tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post2732938602328001887..comments2023-10-15T11:23:35.339+01:00Comments on Hawkins Bizarre: Language in the Historical NovelAlishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-31072310728686908992010-09-30T11:00:33.331+01:002010-09-30T11:00:33.331+01:00Am I the only one who finds that Alis considers th...Am I the only one who finds that Alis considers the historical root of every word she writes incredibly impressive?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00144414770507110557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-66140435235924912482010-09-27T15:30:34.316+01:002010-09-27T15:30:34.316+01:00I think Nevets has hit the nail on the head I(not ...I think Nevets has hit the nail on the head I(not a 14th century expression!). If a novelist tries to replicate too closely the language of the time about which he's writing, it can seem clunky and self-conscious. For me, the important thing is for the story to flow; but of course no anachronisms, modern idioms etc. The other thing I find is that too much research of any kind shows in the writing; it can scream "I've done research. I know all about this". In my first novel, some of which is set in the 1940s, I put in so much dried egg (I'd done the reaearch, you see) that I ended up taking the whole lot out because it was getting ridiculous (I've still no idea what dried egg looks/tastes like).Frances Garroodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10614916006798375706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-26291271782191043322010-09-27T12:21:19.240+01:002010-09-27T12:21:19.240+01:00The novelist writing a story set in the 14th centu...The novelist writing a story set in the 14th century is trying to give the reader the impression of being in that time for the duration of their reading.<br /><br />The language is one way--certainly not the only one--of doing that. Sentence construction and vocabulary are important tools for showing that we are in a different time, but it is counterproductive to use only words available at that time.Tim Strettonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08598897603628943741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-2139464231051963972010-09-27T07:56:57.800+01:002010-09-27T07:56:57.800+01:00I completely agree, Nevets. Writing historical fic...I completely agree, Nevets. Writing historical fiction you realise just how many of our idioms come from the last couple of centuries - sporting and military, mostly.Alishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18406189984167289987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9088473527308746266.post-37416881879883287952010-09-27T00:57:25.899+01:002010-09-27T00:57:25.899+01:00As a reader, I'm very forgiving of vocabulary,...As a reader, I'm very forgiving of vocabulary, but strikingly less of idiomatic expressions. I'm willing to assume that basic communication is going to be in language that we can understand and that's good, but since most idioms embody cultural references in way or another, they seem to fall into a different category.C. N. Nevetshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00375714948653196993noreply@blogger.com