Jamie.Zawinski@CMU-CS-SPICE.ARPA (06/27/85)
From: Jamie.Zawinski@CMU-CS-SPICE
I think that this quote of a quote from Chalker's VENGANCE OF THE DANCING
GODS says it all:
"When chronicling great adventures, the chronicler should take pains
to use words that even the most educated of readers must look up.
this may make your chronicle very slow, if not impossible to read,
but it will be critically acclaimed throughout the land, for none
will wish to admit that they didn't understand and relish every
word. Instead, they will use the comfort with such phraseology as
a limitus test for intelectual equality. No one may ever really read
you, but all will be forced to purchase a copy of the chronicle to
convince others that they did, and your brilliance and intellect
will be permanently unquestioned."
--The Romantic Saga Writer's Manual of Style, Marahbar
--Jamie
jwz@cmu-cs-spicechrisa@azure.UUCP (Chris Andersen) (07/02/85)
>From: Jamie.Zawinski@CMU-CS-SPICE > >I think that this quote of a quote from Chalker's VENGANCE OF THE DANCING >GODS says it all: > > "When chronicling great adventures, the chronicler should take pains > to use words that even the most educated of readers must look up. > this may make your chronicle very slow, if not impossible to read, > but it will be critically acclaimed throughout the land, for none > will wish to admit that they didn't understand and relish every > word. Instead, they will use the comfort with such phraseology as > a limitus test for intelectual equality. No one may ever really read > you, but all will be forced to purchase a copy of the chronicle to > convince others that they did, and your brilliance and intellect > will be permanently unquestioned." > > --The Romantic Saga Writer's Manual of Style, Marahbar > I don't wish to admit that I didn't understand and relish every word because I *did* in fact understand and relish every word (of the first trilogy, I ignore the second). I am not an "intellectual" who measures a book by how many verbose words the writer uses. I measure it by how much it affected me. How much of it stuck with me after I read it. How much I learned about myself from the book. I liked the first trilogy because I it was good (to me). If you didn't, fine. But don't start questioning where my tastes come from. Chris Andersen
JAFFE@RUTGERS.ARPA (07/08/85)
From: azure!chrisa (Chris Andersen) >From: Jamie.Zawinski@CMU-CS-SPICE > >I think that this quote of a quote from Chalker's VENGANCE OF THE DANCING >GODS says it all: > > "When chronicling great adventures, the chronicler should take pains > to use words that even the most educated of readers must look up. > this may make your chronicle very slow, if not impossible to read, > but it will be critically acclaimed throughout the land, for none > will wish to admit that they didn't understand and relish every > word. Instead, they will use the comfort with such phraseology as > a limitus test for intelectual equality. No one may ever really read > you, but all will be forced to purchase a copy of the chronicle to > convince others that they did, and your brilliance and intellect > will be permanently unquestioned." > > --The Romantic Saga Writer's Manual of Style, Marahbar > I don't wish to admit that I didn't understand and relish every word because I *did* in fact understand and relish every word (of the first trilogy, I ignore the second). I am not an "intellectual" who measures a book by how many verbose words the writer uses. I measure it by how much it affected me. How much of it stuck with me after I read it. How much I learned about myself from the book. I liked the first trilogy because I it was good (to me). If you didn't, fine. But don't start questioning where my tastes come from. Chris Andersen