The Shameful Acceptance of Ignorance

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Ever read a story (or book) which you feel is great but just fail to understand? If so, don't you feel frustrated? I do. What's worse, I never know if coming out and saying, "You know what? I didn't get it" will earn me the evil eye by people who see it as clear as day or by others who feel my ignorance should be kept hidden.

That said... I recently read Jack Ketchum's story "Gone" which I feel is great. I love the mood created, the character's grief, etc. However, I read the last part and I just can't understand what happened in the end. Would anyone who has read this be willing to share a short interpretation of what they grasped?

Back to cutting two holes on a paper bag

Cesar

ristow · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 11:45 pm

Cesar?

I don't know the story. Is it easily findable?

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

It's included in the collection Peaceable Kingdom. The story even won the Stoker, I believe.

CPG

ristow · **Posted:** Sun May 13, 2007 11:50 pm

If I can find a copy, I'll read it and tell you what I think. I'm hitting some used bookstores tommorrow.

In the meantime, I hope somebody else can be a little more helpful than me.

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Thanks, Rich!

CPG

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon May 14, 2007 12:31 pm

Cesar,

I'd help you if I could but I've never read anything from Ketchum. I have had that feeling before, in regards to recognizing that something is great but not understanding it completely. I just can't place one exactly at the momment. Sorry that I was no help at all.

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

What a coincidence, I read that story earlier this week and the same thing happened to me. It seemed very straightforward until the middle, then began turning more and more bizarre. I plan to give it a second read soon, try to spot anything I might have missed.

CPG

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

Well good luck with the second read, Cesar. If you figure it out, let me know.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sat May 19, 2007 1:44 pm

Here's one that you all have heard that I didn't quite get what was going on in the story. It was a POH. It was the story read by David T. Wilbanks a few episodes ago. I think it was by Logotti. I enjoyed the tale and could tell that it was well written, and well read by Dave, I was just not sure I understood what it was about. I appologize for my own ignorance here.

ristow · **Posted:** Sat May 19, 2007 3:53 pm

Sometimes, if I get a little too lazy in the middle of a book, I miss something, and the rest of the book seems a little beyond my comprehension. Tim Lebbon's Desolation was kind of like that. I honest think I accidently skipped two important pages in the middle. Normally, one can get away with that sort of accident. Not this time around.

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 5:42 pm

Just finished one that was a good story but I feel like I really didn't understand what it was trying to say at the end. It was the classic tale by Arthur Machen, The White People. It rambled for a pretty long time but it was still interesting (I think now a days editors would probably ask him to cut out some of it as it was like 40 pages long and seemed to repeat things a lot). Anyway I'm confused by the ending and feel that I missed what the finale was supposed to imply. Is there anybody out there who has read it and got it willing to help fill me in?

Monty Grue · **Posted:** Fri Jun 08, 2007 7:51 pm

The Shameful Acceptance of Ignorance

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