Matthew Gray
Discussion of Dictionary of the Khasars
- As you moved through the book, how did you pick what you
wanted to read next?
I started out reading the entry for khagan in each book, as
it sounded interesting and like a good starting point, based on the
introduction. From there, I followed references to other sections,
particularly those relevant to the polemic and sections described in
all three books, as I wanted to see the various points of view.
- What was the most satisfying juxtaposition of two
sections? Why?
Reading the Khazar polemic entry in each of the three books
as they all clearly described the same event with similar changes in
each that yielded an end result of the Khazars converting to the
appropriate religion.
- What was the least satisfying aspect of the dictionary
organization?
In this particular dictionary organization, there weren't quite enough
cross references, and it was easy to dead end. Some appropriate cross
references seemed missing too. It would have been better if at the
end of each entry there was a list of relevant cross references.
- Draw a diagram of the narrative structure as you understand it from your (admittedly partial) reading
- What other story domains would be suitable for a
Dictionary presentation?
It seems most story types could be coerced into a dictionary
presentation. It seems especially apt for historical fiction, science
fiction, mystery (though this would have some potential
complications), and other genres where scenario development is a
significant part of the narrative. Most first person sequential
narrative would be less suited to a dictionary presentation.