Accessibility Tools

  • Content scaling 100%
  • Font size 100%
  • Line height 100%
  • Letter spacing 100%

An Epistolary Novel

by
November 2001, no. 236

Parachute Silk by Gina Mercer

Spinifex, $24.95pb, 210 pp

An Epistolary Novel

by
November 2001, no. 236

There is little doubt that few people write letters anymore. Nowadays, personal communication is conducted via e-mails and mobile phone messages, much to the dismay of manuscript collectors and researchers. So, it is surprising to come across what the publishers describe as ‘a novel in letters’, Parachute Silk, by Gina Mercer.

Samuel Richardson, whose Pamela (1742), also in epistolary form, was one of the forerunners of the modern novel, wrote in defence of his method that ‘the letters are written while the hearts of the writers must be supposed to be wholly engaged in their subjects (the events at the time dubious), so that they abound not only with critical situations, but with what may be called instantaneous descriptions and reflections’. Clearly, he had stumbled on a significant point (which would eventually lead to the ‘stream of consciousness’ technique) but also one that could advantage the novelist engaged in writing what we once might have termed a ‘women’s’ novel.

Parachute Silk

Parachute Silk

by Gina Mercer

Spinifex, $24.95pb, 210 pp

From the New Issue

You May Also Like

Leave a comment

If you are an ABR subscriber, you will need to sign in to post a comment.

If you have forgotten your sign in details, or if you receive an error message when trying to submit your comment, please email your comment (and the name of the article to which it relates) to ABR Comments. We will review your comment and, subject to approval, we will post it under your name.

Please note that all comments must be approved by ABR and comply with our Terms & Conditions.