Ian Rankin's Knots and Crosses, published by Orion Books UK©
1) Provide 3 short excerpts that you believe are examples of effective writing. Explain why you think so for each independently.
1) Provide 3 short excerpts that you believe are examples of effective writing. Explain why you think so for each independently.
“The
station was old, its floor dark and marbled. It had about it the fading
grandeur of a dead aristocracy. It had character.” (17)
I feel
that this really captures the feeling one would have if they were really
attached to an old building, like a home or office. The line “It had character”
is such a good indication of excellent writing, in three words (or five
syllables), Mr. Rankin has conveyed a simple idea of anthropomorphism on a
decidedly normal building.
“Nothing
in the world tasted as good for breakfast as stolen rolls with some butter and
jam and a mug of milky coffee. Nothing tasted better than a venial sin.” (35)
I admit I
grinned at this line. I feel for Rebus in these words, as they are true. We all
need to give in to temptation at some point.
“The
media, sensing that the ‘Edinburgh Strangler’ was not about to vanish into the
night, took the story by its horns and created a monster.” (77)
I feel
this accurately portrays the uncanny ability of the media to simultaneously
blow stories well out of proportion and create massive headaches for law
enforcement agencies and the government. Maybe
communism has the right idea with full state control…
2)
Write a personality sketch for one of the main characters. Provide quotations
that support your opinion. (The quotations could simply be a descriptive
phrase, something the character says or does, something another character says
about him/her.)
John
Rebus, the main character of Knots & Crosses, generally fits the
standard detective in a crime novel. He’s middle-aged, a smoker, and like any
good Scotsman, downs plenty of ale whenever he gets a chance. However, he also
has a darker side, as he is constantly tormented by his past, from his divorced
marriage to his recurring nightmares in the first book about his mentally
challenging days as an SAS trooper. Though throughout the series he has brought
down multiple criminals and busted open plenty of gangs, he is almost
permanently under suspicion from his higher-ups and even his colleagues, as the
army smoothed the initiation process for him as a favor for nearly destroying
his mind. Rebus, though he may be stereotypical as a character, is still
interesting, and you can’t help but take his side throughout the entire novel,
as short as they may be.
3)
Write a postcard sized note to the author (no more than 150 words) explaining
what you enjoyed about the book. Use proper letter format including
salutation, date, and closing.
Dear
Ian
Rankin, 14/9/12
I
must say, I enjoyed Knots & Crosses immensely. The character you created
with John Rebus is intriguing, and although one can tell he’s hardly a poster
boy for mental health, I cannot help but root for him as he crisscrosses his
way across Edinburgh to solve the case. I was even more intrigued by his
connection to the SAS. The amount of depth and detail that you go into with the
flashback scene makes me wonder if you have some sort of connection to the one
of the finest Special Forces units in the world. That combined with the truly
dark and intelligent look into the psyche of said “supersoldiers” is, in my
opinion, what make this simple plot so intriguing. I honestly hope you will
continue this series for a little while longer, as I have never found a series
that holds my attention so closely.
Sincerely,
Connor
Mulders
