A little more on Iain Pears, and chiefly on his forthcoming work which I first had word of a few months ago and which sounded exciting then but seems to be even more ripe with possibility now that I've read An Instance of the Fingerpost.
Arcadia is "a great multi-layered story of history and time. It is conceived and written for digital publication and will be first released in a purpose-built app for mobile devices built by Faber and Iain Pears in partnership.
The novel, whose characters' lives intersect in vivid time-slip stories, is the first of its kind. It mixes genres, periods and styles and can be read in different ways. Readers may approach each narrative as a traditional linear story; or they may follow the episodes of each tale on a cross-linear path. They can read, or leave out, sections as they choose. Different ways of reading create different relationships between the characters, and a different understanding of how stories can be told."
The app is due to be released in September this year with the hardback and ebook editions following in March 2014.
For those who prefer more conventional books, may I recommend Iain Pears' Stone's Fall
Wow, this sounds ambitious. I am halfway through The Instance Of The Fingerpost and am enjoying it very much.
Posted by: Helen | 24 February 2013 at 01:11 PM
Glad to hear you're enjoying the book, Helen, and yes the app does sound ambitious - and a rich reading experience (as long as one doesn't get lost!).
Posted by: Cornflower | 24 February 2013 at 04:19 PM
Stone's Fall was terrific. I remember sitting up half the night over it. The app sounds ... annoying.
Posted by: Mary | 24 February 2013 at 05:19 PM
'Annoying'! Yes, if it's not easy to follow - I'm looking forward to finding out more.
Posted by: Cornflower | 24 February 2013 at 05:36 PM
I think one would need to experience this way of reading to sense how it would work for me. An intriguing experiment though. I am admiring your site. Full of enlightened information. W
Posted by: Wendy | 24 February 2013 at 06:22 PM
Thankyou, Wendy!
Posted by: Cornflower | 24 February 2013 at 07:45 PM
Sounds a bit like Chris Ware's Building Stories for phones... ;)
Posted by: Alex in Leeds | 24 February 2013 at 08:12 PM
It sounds more like a computer game than reading. But I fully admit that I am a natural Luddite!
Posted by: Mary | 24 February 2013 at 10:11 PM
I am curious to see how that would play out and yes it could become something wonderful or a computer game of some sort. Maybe this app is the way of the future and it will become as popular and as common as audio books are, just another form of delivery. I would like to listen and try the app out. I wonder if it will be available in North America when it's released or if we will have to wait.
Having read one book by Iain Pears I am interested in reading his other titles. Thanks for the selection, despite the length, a perfect choice for a chilly February.
Posted by: Anji | 24 February 2013 at 10:27 PM
It'll be interesting to see how it works as a book as well as an app.
Posted by: Cornflower | 25 February 2013 at 09:24 AM
Glad that "... the Fingerpost" has whetted your appetite for more Iain Pears, Anji.
Posted by: Cornflower | 25 February 2013 at 09:26 AM