A storyteller fills in all the bits and pieces that make up a life that may not have anything to with the "plot". He or she will look to be wandering off in a direction that has nothing to do with the matter at hand and it may not be until the end of the book that you appreciate the reason for it. Our lives don’t move along straight lines from point A to point B and neither do the lives of characters in a storyteller's book.
Thumps' reasons for leaving the police force in Northern California aren't important to the plot, but they are to the story, because the story is just as much about Thumps and the other people in the book as it is the murders. That's the great thing about a story: it gives you a lot to chew over and think about.
(Before anyone leaps down my throat and starts yelling cultural stereotype – Native storyteller or something along those lines let me be clear that I'm not implying Thomas King is a good storyteller because he is a Native Canadian, but that he is a good storyteller. There are lots of good storytellers who aren't Natives; King just happens to be both.)
Thomas King is one of those annoying people who are able to excel at whatever form of writing he chooses to attempt. DreadfulWater Shows Up is another in his long list of accomplishments as one of Canada's premier fiction writers. Do yourself a favour and pick up either this book or anyone of his others, sit back all comfortable like, and listen to a good story.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!