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/lit/ - Literature

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10045165 No.10045165 [Reply] [Original]

I'm reading Jekyll and Hyde right now, and I've noticed that I average three unknown words per page.

Does anyone else think that this novella is rich in colorful and obscure vocabulary? Or am I just an ignoramus? I've read a few other novels related in period, but I never had this much trouble with them in regard to unknown words.

>> No.10045171

>>10045165
Read more

>> No.10045356

>>10045165
just get a dictionary

>> No.10045427

I actually had a bit of difficulty reading Flatland despite it being a relatively simple book because Abbot used a fuckton of really archaic Victorian language.

>> No.10045442

>>10045165
what are the words you dont know

>> No.10045740

>>10045165
Invisible style has already done its damage to you. This is why Elmore Leonard's 10 rules for writers is bunk.

>> No.10045765
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10045765

>>10045740

2 dollar words are for losers. The essence of creativity is restriction. If you can't create literary art with a vocabulary of fewer than 300 words you're a fraud.

>> No.10045775
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10045775

>>10045165
>2017
>man-animal intimidated by word clearing

>> No.10046311

>>10045765
It just depends on what you're trying to accomplish. Are you writing because you want to entertain the simpleton? Or are you writing for the man of refinement who possesses a rich vocabulary?

>> No.10046317

>>10045765
Yeah, I agree. But I would also add that using verbs in prose writing is for losers too. If you can't write a compelling story without using verbs you are a chump.

>> No.10046487

>>10045165
Rich, colorful and obscure certainly describes the texture and mood of J&H. A sense of the writing's evocation is another asset

>> No.10046532
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10046532

>>10045442
farrago
minims
derided
tincture
doff
pecuniary
egregious
turpitude

These words take me back to when I used to participate in spelling bees. I should have probably known some of these words, given my history.

>> No.10046555

>>10046532
>derided
>tincture
>egregious

you're joking, right?

>> No.10046575

>>10046555
what the fuck do you care about what words he's learning? You didn't list turpitude as an outrageous word not to know, that makes you a pleb and a hypocrite.

>> No.10046584
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10046584

>>10046555
I'm not proud of it, man. Common words pass by me sometimes.

>> No.10046592

>>10046317
How do you write a sentence, let alone a story, without verbs?

>> No.10046602

>>10046584
man, it's alright, if you want to learn you should not care about how much you don't know as long as you are willing to work on it

>> No.10046605

>>10046532
>pecuniary

didnt u read veblen? where the fuck do these plebs come from? oh ya /pol/

>> No.10046699

>>10046532
>egregious
Coincidentally the most egregious one on there. Get your shit together.

>> No.10047115

>>10046317
this is the most retarded thing i've ever read.

>> No.10047187

>>10045165

you just haven't read enough pre-20th century books aka good books.

>> No.10047211
File: 16 KB, 303x312, 1373360378533.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
10047211

>>10046317

I want to force a girl not to use verbs while speaking for a whole day.

It's my darkest secret.

>> No.10047251

>>10045765
Hemmingway is a hack and should have been shot before he introduced his kindergarten style into literature.

>> No.10047269

>>10045740
It isn't if you wanna write the kind of stuff Elmore Leonard writes. All those decalogues or other type of checklist any writers do should be understood as "rules to write like me". They're quite useful if you want to analyze a writer's style, and see how much he actually adheres to his own rules, but to take any of them as the ultimate "how to write" manual is not smart and the writers don't intend them to be it anyway.

>> No.10047280

>>10046317
Good post. True, concise, and without any unnecessary garbage such as verbs.

>> No.10047282

>>10046532
Literally only the first two are difficult, and that's because they're archaic scientific vocabulary.

>> No.10047376

>>10047282
Words aren't difficult to remember. It's just that I've never come across those ones before.

>> No.10047429

>>10046532
i cannot believe that you're allowed to be on this board if you haven't come across derided before.

>> No.10047600
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10047600

>>10047429
I honestly have no idea how it's happened. I've read a wide range of literature, yet I'm still lacking in the vocabulary department.

It's a most unfortunate situation.

>> No.10048080

>>10047115
Whatever you say, fucko the clown. Leave the writing to the pros.

>> No.10048088

>>10047280
Underrated post.

>> No.10048093

>>10047280
This prose is magnificent, anon.