'The Fifty Year Sword' by Mark Z. Danielewski is a unique story told by five narrators with different colored quotation marks, creating a narrative that is both intriguing and complex. The book is described as a short yet demanding read that requires multiple readings to fully grasp the layered storytelling. The plot follows a mysterious storyteller who presents a tale to five young orphans at a birthday Halloween party, with elements of poetry, embroidery, and a touch of horror woven throughout the narrative.

Characters:

Characters include a seamstress, a mysterious storyteller, and a group of five children, each playing a role in the unfolding narrative.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by experimental typography, color-coded dialogue, and poetic language, making it visually and linguistically unique.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative is a haunting tale centered around a storyteller who shares a dark story about the Fifty Year Sword during a Halloween gathering.

Setting:

The setting combines a Halloween party with mystical landscapes, creating an atmosphere imbued with both fun and foreboding.

Pacing:

The pacing varies significantly, starting slowly as readers acclimate to the unique format, but ultimately engaging as the narrative unfolds.

Notes:

The book features intricate stitched illustrations designed by three stitchers, which often don't connect well with the narrative.

Different colored quotation marks represent the dialogue of five children, but they don’t consistently enhance the reading experience.

The text mainly appears on left pages, leaving the right pages blank, which contributes to a unique layout but can be confusing.

Danielewski is known for his experimental writing style, combining visual art and poetry with storytelling.

The narrative has been described as a mix of fairy tale quality and horror, revolving around a mysterious storyteller at a Halloween party.

Many readers find the use of portmanteau words in the text to be distracting rather than innovative.

Originally published as a limited edition in 2005, the book is often performed live, which some believe is where its impact is best felt.

Although it's a short tale, it’s presented as a lengthy book due to the visual elements and formatting choices.

The story is about a seamstress named Chintana who learns about a vengeful weapon called the Fifty Year Sword.

This book has been described as a piece of visual art that pushes the boundaries of traditional narrative structure.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Potential content warnings include depictions of violence, mental strain, and horror themes.

From The Publisher:

In this story set in East Texas, a local seamstress named Chintana finds herself responsible for five orphans who are not only captivated by a storyteller's tale of vengeance but by the long black box he sets before them. As midnight approaches, the box is opened, a fateful dare is made, and the children as well as Chintana come face to face with the consequences of a malice retold and now foretold.

Ratings (2)

Loved It (1)
It Was OK (1)

Reader Stats (4):

Read It (2)
Want To Read (2)

1 comment(s)

grithic

Loved It

7 months

I need to re-read this a couple of times. It is beautiful, haunting, and short. The whole time reading it though, you get the sense - as with any Danielewski book - that there is more hidden within the words, within the usage of the colored quotations, within the structure.

On a side note, the stitched artwork is perfect.

What can you read after
The Fifty Year Sword?

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About the Author:

Mark Z. Danielewski was born in New York City and lives in Los Angeles. He is the author of House of Leaves, Only Revolutions and The Whalestoe Letters.

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