The Silence of it All

Anuk Arudpragasm did an excellent job at gripping his readers into his newest novel A Passage North. Anuk is able to create an emotional connection between the reader and the characters. Krishan journeys through Sri Lanka for his grandmother’s caretaker’s funeral and along the way comes across many philosophical questions. The overarching themes of loss, grief and the past and present colliding make this book one everyone can relate to.

Anuk uses a unique writing style in which there is no dialogue and long sentences. This creates a nice flow, which is a metaphor for time. Anuk uses this writing style to portray Krishan’s thoughts and emotions, allowing the readers to truly understand him and the characters around him.

In this episode Fiona, Chris and Caroline discuss A Passage North, sharing their opinions and thoughts on the novel. They take a deep dive into the writing style, the themes, and the hybridity throughout the novel.

8 Responses to The Silence of it All

cyj020410 says:

March 1, 2022 at 12:29 am

Amazing Intro! Really hooked my attention right away. Nicely organized throughout the podcast as well. I appreciate your genuine thoughts about the book.

Ben Warner says:

March 1, 2022 at 12:51 am

Awesome podcast! It follows a good format and feels like a genuine conversation. When you discuss the approach to dialogue, it reminds me of how Richard Power’s also approached dialogue in a unique way by making Robin’s talking italics.

suleni sabio says:

March 1, 2022 at 1:13 am

Very intriguing introduction and a candid podcast. Scholars like ourselves do not often struggle with reading, but you all admitted to having challenges that further social-emotional learning for yourselves and your listeners. It is also fascinating to think that this book has no dialogue. Great work.

hshiftan says:

March 1, 2022 at 1:38 am

Very Interesting and real Podcast! I enjoy the fact that yall are real with your responses, you share your true feeling on the book, even if they are negative. This podcast gives a great insight into y’alls #PBL-LitCircle!

Max Henderson says:

March 1, 2022 at 1:43 am

Great podcast y’all! I like how you guys talked about the difficulties of the book as well as the things you liked, that is very important and helpful for others looking to read. I think the stream of consciousness described is very interesting.

Tessa Heick says:

March 1, 2022 at 2:49 am

I really appreciated the honest opinions about the writing style, and the thoughtful evaluation of how the style sets the book apart. It’s great to take a step back and look at the bigger picture!

Jake Wolinski says:

March 1, 2022 at 2:50 am

Great insight and great podcast! I loved the intro- hooked me right in. I think you talking about how readers can connect to the story really made some strong points. I learned a lot and enjoyed listening.

Jack Fletcher says:

March 1, 2022 at 7:06 pm

It was cool to see you guys analyzing the writing style. It seems like the opposite of our book “Bewilderment” which has a ton of character interaction, but the lack of dialogue can be an interesting writing tool that really makes the reader think. Nice job.