fic right now

[conuly]

where, for Reasons adult Harry is interacting with child Draco. Draco is chewing him out for messing up his school year, Harry is defending himself, and I'm thinking "Gosh, I don't remember the minutiae of my school days in this detail!"

And then it hit me. I really don't. I have a clearer and more complete picture of Harry Potter's school years and classmates than of my own.

Which is probably for the best, but still.

Comments

[nodrog]

That’s what always bothered me about Heart of Darkness, The Time Machine, et al, that are supposedly being narrated ex tempore to listeners:  Any cop will tell you, any court reporter will tell you, depositions and statements aren’t ever made like that.  They’re a mess!

The best example I’ve encountered of this actually used in a story was by Barry Malzberg, where the entire story is just such depositions - and they are each and all so self-serving, vague, backbiting, &c., that you have to sift signal from noise to piece together what happened!

[calimac]

There is hardly a letter or a diary in fiction that is not written in the form of a fictional narrative and not in the form of an actual diary or letter. It's worst when the author makes the writing character defend their writing this way, especially when it's in a private diary that nobody else is supposed to be able to read.

[conuly]

Unless your private diary is in code, sooner or later somebody is going to read it.

[calimac]

Not "going to read it" but "going to be able to read it." And yes, that's true, but there's still a huge difference between writing a diary for yourself alone and writing a letter intended for others. The point is that these fiction-writers ignore that difference.

[conuly]

Okay, but if you put something in writing you have to expect that sooner or later it's going to be read. No matter how many dire threats you put on the outside!

[nodrog]

And even then - right, Samuel?

[S Pepys’ Diary was written entirely in cipher.  The guy who cracked it worked on it for, like, three years.  He must have been intensely peeved when later a complete key to the cipher was found!]

[conuly]

Rashoman, man.

[conuly]

It occurs to me that my first comment was a little snippy, and this time that's unfair. You're quite right. A group of completely honest and helpful witnesses to the same event will always contradict each other, even if they're making their statement as soon after the fact as possible. Human perception and memory is weird that way.

[nodrog]

Well, thank you, but I must say that my complaint was not with the accuracy of recollection, tho’ that is a factor, but rather the “spontaneous” telling of a complete, perfectly structured narrative story without digression or omission.  When last did you do that?  I certainly never have!

[conuly]

What, never?