Thursday, November 20, 2008

Blessed is the man who, having nothing to say, abstains from giving us wordy evidence of the fact.

I have to confess to feeling a little let down by the readers of this fine collection of literature and important news (aMToNW). I feel I am alone in going over to Boris's place and helping him along in his important job. Even Raincoaster doesn't visit him very often. Heaven only knows what happened to dear old Mark, I suspect one of you idiots upset him.

The more astute of you will also notice that I have a new friend to stalk.

*******

I have attempted, over the years, to make my writings accessible to you all, and geared the style towards my loyal readers. Some of you will notice that to even the most erudite student of literature, my prose is indistinguishable from that of Enid Blyton. I have to warn you that this may change in the coming days, as I feel that my writing will be influenced by George Eliot. Yes, I have decided to reread Middlemarch, and am determined to take my time in doing so, so as to absorb all of it. I hope that you have all read it. Perhaps, like me, you took a long time to getting round to it, put off, maybe, by having classical literature forced upon you at school. (For Dave, of course, it was not called classical literature, when he was at school, "The Way We Live Now" was contemporary fiction.) It is excellent. I defy Scaryduck to do a condensed version of it.

17 comments:

Dave said...

I have nothing to say.

I, Like The View said...

I'm abstaining

Richard said...

I've never read it. I am in the library right now, I shall take it home with me.

In my 20s I went through a phase of profound self-improvement (that's improvement, note). I read virtually the whole Penguin Classics collection of French writers - Zola, Maupassant, Flaubert whatever. Could be a time for a revisit. Time to go, the person on the next terminal has excriciating B.O.

Richard said...

excruciating.

WV opall. A pall of Odour.

Rol said...

I have read it, a long time ago, and have nothing further to say about it.

Romeo Morningwood said...

Here in the Colonies, the closest that we dare venture near Eliot is to see Cats.

If Middlemarch is turned into a splashy Braodway Musical then maybe I'll think about seeing it.
I said maybe.

The Mistress said...

I miss Fred Eliot.

Vicus Scurra said...

I see what you have done, you have pretended to be clever by stating that you have nothing to say, apart from the Canadian contingent.
Good news, Donn, "Middlemarch - a song, a dance and a passing reference to Italian antiquities" opens at the Whateverpeg Moosecock Theatre when the current run of "Brothers Karamazov" finishes.
MJ. You and Fred were separated at birth.

I, Like The View said...

"pretended to be clever"

*swoons at the thought of such over-generous praise*

(word ver: panedos)

Anonymous said...

Literary pygmy that I am, I always get a bit muddled.Is "Middlemarch" the one about the water mill?

(And how the heck do you keep up with that ever-morphing avatar in Manitoba? I have trouble enough with the Norfolk Vicar, but at least his phys. is recognsable!)

Please don't ask what this w v is!!! All I'll say is "rude!")

Lin said...

I've been trying to figure out just who influences your writing and Blyton was my first choice, so I tripped out and bought hundreds of her books, trying to get some greater understanding of your...style.

So, great...Famous Five finished, and with Secret Seven and Mallory Towers lined up tidily on the bookshelves you're telling me your writing will now be influenced by Eliot?

Another Georgie girl thrown my way? Coincidence? I think not.

Zig said...

I watched it on the telly - will that do?

Juliet Aubrey was born in Fleet you know.

Vicus Scurra said...

moreidlethoughts. You are trying to vex me, aren't you. I bet you've read all of George Eliot, in the original Coventry accent.
Lin. I think that I am also influenced by Chaucer. Not that I've read any, I just want you to read it.
Ziggi. No, it won't do at all, because although the TV series was good, (Elizabeth Spriggs outstanding), it wasn't as good as the book. Go on, read it, you will love it. She is nearly as good as me.

Anonymous said...

Hi Vicus,

(I'm having trouble getting started without sounding like a simpering groupie).

Anyhoo....enjoy your blog greatly. It's always nice to find your fishing in the blog-o-sphere rewarded..:)

(Hope I haven't taken any liberties adding you on my 'blogroll' before saying something first.)

Romeo Morningwood said...

Bless me Vicus for I have nothing to say...
it's been two days since my last comment.

I had lustful thoughts about Monica Bellucci today..
does that make me a bad person?

Foilwoman said...

Aw, heck, I liked Middlemarch. And Casaubon (sp? It's been 20+ years, give me a fucking break) seemed like such a twit. What did she see in him anyway? Aren't men like him the reason for the incredibly deceitful phrase "It's not you, it's me" anyway?

Unknown said...

I almost missed that Donnn had reinvented his blog personna again!

But then I miss quite a lot. I'm not reading that but I am reading a novel in Spanish and it's a bit excruciating. Does that count?