But it was intentional, and your distress shows that it worked.
The narration (both what is said and HOW it is said) is as much part of the story as the dialogue. It is NOT just the author’s personal thoughts on what’s happening.
The matter-of-fact “Cosette was not ill” makes Fantine’s plight and the pointlessness of it all hit so much harder than if you replaced it with a few paragraphs of insults towards the Thénardiers.
Before you describe the author as “devoid of empathy”, consider that that same author, in that same book, included a description so evocative that you struggled to sleep after reading it.
But it was intentional, and your distress shows that it worked.
The narration (both what is said and HOW it is said) is as much part of the story as the dialogue. It is NOT just the author’s personal thoughts on what’s happening.
The matter-of-fact “Cosette was not ill” makes Fantine’s plight and the pointlessness of it all hit so much harder than if you replaced it with a few paragraphs of insults towards the Thénardiers.
Before you describe the author as “devoid of empathy”, consider that that same author, in that same book, included a description so evocative that you struggled to sleep after reading it.