AN-322.

03 Contemporary British Mosaic by John Drew Tarr Dniel

Timothy Mo
Sour Sweet
Timothy Mos noe! is a mani"o!# boo$% containin& ario's "eat'res with en#!ess possib!e
interpretations% o't o" which ( sha!! re!ate to a "ew points concernin& str'ct're an#
narratie techni)'e. *he reason "or this is% that in noe! writin& ( a!'e style aboe
anythin& e!se% somethin& that is o" prime importance% especia!!y in boo$s #ea!in& with
contemporary topics. ( sha!! ar&'e% that the str'ct're o" the boo$ is not consistent% an#
there are a n'mber o" chapters% which stic$ o't "rom the noe! "or ario's #i""erent
reasons. *hese chapters are a!! e+perimenta! in nat're% an# intro#'ce bri!!iant new i#eas
an# means o" narratie techni)'e. ,oweer ( "ee! that they "a!! short o" their intentions% by
not synchroni-in& with the rest o" the noe!s more-or-!ess concor#ant sty!e.
*o me Sour Sweet seems rather an ec!ectic noe! with c!ear!y #istin&'ishab!e parts% -
re&ar#in& narration an# str'ct're -% which #'e to the #i""erent means o" narratie s$i!!s an#
or&ani-ation o" te+t an# meanin& #oes not a!ways ma$e the theme coherent an#
comprehensib!e. (t seems as i" Mo ha# ha# ario's i#eas p't #own in abstract s$etches
a!rea#y be"orehan# an# ha# 'se# them in his noe! - scatterin& them a!on& as the story
procee#s% 'sin& bits an# pieces here an# there as in#epen#ent chapters or comp!ementary
materia!. (n these chapters the "orm #ominates the conte+t an# there"ore it !ooses its
messa&e.
*hro'&ho't the noe! we hae chapters which in some way #eteriorate "rom conentiona!
narratie an# sty!istic techni)'es% 's'a!!y by app!yin& some tra#itiona! "eat're to his own
new i#ea. *his howeer is not per"orme# in any concept'a! or#er% b't in what seems to me
o" an inci#enta! nat're. ,ere are some e+amp!es .witho't the sa$e o" comp!e+ity/0
*he "irst "ew chapters seem to "o!!ow the o!# epic scheme0
Chapter 1 remin#s me o" the schema 'se# in ,omres (!!ia# with its in-medias-res
be&innin& brin&in& 's strai&ht into the heart o" happenin&s% a!tho'&h it is !ater e!!aborate#
with some minor e+p!anations re!atin& bac$ to the story so "ar% so that we are not !e"t to
o'r spec'!ations comp!ete!y. *han Chapter 2 "o!!ows the epic pattern with the enumeratio%
een tho'&h the en'meration is achiee# thro'&h a c!eer a!teration o" the tra#itiona!
sty!e2 by en!istin& the 3enemy with short a'tobio&raphies% een in#icatin& their secret
i#enti"ication n'mber in the 4o 5ociety. *his is a&ain ery new% b't #oes not consistent!y
"o!!ow chapter one2 "or we #ont $now what is it abo't% who #oes it re"er to% etc.
Chapter 16 consists o" a mere #ia!o&'e% between Chan% 7i!y% an# M'i. *ho'&h it &ies a
"ine insi&ht o" the strict conentiona!ism an# comp!icate# phrasin& o" the Chinese
characters% witho't reco'ntin& the action% it is #i""ic'!t to "o!!ow the !ine o" tho'&ht% an#
we are rep!ace# "rom one #ia!o&'e to the other with 3time shi"ts% on!y in#icate# by #o'b!e
space# para&raphs. *his 'neasiness in sty!e ma$es 's "ee! more a!ienate# an# #istinct "rom
this !itt!e Chinese co!ony% ma$in& them more incomprehensib!e an# a!ien. (nspite the "act%
that this is a ery c!eer metho# o" achiein& this e""ect% we &et comp!ete!y !ost2 "or we
har#!y 'n#erstan# what they ta!$ abo't - what the story is behin# their conersation.
Chapter 1891: is #escribin& the 4o 5ociety at innitiation an# in saa&e action. (t is
e+p!icate# with s'ch technica! acc'racy which &oes oer the nee# o" artistic e+pression%
an# #oes not intensi"y the pict're% b't #ama&es it by &iin& too many e+p!icit #etai!s o"
certain actions% perhaps interestin& "or an e+pert in martia! arts% b't not "or an aera&e
rea#er. *his is common in other chapters as we!!% which shows Mos pro"o'n# interest in
martia! arts% an# his inabi!ity to ;'#&e its appropriate si&ni"icance - or possib!y it is an
a#aptation "rom a st'#y on martia! arts% which he "e!t necessary to p't in his noe!. ,ere
the reco'ntin& o" the action is "ar too comp!icate# an# #etai!e#.
*here are other e+amp!es% b't these are perhaps the most characteristic% which co'!#
certain!y be e!'ci#ate# more2 b't o'r aim here is on!y to #raw attention to them% in
assertion to point o't the ec!ectica!!ity o" sty!e an# narration o" the noe!. *his imp!ies that
the boo$ was create# on a stron& e+perimenta! basis% an# th's passa&es o" aryin& #e&ree
an# )'a!ity can be trace# in the ario's chapters as s'pp!ementary an# tentatie materia!s.
*hese are most!y e+ce!!ent notions o" new narratie an# sty!istic techni)'es% b't simp!y not
#e!iere# s'ccess"'!!y2 "or on one han#% in these chapters% the "orm #ominates the conte+t
an# it !ooses the messa&e% an# on the other they #o not corre!ate with the oera!! or#inary
sty!e o" the noe!% ma$in& the p!ot incoherent an# #i""ic'!t to "o!!ow.