Friday, May 30, 2025

Narrative economy

The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue, trans. Katrina C. Atwood (Penguin, 2015).

Here are three unrelated passages that show a remarkable respect for narrative economy. After I collected them, I thought they might make an odd little story.

The Saga of Gunnlaug Serpent-tongue is the third volume in Penguin’s Little Black Classics series. It’s a saga of travel, poetic performance, and the deadly battle between two poets to win the hand of Helga the Fair.

I am now out of this post.

comments: 4

Geo-B said...

Wouldn't this violate the Chekhov's gun rule?

Michael Leddy said...

I think the defense could be that the rule hadn’t yet been invented. :)

Anonymous said...

Chekhov said that if on page one you have the word saga sitting on the top, then by the end of the book you have to write a saga.

Michael Leddy said...

Very nice!