5. In at number 5 is every chapter from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Although not having any actual named chapter headings itself, the chapters are numbered as prime numbers. This displays Christopher's condition poignantly, as it shows how general numbering does not suit him. In this way, Mark Haddon has made the chapter headings an instrument with which he develops the story, which I think is indicative of good chapter heading.
4. Number 4 is held by the chapters from We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. The chapters in this novel are set out as Records with Keywords underneath it. An example which I particularly like is as follows:
Record Thirty-One
Keywords:
The Great Operation. I Forgave Everything. The Crashing of Trains.
I think the keywords give an ominous and tense feel to the chapter as you await the plot point which satisfies each keyword. It also shows the kind of precision which comprises life in this dystopia, which helps to develop the idea of the setting and ideals in the OneState.
3. Burning at number 3 is Fahrenheit 451 by Rad Bradbury with the following chapter heading:
The Hearth and the Salamander
This fiery imagery is great for setting the scene of the novel, where books are forbidden and are burned, the temperature of this burning being Fahrenheit 451. As well as this, the salamander gives an almost malicious idea, which suits the dystopian setting. The S sound also starkly contrasts with the sound of the word 'hearth', overall creating a wholly interesting chapter name which is magnificent to begin this novel with.
2. Number 2 is occupied by Dead Babies. Sounds macabre, but this is actually a novel by Martin Amis. I thought the following chapter heading was rather poignant:
The Lugubrious Boogie
This is oxymoronic in the fact that 'lugubrious' means mournful, while 'boogie' suggests jollity and energetic movement. This is very much a reflection of the nature of this novel. It is full of hedonistic and morally-inept people doing and saying things which shock the reader. Despite tragedies occurring, they still manage to guzzle alcohol and take drugs and have a 'boogie' with each other, if you catch my drift there. I feel that this chapter heading perfectly demonstrates the novel and the behaviours displayed in it.
Honourable Mentions
'Part I, Chapter III' - The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins
'Second Period, First Narrative' - The Moonstone, Wilkie Collins
'Letter the Second' - Fanny Hill, John Cleland
'Part IV, Chapter IV' - Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
These chapter headings, I feel, are very inspirational and definitely deserved to be showcased here.
1. And finally, here is the chapter heading that I felt to be the best. It is from The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. It is as follows:
The Groping City
I feel this chapter heading really encapsulates what this story is about. It shows the desperation felt by the human race in this post-apocalyptic setting. The idea of an entire city 'groping' is really powerful to me, as well as inspiring strong imagery from the reader. Not least from one of my favourite books, this chapter heading perfectly demonstrates the state of the human race as they try to cope with almost universal blindness and the rise of the horrifying species of plant, the triffids. (Aside from the chapter heading, I strongly recommend this book in general).
Alas, that is it! I hope you enjoyed this week's Top 5 Wednesday! If you did: like, comment and follow my blog! I would really appreciate it! If you have read any of these books, comment below and tell me! Until next time, arrivederci!
No comments:
Post a Comment