unlocking the novel
a guide to modernism and postmodernism

Reader's autobiography: Arielle McGowen

When I enrolled in Modern Novel, I thought I had myself pegged as a reader. I thought that my favorite kind of book was one in which an author quite obviously invoked his or her imagination to the fullest when writing it. However, I have learned that, while throughout the first part of my childhood I appreciated imagination, during the second and present part I have developed a need for realism.

My first memory of reading doesn’t involve words on a page, but simply imagining a story. I had a book that was composed completely of pictures, leaving the plot and words to my mind’s eye. No matter how many times I read the book (and, if I recall, the spine finally broke and the pages began falling out), it always felt like the first time because I could change the story by using my imagination.

As I develop as a reader, though, I am realizing that I now appreciate books that involve a sense of reality. I am not a fan of science fiction or fantasy and have no interest in even popular titles like Harry Potter. On the other hand, a book I enjoy doesn’t necessarily have to be non-fiction. Whether fact or fiction, all I ask is that the author rouse feelings in me and make me believe in the plot. I found that my favorite book during this course was The Things They Carried. Although Tim O’Brien, the author, pegs the book as fiction, his writing style and the stories he told made me believe otherwise. And, to me, that’s all that matters.