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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2009Mark Twain on Henry James
Of a much praised book by Henry James: -- Once you put it down, you simply can't pick it up. [quoted without source in _Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain_, Alex Ayres-editor] When I looked further into this, I see that about half of the Google hits associate this line with Jane Austen, whose books Mark Twain also disliked. Ah, well. > Of a much praised book by Henry James: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > hits associate this line with Jane Austen, whose books Mark Twain also > disliked. Ah, well. I like all of them:) > Of a much praised book by Henry James: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > hits associate this line with Jane Austen, whose books Mark Twain also > disliked. Ah, well. To understand the appeal of James one must read The Emperor's New Clothes'. > Of a much praised book by Henry James: > > -- Once you put it down, you simply can't pick it up. > > [quoted without source in _Wit and Wisdom of Mark Twain_, Alex > Ayres-editor] So I'm in great company! I've confessed in another thread my inability to read Henry James. > When I looked further into this, I see that about half of the Google > hits associate this line with Jane Austen, whose books Mark Twain also > disliked. Ah, well. However, I like Jane Austen. De gustibus... >> Of a much praised book by Henry James: >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >However, I like Jane Austen. De gustibus... I may try her. The many BBC specials based on her works have been universally awful, IMO, but perhaps she comes across better in print.  SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > I may try her. The many BBC specials based on her works have been > universally awful, IMO, but perhaps she comes across better in print. I liked very much the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice." Didn't you like that one? Recently I understood why it was that "felt": the actors playing the main characters, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, were, well, dating at the time. The more recent one wasn't bad either, IMHO. Marius Hancu >> I may try her. The many BBC specials based on her works have been >> universally awful, IMO, but perhaps she comes across better in print. > >I liked very much the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice." Didn't >you like that one? I had the impression it was a custom drama, so I may have missed all of the episodes, I don't remember. >Recently I understood why it was that "felt": the actors playing the >main characters, Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, were, well, dating at >the time. > >The more recent one wasn't bad either, IMHO. Little Dorrit. I watched a few episodes and found them quite boring. The acting was good, I thought, so when there was nothing else on, I watched it. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:06 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > I had the impression it was a custom drama, so I may have missed all > of the episodes, I don't remember. There are multiple clips here, you can see if you recognize it: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3D312066256A17D5 Marius Hancu >> On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:06 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >There are multiple clips here, you can see if you recognize it: >http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=3D312066256A17D5 The clips reminded me that I did indeed see at least some of it. For some reason it didn't turn me on. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:06 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu > > <marius.ha...@gmail.com> wrote: ... > >I liked very much the 1995 version of "Pride and Prejudice." Didn't > >you like that one? > > I had the impression it was a custom drama, ... Is that like a comedy of manners? -- Jerry Friedman knows what was meant. >> On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:06 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Is that like a comedy of manners? I see a "costume drama" (sorry about the misspelling) as being a piece of pleasant fluff more dependent on pretty faces, scenery and dresses than on good dialogue, plot and storyline, but that may not be the BBC's definition. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >> On Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:11:06 -0800 (PST), Marius Hancu >> [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Is that like a comedy of manners? No, they were usually short, sardonic pieces. Weren't Moliere and Voltaire famous for writing them? SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:46:15 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > I may try her. The many BBC specials based on her works have been > universally awful, IMO, but perhaps she comes across better in print. I liked the BBC special (AmE "mini-series") of /Pride and Prejudice/, myself. It was certainly better than the 1940 film version. I've been unable to sit through the 2005 feature film, though I've tried. In print, I found the prose a bit thick, the context a bit difficult, and the humor a bit opaque, but overall it's pretty readable. I gave up halfway though my mother's favorite, /Emma/, though: the protagonist was such an idiot I couldn't stand it anymore. I may go back one day just to see if she learns anything by the end of the book. Jim Deutch (JimboCat) -- "I've noticed that when I use rational analyses of situations that ignore the emotional aspects, people become hostile. This is because they are defective." -- James Nicoll >I liked the BBC special (AmE "mini-series") of /Pride and Prejudice/ I'd call that a serial (as does Wikipedia). It was a drama broadcast by the BBC as six weekly episodes. When it was shown in the US by the A&E Network it got the mini-series treatment: double episodes on three consecutive nights. I don't think the British showing of it would attract the description "special". SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>I liked the BBC special (AmE "mini-series") of /Pride and Prejudice/ > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I don't think the British showing of it would attract the description > "special". Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially on the PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. >>>I liked the BBC special (AmE "mini-series") of /Pride and Prejudice/ >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially on the >PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. I'm not clear of the definition of "mini-series". How many episodes does a series need before it ceases to be "mini"? SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >I'm not clear of the definition of "mini-series". How many episodes does >a series need before it ceases to be "mini"? 13? SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa Web: http://hayesfam.bravehost.com/stevesig.htm Blog: http://methodius.blogspot.com E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk >> Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially >> on the PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. >> > I'm not clear of the definition of "mini-series". How many episodes > does a series need before it ceases to be "mini"? You know, for a long time I thought that each of these multi-episode things was called a minisery. The world became a little bleaker when my illusions were shattered. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. >>> Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially >>> on the PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > things was called a minisery. The world became a little bleaker when > my illusions were shattered. Was that about the same time I discovered that "misled" wasn't the past tense of "misle"? SignatureJames >>>> Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially >>>> on the PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >Was that about the same time I discovered that "misled" wasn't the >past tense of "misle"? Perhaps that was about the time I discovered that a word that I had seen in books: "determined", was not pronounced "deetuh-mined". SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >>>>> Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially >>>>> on the PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Perhaps that was about the time I discovered that a word that I had > seen in books: "determined", was not pronounced "deetuh-mined". When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as "'sinnek 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. SignatureSkitt (AmE) >>>>>> Not all mini series are double episodes, P&P was Shown initially >>>>>> on the PBS Masterpiece Theater in weekly hour long showings. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as "'sinnek > 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. Nobody else has either. > When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as > "'sinnek 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. I felt the need to write a verse to serve as a pmneumonic:* When composing works of music, to begin with you select a key; That applies whether you live in Lisdoonvarna or Schenectady. You don't have to kill the patient to perform an appendectomy: When you take a "pars pro toto" you are using a synecdoche. *a means to assist respiration and memory simultaneously SignatureJames Hogg >> When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as >> "'sinnek 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > *a means to assist respiration and memory simultaneously That's no good. You haven't told us how to pronounce "pmneumonic". Richard Chambers Leeds UK. >>> When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as >>> "'sinnek 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > That's no good. You haven't told us how to pronounce "pmneumonic". The "p" is psilent. SignatureRoland Hutchinson He calls himself "the Garden State's leading violist da gamba," ... comparable to being ruler of an exceptionally small duchy. --Newark (NJ) Star Ledger ( http://tinyurl.com/RolandIsNJ ) >>>> When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as >>>> "'sinnek 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > The "p" is psilent. As in psilanthropism. SignatureJames >>>>> When I see the word "synedoche", I still mentally pronounce it as >>>>> "'sinnek 'doushe". I've never actually said the word. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > As in psilanthropism. Is it measured with a theometer? SignatureMike. Richard Chambers: > That's no good. You haven't told us how to pronounce "pmneumonic". With stone pmnives and bearskins. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto | "I don't have a life; I have a program." --the Doctor msb@vex.net | (Michael Piller, Star Trek: Voyager, "Tattoo") Peter Duncanson: > Perhaps that was about the time I discovered that a word that I had seen > in books: "determined", was not pronounced "deetuh-mined". At my last job, my co-workers from India always pronounced it (1) non- rhotically, (2) with the accent on the first syllable, and (3) with an accented vowel that did not come across to me as a short E -- with the result that I always first heard it as "data-mined". SignatureMark Brader | "Once established, it has prospered and spread, even Toronto | in the face of determined opposition from the msb@vex.net | computing establishment. We feel sure that the UNIX | system is a computing phenomenon whose full influence | has not yet been experienced." -- John Lions, 1979 >>>>I liked the BBC special (AmE "mini-series") of /Pride and Prejudice/ >>> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > I'm not clear of the definition of "mini-series". How many episodes does > a series need before it ceases to be "mini"? Generally a mini-series is a dramatized novel. or history with a