An action packed beginning in "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides!!!!!

I usually find myself at a loss when it comes to starting to write something-even this took me a while to figure out how I wanted to begin! Many authors have different ways that they like to begin, and from what I can tell from “The Virgin Suicides,” Jeffrey Eugenides likes to start off with a big bang! We’re instantly brought into a scene of a young girl sitting in a blood-filled bathtub with slashed wrists, holding on to a picture of the Virgin Mary with all of the small amount of strength left in her. This is not a very warm welcome…

One of the reasons why I think Eugenides uses this technique to begin his book is because he wants to show us fear and build suspense. I like to think of suspense as an escalator-you start at the bottom, and you keep going up, but you can’t back down! We all know that if you try to walk in the opposite direction that the escalator wants to bring you in, you’re just going to look pretty silly. Eugenides wants us to ride his death-marked escalator to the top, until we get there, where the entire story will be presented right in front of us.

Also, I think Eugenides does this because this kind of introduction hits the reader abruptly in the face and says “WAKE UP!!!” For example, if I had started this Blog Post with “There was blood splattered on the floor…” I would have a much more attentive audience than if I had began with “It was 3500 B.C. and the wheel had just been…”. People subconsciously want thrill and action, and that’s exactly what Eugenides gives his readers. it’s hard to look away!

Overall, Eugenides most likely begins his book this way, because it builds suspense and startles readers into attention. Almost as if I said “BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”-But prolonged, so as to build suspense…

Varying Points of View in "The Blood of Olympus"!!!

I’ve found that in the past, I’ve read books in the completely wrong order. For instance, just last year I started the Harry Potter series. Therefore, it doesn’t seem unordinary to me that I’m currently reading “The Blood of Olympus” by Rick Riordan. Actually, I’m glad that I am reading these books now, because I feel that I have a more mature outlook on the texts. For example, in “The Blood of Olympus,” I now notice all the advantages of Varying Points of View.

Varying Points of View can be very helpful for many reasons, but I think Riordan uses this technique mostly so that there can be many different storylines that the reader has the ability to see. For instance, currently, Reyna, Hedge, and Nico are in Pompeii, whereas Percy, Hazel, Leo, and Frank are in Olympia. If Riordan hadn’t used multiple Points of View, we would have no idea what was going on in other countries!

Next, Varying Points of View create a sort of mystical quality. This technique makes it seem like we can sort of zoom in on the book and see whatever scenes we’d like to see. This makes us seem like we’re in charge, which is sort of like an illusion, because clearly, Riordan is in charge. He will show us what scenes/scenarios he would like to show us-no exceptions. Varying Points of View create a sort of magical illusion, making readers feel like they are in charge.

Lastly, Varying Points of View just let the reader experience more of the story. The entire “Heroes of Olympus” series seems like it takes place in about two weeks, but Riordan has stretched the story out into five different books, each with dozens of chapters each told from the Point of View of a different character-Brilliant!

Overall, an author might use Varying Points of View to allow different storylines, to create a mystical quality, and to let the reader experience more of the story. Seeing things through many different lenses can help you view much more!