Re: the beauty of the words


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Previous # Next ] [ Start New Thread ] [ TarBoard ]

Posted by Peter Ceresole on June 24, 2004 at 20:26:48 from 80.177.22.49 user PeterC.

In Reply to: the beauty of the words posted by Ed Kiser on June 24, 2004 at 18:34:43:

"Softly, at first, as if it hardly meant it, the snow began to fall."

Yes, a magic moment from what is my favourite book. Another, also concerning the D's, comes at the start of PM when they are settling down to sleep on their first night at Beckfoot:

"Dorothea blew out her candle and settled herself in the middle of the big spare room bed. An owl called in the woods. "Not a barn owl but a tawney," thought Dick, listening to the sharp "Gewick! Gewick!" as he fell asleep. A smell of new mown hay drifted from the meadows on the further side of the river. "There isn't a lovelier place in all the world," thought Dorothea. London last night, and now Beckfoot. The summer holidays had begun." PM, JC 1948, p.26.

It's got everything; contentment, excited anticipation, friendly smells. You are there. And all done with spare elegance and economy.

That was a characteristic of good English writing of that period. I have just re-read a book, "Post D", written by John Strachey at the start of the War, about his experiences as an air raid warden. It has the same spare, strong, totally believable writing. Horrible events are described dispassionately; the chapter "Digging for Mrs Miller" is grinding and unsparing but includes flashes of the everyday humour civil defence workers used to help themsleves cope. It hardly uses a single redundant adjective, just plain English used as it is designed to be used. It absolutely impels you along. It's quite brilliant.

Just like AR, for a quite different readership and a different purpose.




Follow Ups:



Post a Followup

Name:
Eel-Mail:

Existing subject (please edit appropriately) :

Comments:

Optional Link URL:
Link Title:
Optional Image URL:

post direct to TarBoard test post first

Before posting it is necessary to be a registered user.


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TarBoard ]

Courtesy of Environmental Science, Lancaster

space