definate end point. HBO's 'From the Earth to the Moon' had 12 episodes, 'band of Brothers had 10. To not be a Mini-series you need to have or at least intend a second season{or more} [...] >Generally a mini-series is a dramatized novel. or history with a definate >end point. Not you, too! Has this spelling managed to get into any of the dictionaries? Jim Deutch: >>>> I liked the BBC special (AmE "mini-series") of /Pride and Prejudice/ Peter Duncanson: >>> I'd call that a serial (as does Wikipedia). It was a drama broadcast by >>> the BBC as six weekly episodes. No! A serial is like a normal series -- it goes on indefinitely, i.e. until the ratings drop or the makers decide to quit -- but with the additional characteristic of telling one continuous story. Peter Duncanson: > I'm not clear of the definition of "mini-series". How many episodes does > a series need before it ceases to be "mini"? The primary defining characteristic is the intention that it will tell a single story in two or more parts and then there won't be any more. SignatureMark Brader, Toronto "To great evils we submit; we resent msb@vex.net little provocations." -- W. Hazlitt, 1822 My text in this article is in the public domain. > On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:46:15 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > I may try her. The many BBC specials based on her works have been > universally awful, IMO, but perhaps she comes across better in print. I have no patience for the movie/tv versions of Jane Austen's work. Ditto for "Beowulf", I can digest the Penguin translation, but the movie put me to sleep, notwithstanding Angelina Jolie's performance, which I didn't get a chance to watch because she did not make an appearance during my attention span of the first five minutes. On Nov 24, 11:54?am, Chuck Riggs <chri...@eircom.net> wrote: > <Arcadianri...@aol.com> wrote: > >On Nov 23, 4:58?pm, t...@euronet.nl (Donna Richoux) wrote: [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > I may try her. The many BBC specials based on her works have been > universally awful, IMO, but perhaps she comes across better in print. I have no patience for the movie/tv versions of Jane Austen's work. Ditto for "Beowulf", I can digest the Penguin translation, but the movie put me to sleep, notwithstanding Angelina Jolie's performance, which I didn't get a chance to watch because she did not make an appearance during my attention span of the first five minutes. ===================================================================================== I don't think the bad CGI effects really appeals to us older types. I find them offputting.,The 300 and Sin City were too. >Ditto for "Beowulf", I can digest the Penguin translation, but the >movie put me to sleep, notwithstanding Angelina Jolie's performance, >which I didn't get a chance to watch because she did not make an >appearance during my attention span of the first five minutes. You missed a treat...they had Grendel speaking Old English (and Jolie too, when she was conversing with her son).... Ray O'Hara filted: >I don't think the bad CGI effects really appeals to us older types. >I find them offputting.,The 300 and Sin City were too. I accept them as a storytelling convention, much as I accept people running up walls in wuxia movies....r SignatureA pessimist sees the glass as half empty. An optometrist asks whether you see the glass more full like this?...or like this? >> <Arcadianri...@aol.com> wrote: >> >> Of a much praised book by Henry James: [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >I have no patience for the movie/tv versions of Jane Austen's work. OK, I'll order one or two of her novels. Would "Pride and Prejudice" be as good a choice as any? SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:29:46 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises > [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > OK, I'll order one or two of her novels. Would "Pride and Prejudice" > be as good a choice as any? Lengthwise is right for a first reading. But my favorite is Emma (very long), a true comedy of manners. >> <Arcadianri...@aol.com> wrote: >> >> On Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:46:15 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] >Lengthwise is right for a first reading. >But my favorite is Emma (very long), a true comedy of manners. Thank you for the recommendations. I'll see what the Kindle Store has. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE >>> On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:29:46 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises >>> [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] > >Thank you for the recommendations. I'll see what the Kindle Store has. I had trouble last night finding an edition of Pride and Prejudice that looked good, so I downloaded Emma. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE > >>> On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:29:46 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises > [quoted text clipped - 41 lines] > > - Show quoted text - I'm always overwhelmed by a warm, nice feeling when people follow my advice and recommendations, I feel that my wisdom and sophistication are not wasted. OTOH, if you won't like the book, just remember that nobody forced you at gunpoint to download that long-winded thing. >> >>> On Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:29:46 -0800 (PST), Arcadian Rises >> [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] >OTOH, if you won't like the book, just remember that nobody forced you >at gunpoint to download that long-winded thing. For what Kindle books cost, it won't be the end of the world if I don't read it all. Anyway, thanks for the heads-up. "Gone With the Wind" is first, and then I may return to "A Tale of Two Cities" (boring, so far), before I get to it. SignatureRegards, Chuck Riggs, An American who lives near Dublin, Ireland and usually spells in BrE |
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