While reading "Twelve Blue" the other day, I realized I had been exposed to this kind of interactive narratology before. I was never a reader of Choose Your Own Adventure books, but I am familiar with them. My familiarity with interactive narratology comes from conducting research for an English class last fall.
Our topic was on the "Salem Witch Trials". While researching, I came across this story.
One of the main differences, though, between the Trials story and "Twelve Blue" is that in "Twelve Blue", the reader makes the main decision at the very beginning by clicking on one of the numbers (1-8) presented to him or her. Soon after, another decision must be made, depending on what number was selected on the first page. For the most part, after that, there really aren't many options aside from clicking the links at the end of the story's paragraphs.
The Trials story, has the same narrative flow until the reader decides whether or not to confess to being a witch by clicking "Yes" or "No". The story then leads to an ending based, for the most part, on what decision the reader made.
Much like the CYOA series both stories, "Salem Witch Trials" and "Twelve Blue", have an ultimate ending with more or less various ways to get to them. It's interesting to see what paths the reader chooses and why.
For example, several people from class decided on certain paths because it was perhaps "most logical" or they chose paths that led to the best ending (whether or not this was considered "cheating" was briefly debated).
Ultimately, this interactive narratology reminded me of a book called Rayuela (Hopscotch) by Julio Cortazar. This book is less dependant on the choices of the reader than CYOA or the above mentioned stories.
However, what makes this book so interesting to me is that the author himself introduces this single book as "two books" in one. The cleverness resides in the title "Hopscotch" because that's exactly what the reader can do to have two completely different stories.... in one book. Once again, ultimate endings with various paths.
Hopscotch?
How does this Hopscotch book work? I'm not familiar with it. To me, the name suggests that you might be able to get different stories by selecting to either read or skip specific chapters, and then go back through and do the opposite (skipping v. reading). Is that it?
Yes, reading the book
Yes, reading the book straight through will give a different story if the reader decides to skip chapters. Although, the author gives a specific order for those who take the second option
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