[ebooktalk] Re: Language In Books
- From: "Trish Talbot" <trish@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 17:21:42 +0100
I must admit, Ian, that I didn't notice, let alone be annoyed by, "Knowing the
heft of every knife", but I know just how much t5hese things can irritate. I
getfind it frustrating when American words sneak into supposedly very British
books, e.g. "She put the book in her purse". (Must have been a big purse, her
handbag must have been very large to hold itj). Much as I loved the book, I
found it disappointing when, atnear the end of Michelle Magorian's "GGoodnight,
Mr. Tom", she talks about one of the girls wearing Zak's "Pants" when she means
trousers, and about two sentences later, talks about them spooning "Jelly" onto
their bread. I also dislike it when a dialect word is either used in the wrong
sense, or spoken by someone supposedly from a different county, though this
tends to happen more in TV dramatisations than in books.
The other "Red car in Benn-Hurr" equivalent that jars on me is when a writer
refers to a record or piece of music which wasn't recorded at the time. Maeve
Binchy is guilty of this in "Firefly Summer". It shouldn't matter really, but
it makes the story slightly less believable.
Trish
----- Original Message -----
From: Ian Macrae
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2013 11:34 AM
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Rosamund Lupton.
Hi elaine, for me it doesn't matter whether the language reflects the reality
of such a person. This, as you suggest, is fiction after all. I'm sure the
Saxons and Danes in Bernard cornwell's series set at the time of Alfred didn't
speak in the way, meaning I suppose the idiom that his characters do. for me
it's about whether they are true to the story and to the overall intention of
the author. That phrase from the Bradford family's cook about knowing the heft
of every knife just jarred with me. It's like the fact that people have
spotted that there's a red car in one of the backgrounds of the great chariot
race from the movie of Ben Her.
On 10 Jun 2013, at 23:56, Elaine Harris (Rivendell) wrote:
Ah, yes, I see what you mean.
I don’t recall her bring particularly articulate but you could well be
right. In fact, you have raised a most interesting question there. It has often
occurred to me in the past that some characters express themselves more clearly
and/or in better language than might their real life counterparts; it used to
annoy me but no longer does. Not sure why. Perhaps an acceptance of artistic
licence and a fear of inverted snobbier: as in, who am I to judge how well or
badly someone may express themselves. It has occurred to me often, though,
throughout my many years of reading.
Thank you for prompting me to think about it again.
Elaine
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ian Macrae
Sent: Tuesday, 11 June 2013 6:21 AM
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Rosamund Lupton.
Hi elanie, I'm sure I'll go back to the book, but the cook in question was
the one who was fired when the big cheese family fled the village.
On 10 Jun 2013, at 19:38, Elaine Harris (Rivendell) wrote:
Ian, I can understand your doubts with Geraldine brooks’ Anna but since the
narrator – by the end of the book and the perspective from which she is telling
the story – is no mere seventeenth-century cook. Her education grows along with
the book.
For the record, Geraldine Brooks is Australian, started out as a reporter
and her first book was non-fiction on Moslem women, married to Anthony (Tony)
Horrowitz; not sure if he is English but is well-known for his children’s
fiction (which I have not read) and they live in America though I think spend a
fair amount of time in the UK.
I loved the language; to me that was part of the thrill of the book; many
of the words I think you would find only in a mediaeval dictionary.
However, only you can know if a book is for you.
Take care,
Elaine
From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Ian Macrae
Sent: Tuesday, 11 June 2013 3:25 AM
To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Rosamund Lupton.
Anyone care to outline what kind of fiction she writes? I must confess to
be still struggling rather with Geraldine Brooks. Part of it is language. I
don't believe any cook in the 17th century would ever have said, :I now the
heft of every knife in this kitchen". It's a bit like those female American
writers of historical fiction who think they create the language of the 15th
century by inserting the word "Do" before every active verb.
On 10 Jun 2013, at 17:54, Shell wrote:
I think you might enjoy Sister David, though you do have to be on top of
things at the end as Steve says. I think it's much more up your street though.
Shell.
--------------------------------------------------
From: "David Russell" <david.russell8@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, June 10, 2013 3:58 PM
To: <ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Rosamund Lupton.
> I read "Afterwards" and really struggled with it for many reasons. It
would
> take a good deal of persuasion for me to try reading Lupton again.
>
>
> David
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ebooktalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> On Behalf Of Clare Gailans
> Sent: 10 June 2013 12:03
> To: ebooktalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [ebooktalk] Re: Rosamund Lupton.
>
> Trish, I have Sister and will try it now as you say it is so much better.
I
> thought all the out-of-body business in Afterwrds spoilt what was
otherwise
> a good book. Clare
>
>
>
>
>
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