Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Lyrical, Romantic, Solemn, and Tragic
Sedgwick loves to throw all kinds of contradictory emotions at us in Midwinterblood, and his attitude toward these things falls into two categories. On the one hand, the story is so lyrical and romantic. Not only is it expressive and emotionally written, we can't help but be drawn into the tender and sweet romance that Eric and Merle share. Hey, this is a love that's so strong it sweeps across the ages. If that doesn't get you feel a little poetic and lovey dovey then we don't know what will.
But on the flip side, the novel also takes a super solemn and tragic approach to these same things. Sure, we're watching a beautiful and poignant love story unfold across time and space, but in the end of each of these lives we're faced with a whole lot of tragedy. Eric and Merle are always fated to meet, yet doomed to lose each other in each of their lives. Of course, there's beauty in having loved and having experienced these "few pure moments of perfection" (7.5.46), but there's also a whole lot of sadness when they're lost, too.
Now excuse us for a moment while we grab ourselves a tissue. Sniff, sniff.