Grant Hardy mentions in the introduction that he uses
headings to identify who is speaking and what about. This style is similar to
different versions of the Bible (other than the KJV); I actually found this
style helpful before actually getting into the book because of my experience
with other versions of the Bible, so I was anxious to see how he used it with
the Book of Mormon text. Why I find it helpful, for both the Bible and the Book
of Mormon, is because the reader is able to identify the topic, the what, and
the who. There are multiple places that may be difficult to understand in
identifying who may be talking and when, due to how quickly the conversation is
taking place.
A transition Hardy uses in 1 Nephi 2 that
may not be one of the smoothest transitions is “Laman and Lemuel’s Murmurings”
because the Book of Mormon was talking about Lehi before the transition, and it
still is, however, the first line is “he” and it may make the reader question
who “he” is.
One of my favorite things about the styles in this
edition is the way Hardy uses the verbal phrasing. The way he puts into more of
a poetic style, it helps the reader engage more with the text, as they can
immediately look at the text and know when someone is speaking.
When it’s in the elongated format, I am able to
naturally read it like a novel, which is something the older formats of the
Book of Mormon are like, and it gives a different feel to the reader. Sometimes
it’s easier to focus on the text, as I’m not looking for a specific thing, but
then I end up stumbling on something anyways.
Your dialog about the elongated format is the same reason I like this version of the Book of Mormon. I begin to read it like a novel which makes the story more real to me. When a story is cut up into versus, I tend to focus more on detail and less about the story. However, as you mentioned, when I read it as a story, I tend to pick up on different implied circumstances that must have been difficult to put into words - like the sons of Lehi having to walk through the desert multiple times and the stress that would have caused for the family.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you mentioned that it was difficult for the reader to know who "he" is under one of the lesser smooth subheadings of “Laman and Lemuel’s Murmurings.” I didn't catch that the first time around, but now that you point it out it is true. I think it goes to show that even with this type of formatting, not all things are perfect in it but it definitely gives a different perspective for the reader who is familiar with both formats.
ReplyDeleteI had the same thoughts about the easiness I noticed in simply reading it and flowing through the pages.
ReplyDeleteI like the poetic style as well. Its so easy to recognize, yeah i agree. It feels even more easy to understand that way. Makes it easy to read as well. The flow is definitely there.
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