L'Engle, Madeleine - John W. Conner
JOHN W. CONNER
Madeleine L'Engle is an avid spectator of life. Her word portraits of personalities she includes in A Circle of Quiet reveal a respectable ability to get into the character of another, feeling about until she hits a responsive nerve. (p. 767)
Snatches of A Circle of Quiet keep reoccurring in my memory as I go about the business of daily living. For example, chapters sprinkled throughout the book contain excellent advice for fledgling writers. I find myself explaining how the author uses her journals, or the importance of showing a reader rather than reporting to a reader when writing fiction, or the reality in characterization which comes only from allowing an imaginary character to develop naturally. A thread of irrepressible humor runs through A Circle of Quiet. Madeleine L'Engle has reached a stage in her maturity where she can easily smile at her own foibles. It is wonderfully refreshing to read her...
[The entire page is 297 words long]
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