What is the author's style in the novel, Unlikely Animals?

The author’s mission in writing Unlikely Animals was to convey a real-life story that contains historical elements. She initially did not think she was capable of this mission, because as she states in the Author’s Note, “But I don’t write historical fiction—I like my characters to use the internet and tell fart jokes—so I didn’t think it was going to be my story to tell” (344). Despite her initial aversion to telling a story in arcane language which loses its relevance on the modern reader, she successfully embeds the historicity of the story into a modern context. This context enables her to choose language that is reflective of the modern vernacular, thereby engaging her reader and maintaining the pertinence of the storyline.

The chasm between the language of the past and the language of the modern era is put into sharp contrast by use of excerpts from Harold Baynes’ writings. In these excerpts, the language is decidedly more old-fashioned and hearkens back to the historical period at the turn of the twentieth century. These excerpts depart from the language used in the narrative body of the text, and give shape and texture to the ghost of Harold Baynes.