COMPLETE: Chalk Face by Waldo Frank -jo

[BrianFullen]

But what you're reading in that first section is actually the Preface. Why not call it that? What comes before that is some kind of backhand dedication to his father and it's your choice to leave it out.

Cheers,

I suppose the first section could be interpreted as the book's preface. Must it? Why are we arguing about this? I've already stated my preference that the section title be either left blank or, if cannot be left blank, I'd prefer it be called "Chalk Face". Thank you!

[Winnifred]

But what you're reading in that first section is actually the Preface. Why not call it that? What comes before that is some kind of backhand dedication to his father and it's your choice to leave it out.

Cheers,

I suppose the first section could be interpreted as the book's preface. Must it? Why are we arguing about this? I've already stated my preference that the section title be either left blank or, if cannot be left blank, I'd prefer it be called "Chalk Face". Thank you!

Ok, I'll back off. I thought perhaps you didn't think it was a preface (by definition, "an introduction to a book, typically stating its subject, scope, or aims," which this does). The habits of a 30-year career as an editor are hard to suppress.

Cheers,

[Winnifred]

Sections 1, 2, and 3 are all well-read and PL OK.

What a disturbing story! The narrator seems to live in a universe of his own making. I have absolutely no sense of who Mildred is; it's as if she's just an imaginary being he's created in his own head. For example, there's no indication of how long he's known her or what their interactions have been, just what his beliefs about her are.

I look forward to the next section!

Cheers,

[BrianFullen]

Sections 1, 2, and 3 are all well-read and PL OK.

What a disturbing story! The narrator seems to live in a universe of his own making. I have absolutely no sense of who Mildred is; it's as if she's just an imaginary being he's created in his own head. For example, there's no indication of how long he's known her or what their interactions have been, just what his beliefs about her are.

I look forward to the next section!

Cheers,

Thank you, Winnifred. You are very kind and helpful and I appreciate your insights. It it is indeed dark. I'm with you on wondering what is real and what is imagined ...

[BrianFullen]

Uploaded https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_04_frank_128kb.mp3 (15:15).

[Winnifred]

Uploaded https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_04_frank_128kb.mp3 (15:15).

Section 4 is PL OK. Confirmed: he has not yet wooed her, but he presents a whole bunch of overblown ideas about her as fact!

Cheers,

[BrianFullen]

Uploaded https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_04_frank_128kb.mp3 (15:15).

Section 4 is PL OK. Confirmed: he has not yet wooed her, but he presents a whole bunch of overblown ideas about her as fact!

Cheers,

So, I used the site outage yesterday to record. I have a couple more to sections to edit between what remains of today and tomorrow. They may clarify matters but, then again, don't count on it ...

Thank you for the quick turn around on PL. I do appreciate that.

[BrianFullen]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_05_frank_128kb.mp3 (17:41) is up. Thank you.

[Winnifred]

Section 5 is PL OK.

Run, Mildred, while you still can!

Of course, she's a bit weird too. Or perhaps that's just because we're seeing her through his eyes.

Cheers,

[BrianFullen]

Section 5 is PL OK.

Run, Mildred, while you still can!

Of course, she's a bit weird too. Or perhaps that's just because we're seeing her through his eyes.

Cheers,

Which "his"? I'm pretty sure that John Mark has disintegrated, or disassociated, or whatever you call it, well before the story begins. I have no idea yet how many personalities he may actually have or to what extent each is aware of the other. I have no idea who influenced Waldo Frank in writing this story. Probably Poe. I mean I always associate gothic stuff with Poe. Possibly also some early psychologists. Sure, Freud is a possibility. But I got curious to see how far back multiple personality syndromes may have been diagnosed and I came across a French guy named Janet who had his theories. He seems to have thought these disorders were occasioned by severe trauma. Anyway. I wanted to do a solo and I wanted it to be a first person narrative. I no longer remember exactly how I landed on this book. I just thought it interesting. I wouldn't say it's a murder mystery exactly because we have some idea early on and if there's any mystery it probably has to do with motivation and won't be solved by deductive reasoning because this guy is just crackers. Just as you say. But then we're back to Poe. If I remember it rightly he liked to write macabre stories and what might have pushed someone over the edge. Or, maybe I'm just confused. The book is fun for me. I hope it's not too off the wall for you. Cheers.

[BrianFullen]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_06_frank_128kb.mp3 (21:18) is ready for PL.

There is a passage in which the French word sideral is used instead of its English equivalent sidereal. I don't know why and I'm not sure it matters. I went with something that I thought was closer to the French, not just because I'm lazy and wanted to spare myself the extra syllable a handful of times, but mainly because I suppose that's what the author would have wanted me to do.

[Winnifred]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_06_frank_128kb.mp3 (21:18) is ready for PL.

There is a passage in which the French word sideral is used instead of its English equivalent sidereal. I don't know why and I'm not sure it matters. I went with something that I thought was closer to the French, not just because I'm lazy and wanted to spare myself the extra syllable a handful of times, but mainly because I suppose that's what the author would have wanted me to do.

I don't think it's multiple personalities; if that were the case, each would have centre stage for longer. I think he's just hearing voices in his head, which would be more like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder (his mood swings would incline me towards the latter).

Using sideral makes sense to me. We are supposed to adhere to the original as much as possible, after all, and I can see this being a deliberate choice on the author's part.

I have just one note about this section: at 2:58, I hear a knocking sound in the background after the sentence “Why not accept the vantage of events?” You might want to edit that out.

I have no objections to off the wall material. It's what I enjoyed most in my younger years (e.g., H.P. Lovecraft in my teens). I find that a lot of what I read/listen to on Librivox takes me back to those years. (Nowadays I tend more towards murder mysteries and suspense novels in my non-Librivox reading, but I like anything that defies expectations.)

Cheers,

[BrianFullen]

I have just one note about this section: at 2:58, I hear a knocking sound in the background after the sentence “Why not accept the vantage of events?” You might want to edit that out.

Cheers,

Thanks for the note. I hope it's better now. Still close enough to 21:18 to call it that. https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_06_frank_128kb.mp3

You're probably right about the multiple personality thing. I'm willing to concede that just between us you are the more likely to be right. We'll see. Anyway, I used to believe that pretty much everyone had multiple personalities but, silly me, come to find out that I was confusing personality with persona.

Well, I am going to put the breaks on my descent into madness for a couple of days so I can go read up on Woggle Bugs! Oh, boy, fun times ahead!

[Winnifred]

I have just one note about this section: at 2:58, I hear a knocking sound in the background after the sentence “Why not accept the vantage of events?” You might want to edit that out.

Cheers,

Thanks for the note. I hope it's better now. Still close enough to 21:18 to call it that. https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_06_frank_128kb.mp3

You're probably right about the multiple personality thing. I'm willing to concede that just between us you are the more likely to be right. We'll see. Anyway, I used to believe that pretty much everyone had multiple personalities but, silly me, come to find out that I was confusing personality with persona.

Well, I am going to put the breaks on my descent into madness for a couple of days so I can go read up on Woggle Bugs! Oh, boy, fun times ahead!

Yup, spot PL OK now.

I hate to break it to you, but you're not escaping madness (You think a Woggle Bug who falls in love with a suit of clothing isn't mad?) Of course, it's definitely lighter fare.

Cheers,

[BrianFullen]

Section 7 - r/t 7:06 - ready for PL @ https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/chalkface_07_frank_128kb.mp3

Thank you.