Quote:
As is the case with Vernon’s first two novels Eden (2002) and Logic (2004), A Killing in This Town comes to readers straight from Vernon’s thoughts and pen. In this way, the novel suffers from a certain randomness of development that is likely to frustrate the reader who expects to find a lucidly outlined and logically progressive, even if modernist, plot. Indeed, most of Vernon’s writing could benefit from more narrative discipline. Not so paradoxically, however, is the fact that it is through this rejection of narrative discipline and, conversely, through a commitment to a kind of raw artistry that the novel achieves its authenticity.
1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage regarding Vernon’s A Killing in This Town?Vernon’s A Killing in This Town, like her first two novels, feels undisciplined and random in plot, which can frustrate readers who want a clearly structured story. But that same rejection of strict structure is what gives the novel its
authenticity.
(A) Unlike Vernon’s earlier work, A Killing in This Town suffers from structural problems that may confound readers.
Not supported. The passage says this book is like the first two novels in coming straight from her thoughts and pen, implying the same kind of structural looseness exists in earlier work too.
(B) Among Vernon’s novels, A Killing in This Town stands out as the primary example of her artistry due to its raw subject matter.
Not supported. The passage credits “raw artistry,” not “raw subject matter,” and it never says this novel is the primary example among her novels.
(C) A Killing in This Town has a narrative structure that both adds to the novel’s worth and detracts from its accessibility.
Supported. The randomness frustrates readers who want a clear plot (less accessible), yet the rejection of narrative discipline helps the novel achieve authenticity (adds worth).
This matches the passage’s central contrast.(D) Given its modernist authenticity, A Killing in This Town deserves more scholarly attention than it has currently received.
Not supported. Nothing about scholarly attention appears in the passage.
(E) Many reviewers of A Killing in This Town have found the novel’s structure problematic.
Not supported. The passage predicts likely reader frustration, but it does not report what reviewers have said.
Answer: (C)