Saturday, November 10, 2018

Behind The Blue Curtain Review

By Laura Wallace


There is that one book or story that you read and will never forget. On the other hand, there are books and stories you have encountered that have had zero impact on you. Behind the Blue Curtain is cleverly written by Steven Millhauser. The narrative is based on the journey of a young boy towards enlightenment. It is the decision to go to the theater alone instead of the tradition of being accompanied by his father that will open his eyes forever.

Boys at his age are comfortable being accompanied by their father. However, the protagonist chooses a unique path where he goes alone. His desire is to understand how the world works. He is interested in insight and knowledge as opposed to material wealth. This is an outstanding trait for a boy of his age.

The author has cleverly used the first person narrative approach. The aim is to make it appear as though you are listening to a story straight from the mouth of the boy. This is different from reading a book or hearing about third parties. The style makes it easier to relate to the quest or journey of this main character. It is a journey of discovery because he feels that his father is protecting him from something dark.

Steven is very clever with the setting of his story. He has deliberately concealed it, leaving you to guess that it is in summer at a movie theater. According to the description, it is the twentieth century. Though the main character is a boy, the target reader and ideas explored are not for boyhood fantasies. They are meant for a mature audience and not the flip flop of boyhood.

The story takes another trajectory with the appearance of a woman. The description given is that of mirrors and reflections. This is a clever style used by the author to show the similarities in the journeys of the lady and the main character. It forms part of the rich stylistics employed by the author to communicate.

Conflict in the narrative is pronounced as one is placed in a tricky position where you have to choose whether to live in the hidden past or embrace the new knowledge already acquired. A part of the protagonist has to die since he has acquired new knowledge. His is signified in him sleeping at the office of the janitor and waking up in a dream.

One can read the theme of transformation throughout the story. The writer cleverly uses lighting and the passage through candelabras to represent this journey of transformation. The description of scenes and development of characters are also unmistakable. Readers searching for literary stylistics are rewarded handsomely by the author.

The mode of narration makes the story one of the best you will ever read. The curious nature of this main character also reflects in almost everyone at a certain point in life. This makes for a universal read. With well-developed characters and themes, you have a perfect narrative for both leisure reading as well as academic pursuit.




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