Upon finishing Lunar Park, I’ve now spent time with every piece of work Ellis has written. Perhaps that’s why I’ve been so Ellis-centric lately; reading through his catalogue has rocketed me into (what I perceive to be) his literary mindset. I feel like I’ve been able to learn through his chronology, and understand each of the novels beyond independent works, but rather how they reflect both an internal narrative and an external period in Ellis’s life.
The most important thing I’ve taken away is that I’ve learned the difference between being influenced by an author and instead being informed. I find that influence is more like adopting an author’s lexicon, diction, semantics, and maybe even subject matter in one’s own writing. When I’m reading Ellis, it doesn’t feel like I’m taking from him, but rather allowing his work to guide me in areas deeper than what’s on the page; it’s more a matter of understanding how passion guides a character, how to create an active, engaging world for a character-driven narrative, and what it looks like when an author is ensconced - maybe even consumed - by the lives and scenes he has created.
It boggles my mind that it took me twenty years to figure out that I liked to read, but I’m lucky that I’m so excited about making up lost time, especially when I can come away with full-bodied experiences like I have with Ellis. On to Imperial Bedrooms in 2010.
M
