Sometimes, the act of turning the page is part of the process of reading a text. A friend once told me that he read a novel where, several times, the text continued to the bottom of a right hand page, then, on turning the page, he found that the next page began with a change of scene. He added that this happened too often to be a coincidence. Someone had designed the book to coordinate turnings of the page with changes of scene.
It is impossible to know whether the following single example is merely a coincidence. It is not a change of scene but something more dramatic. Poul Anderson has made us care about the intelligent seal, He'o.
The concluding two lines of p. 159:
"His whiskers quivered. 'I, though, I am going home to
my sea.'"
The opening two lines of p. 160:
"Thunder smote. His skull exploded. Blood and brains
fountained."
Maybe the pagination differs in other editions?
Life has become busier. I need exercise and have evening commitments. So far this month, I have averaged seven posts per day but that might be about to slow down.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
I think books are sometimes designed to be printed as your friend described. But, most times, of course, it's not like that. And I have commented before on pages you cited did not match with my copies of the same books. Mostly because the pagination of hard backs and paper backs differ.
I think I remember where that bit about He'o occurred in THE FLEET OF STARS. I think it's where He'o stated he did not think the Moon would make a satisfactory site for a colony his people would settle.
Sean
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