This is an old fashioned mystery story. We don't see many of these today. There's no modern folding, self-reference, or what is often called irony. Not in the container.
But because it is a detective story, the predecessor of modern folding is present, the detective being both our representative and a character.
The game here is familiar: man discovers that some significant event involving his wife never happened, and his life changes now as he tries to find the truth. Its more elaborate than most in having three or even four communities of watchers. These things all depend on multiple watchers because the detective game is one of watching. (There's some internet watching but its subdued.) A fold is that in the original template, you know who the watchers are. Here we have to discover who they are and how they fit in.
The thing that was most interesting to me is how the characters were introduced. Its why this is so remarkable. The normal form, and not just in the detective story, is that you first let the reader know something about the nature of the world you will see, then you make it clear who the characters are. This is essential because most of the dynamics of the genre depend on you setting assumptions at this early phase which are then confounded. Finally, you start weaving the story in earnest.
Here, what's done is that the characters are introduced in a way that is confusing. We have to work to figure out who is who and we are never sure. It pulls us further into the story because that work entangles us in what happens next; we need to know more just to know who these people are, in addition to understanding what is happening.
We've seen this before of course; its not new. But its done well, and we spend lots of time untangling knots.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.
But because it is a detective story, the predecessor of modern folding is present, the detective being both our representative and a character.
The game here is familiar: man discovers that some significant event involving his wife never happened, and his life changes now as he tries to find the truth. Its more elaborate than most in having three or even four communities of watchers. These things all depend on multiple watchers because the detective game is one of watching. (There's some internet watching but its subdued.) A fold is that in the original template, you know who the watchers are. Here we have to discover who they are and how they fit in.
The thing that was most interesting to me is how the characters were introduced. Its why this is so remarkable. The normal form, and not just in the detective story, is that you first let the reader know something about the nature of the world you will see, then you make it clear who the characters are. This is essential because most of the dynamics of the genre depend on you setting assumptions at this early phase which are then confounded. Finally, you start weaving the story in earnest.
Here, what's done is that the characters are introduced in a way that is confusing. We have to work to figure out who is who and we are never sure. It pulls us further into the story because that work entangles us in what happens next; we need to know more just to know who these people are, in addition to understanding what is happening.
We've seen this before of course; its not new. But its done well, and we spend lots of time untangling knots.
Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.