Celine: as in so many

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Marius Hancu - 28 Apr 2010 03:07 GMT

Hello:

What's the exact meaning of "as in so many" here? Is it just a device
to create a metaphor, perhaps "armchairs, shells in fact?"

The French version was well mirrored in this case, as it says "en de
profonds fauteuils, comme dans autant d'ecrins." However, this doesn't
help me much.

---
There were a great number of young women in this twilight, sunk in
armchairs as in so many shells.

Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Journey to the End of the Night, p. 196
Tr. by John H.P. Marks
---
--
Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Jeffrey Turner - 28 Apr 2010 04:33 GMT

> Hello:
>
> What's the exact meaning of "as in so many" here? Is it just a device
> to create a metaphor, perhaps "armchairs, shells in fact?"

The armchairs were functioning as shells for the women sitting in them.

--Jeff

> The French version was well mirrored in this case, as it says "en de
> profonds fauteuils, comme dans autant d'ecrins." However, this doesn't
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> Thanks.
> Marius Hancu

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Love consists of overestimating
the differences between one woman
and another. --George Bernard Shaw

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the Omrud - 28 Apr 2010 09:18 GMT

> Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> There were a great number of young women in this twilight, sunk in
> armchairs as in so many shells.

Read as:

- sunk in armchairs as [though they were] in so many shells.

"so many" in this case literally means "a similar number of", but I
cannot find any words to explain what it actually indicates. I like it,
though. The sentence is better with it.

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David

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sproz - 28 Apr 2010 10:00 GMT

> > Hello:
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> cannot find any words to explain what it actually indicates. I like it,
> though. The sentence is better with it.

Agreed. "... like so many..." has become a stock phrase; I certainly
don't think in detail what it means if I use it. It's just a way of
introducing a simile, often a not particularly favourable one, in my
experience. A web search turns up, plucked out at random: "Graydon
Carter Controls His Neighbors Like So Many Puppets". No idea who this
is, but I guess his neighbours wouldn't like the comparison.

Mark

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Marius Hancu - 28 Apr 2010 12:22 GMT

> > > What's the exact meaning of "as in so many" here? Is it just a device
> > > to create a metaphor, perhaps "armchairs, shells in fact?"
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> don't think in detail what it means if I use it. It's just a way of
> introducing a simile

That's what I thought too.

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Roland Hutchinson - 29 Apr 2010 03:36 GMT

>> > > What's the exact meaning of "as in so many" here? Is it just a
>> > > device to create a metaphor, perhaps "armchairs, shells in fact?"
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> That's what I thought too.

But if one must think in detail, "as in so many shells" can be read as
meaning "as if each armchair had been a shell". It means _exactly_ the
same number of, to my mind.

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Roland 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 )

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Marius Hancu - 29 Apr 2010 11:17 GMT

On Apr 28, 10:36 pm, Roland Hutchinson <my.spamt...@verizon.net>
wrote:

> >> > > What's the exact meaning of "as in so many" here? Is it just a
> >> > > device to create a metaphor, perhaps "armchairs, shells in fact?"
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
> meaning "as if each armchair had been a shell". It means _exactly_ the
> same number of, to my mind.

Good angle.

Thanks.
Marius Hancu

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Marius Hancu - 28 Apr 2010 12:21 GMT

> > What's the exact meaning of "as in so many" here? Is it just a device
> > to create a metaphor, perhaps "armchairs, shells in fact?"
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> - sunk in armchairs as [though they were] in so many shells.

That's one of the ways I'm doing it:-)

> "so many" in this case literally means "a similar number of", but I
> cannot find any words to explain what it actually indicates. I like it,
> though. The sentence is better with it.

Interesting.

Thank you all.
Marius Hancu

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / April 2010

Celine: as in so many