Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 (Tek) 9/28/84 based on 9/17/84; site azure.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!tektronix!teklds!azure!chrisa From: chrisa@azure.UUCP (Chris Andersen) Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers Subject: Re: Donaldson's Excessively Distended Verbosity Message-ID: <321@azure.UUCP> Date: Mon, 1-Jul-85 23:41:16 EDT Article-I.D.: azure.321 Posted: Mon Jul 1 23:41:16 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Jul-85 04:55:21 EDT References: <2418@topaz.ARPA> Reply-To: chrisa@azure.UUCP (Chris Andersen) Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 30 Summary: >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