So the dialogue could easily turn erudite to a degree that the characters appear pretentiously smart but no longer vulnerable, which is essentially who Franny and Leon are and what draws them to each other. There’s an urge for one character to try and impress the other. Leon Posen is a well-known literary talent of his generation and Franny is a well-read and sharp devotee. Patchett is witty and so are her characters in this context. But it shouldn’t be too smart either, which is exactly the risk in this case. Aspiring writers are often reminded that the dialogue shouldn’t ring flat. But Patchett surprises the reader and interweaves the scene with wit and charm that keeps the dialogue wholly engaging. The premise of the scene is not unremarkable. He relishes at the idea of being served by Franny so that she could linger around him.Įssentially, it’s a flirting scene at a bar between a “bartender” and customer which may or may not lead to a hook-up.
Leon, for his part, has had a few drinks already and he’s smitten by Franny’s beauty. So when she finds out that Leon Posen is at the bar, Franny takes the opportunity to be his bartender to impress her idol. Franny is a huge fan of Leon Posen and she has read all his works quite faithfully. It’s near closing time for the bar so it’s almost empty. The setting is Chicago’s iconic Palmer House Hotel. The dialogue is between two characters: Franny, a cocktail waitress, and Leon Posen, a customer at the bar and occupationally a writer. In fact, bulk of that chapter is dialogue. Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth has this scene at the start of the Chapter 4 that develops primarily through dialogue.
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