Stream of consciousness

[metal134]

What are your thoughts (haha, I made a pun!) on stream on consciousness writing? It seems to be a sharply dividing issue; you either love it or you hate it. Personally, I love it. Just it's use alone adds so many dimensions to a story and adds a depth unacheiveable by any other literary device.

[cuppajoe_9]

Good writing is good writing, no matter what the technique. I, personally, enjoy having to do a little more work in order to unravel a novel, so I'm a fan.

Does Henry James' "The Beast in the Jungle" count? Because that one is fantastic.

[metal134]

I've never read that, so I couldn't say. But since you brought it up, and it's here on the site, I shall read it!

[dramasnot6]

It really depends. When it comes to my own writing it is always a "stream of consciousness" that inspires me to start, and sometimes I produce something rather good from just that. But editing always helps as well, so a combination seems about right for me.
I love authors who both work by raw thought and who carefully, meticulously structure their language. Henry James and Jack Kerouac are both favorites of mine and they seem to be on opposite sides of this debate.

[PeterL]

I like the concept of stream of consciousness, but I don't think that any writer has done a good job at it for more than short stretches. The best stream of consciousness pieces that I have read were internal dialogues.

[Il Penseroso]

I dig 'unreliable' narrators, and in my opinion, (most) anything stream of consciousness produces an unreliable narrator because everyone becomes 'unreliable' when you get in their head.

Then again, I haven't read much SoC, so discount this statement (unless it seems profound :))

[liesl]

depends who is writing using stream of consciousness to me. Henry James always comes to mind when stream of consciousness is mentioned but i've not quite decided as to whether i like James' writing or not.