plˈeɪn sədʒˈɛsts ðætðɪ ɪmˈoʊʃənəl ɪntˈɛnsᵻɾi ʌvðə hˈæŋɪŋ ɡˈɑːɹdən kʊd nˌɑːt biː səstˈeɪnd ɪnðə fˈɑːloʊɪŋ nˈɑːvəl, dˈɛd sˈoʊlz, sˈɪns ðə kəntˈɪnjuːd "twˈɪstɪŋ ʌvðə nˈaɪf" lˈiːdz tʊ ɐ blˈiːknəs ðæt bɪkˈʌmz "stˈæɾɪk.
Plain suggests that the emotional intensity of The Hanging Garden could not be sustained in the following novel, Dead Souls, since the continued "twisting of the knife" leads to a bleakness that becomes "static.