I see a lot of writing advice, especially in genre, that is neither more nor less than a rehash of Campbell's "Hero's Journey". I'm not knocking it, it has been the backbone of most of the commercial successes for several decades and underlies almost every movie to make the big time. What struck me this morning, though, was that the two novels I have enjoyed most of late--Edna O'Brien's "A Pagan Place" and "At Aunt Molly's" contain not a hint of the Hero's Journey. At no point is the protagonist facing peril which cannily mirrors a character flaw, both of which require to be overcome to reach a satisfactory denoument. No grizzled mentor wanders by to offer clues, an exposition dump and/or surprising kung-fu skills for one so old.
Although O'Brien and Powell are very different writers, what both books have in common is that they are 1st person fictional memoirs based on deep characterisation and acute observation.
Powell is also wickedly funny. A lot of the humour is buried in the complexity of his prose, but occasionally one is sucker punched: "She was dressed in a manner to be described as impregnable, like a long, neat, up-to-date battle cruiser." "Not even such a mournful haunt of the third-rate as the Celtic Twilight had played a part in her life."
Powell is also wickedly funny. A lot of the humour is buried in the complexity of his prose, but occasionally one is sucker punched: "She was dressed in a manner to be described as impregnable, like a long, neat, up-to-date battle cruiser." "Not even such a mournful haunt of the third-rate as the Celtic Twilight had played a part in her life."
