I did not have to read Harriet for very long before I
realized that I was encountering an outstanding talent. The first thing that
struck me about her prose was not its grace, but its freedom. It flows with the
naturalness and charm of birdsong, effortlessly conjuring visions, smells and
tastes - Harriet has a
wonderful eye, and to experience her writing is to experience her appetite for
life. She knows just when to give us dialogue, and when to paraphrase; and her
dialogue sizzles with colour and personality. Finally, she is an expert at
pacing, using reverie at once to engage us in her world of colourful metaphor
and to build suspense.
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The Seduction of Simone combines dazzling technique (albeit sometimes slightly self-conscious) with a carefully-wrought emotional subtext that makes the gradual rapprochement of her principal characters, with their occasional misunderstandings and faux-pas, as thrilling and heart-stopping as a prison escape. Margaret, the principal narrator, falls in love at first sight with Simone, a beautiful young musician, and makes it her goal in life to have her for her partner. It sounds corny, and any attempt to summarize the story will; but in Harriet’s hands the story takes on total conviction and an undercurrent of fierce passion. Several of the encounters are narrated first by Margaret, and then by Simone. I have seen this device used before, but seldom to such great and poignant effect. Finally, I recommend this story because it shows us passion, hope, despair and joy. Harriet is an amazingly versatile author. I hope that Simone will whet the reader’s appetite for more of her wonderful work, as it has whetted mine. |
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The Seduction of Simone can also be downloaded in Adobe Reader pdf format. The reader can be downloaded from the Adobe download page. |
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This story can be downloaded in its original format
from Harriet Scott’s website: www.asstr.org/~harrietsplace