Personal Library Exploration Continues
Having completed For Whom the Bell Tolls, I'm now toiling away at the next dig, as I painstakingly explore Nathaniel Hawthorne's ancient House of the Seven Gables.
This century-and-a-half old tome, housed in the form of a 35-cent paperback printed in 1959 (and with a glowing blurb by none other than Edgar Allen Poe) is quite a change of pace from Hemingway's rather sparse prose, and my 20th century brain (yes, alas – the 21st century upgrade has proven unsuccessful, despite repeated attempts to install) is forced to discard its habit of skimming across text and instead must concentrate on each word and phrase to ascertain the author's intent. Here's a sample of one of the more accessible passages:
Hemingway would have condensed this into something like The girl's graceful sensuality made child's-play of her work, and if you were fortunate enough to be in her presence, you felt that all was right with the world. Even if death lay in wait at the end of the day.
In truth, Seven Gables is a refreshing change of pace. It's a sinful luxury to take the time to linger over words that are no longer in active use, and to work out the meaning of labrynthian phrases that turn back on themselves multiple times before revealing their exit. Fortunately (for me, anyway), that's how I write, although Hawthorne's prose does have the added attraction of actually providing something meaningful to the reader.
Jeff, I don't recall ever reading this book (I think it belongs to my wife, who is much more well-read than me!), so it's a new experience.
Of course, it could be one of those repressed memory things, and a good dose of hypnosis could bring it flooding back. ;-)
Posted by: Eric at November 19, 2008 01:19 PMImagine a writer today submitting a manuscript that reads like the passage you quoted! I read Seven Gables as a junior in high school, but have not looked at it since. My copy has long since been jettisoned.
Do you have a copy of my favorite? Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe? I have read it so often that it's no longer a struggle, and now all pleasure.
Posted by: Deborah at November 19, 2008 03:12 PMImagine a writer today submitting a manuscript...
And imagine a reading public who could assimilate and even embrace such a manuscript! ;-)
I do think we've got a copy of Ivanhoe around here somewhere, although it may still be in one of the few boxes we haven't yet moved out of storage. That's one that I read as a teen and haven't cracked open since. Perhaps I need to add it to the exploration plan.
Posted by: Eric at November 19, 2008 03:40 PMSay---you were going to review the Kindle for us (unless you did, and I missed it).
Posted by: Deborah at November 19, 2008 03:50 PMWell, to be accurate, it's my wife who is going to review it (I don't have access privileges). And she tells me that she's been working on it. I'll remind her that inquiring minds want to know...
Posted by: Eric at November 19, 2008 04:14 PMAbout the publisher
Random Abbye photos...
Angry Clouds
I am Curious Llama
Ganglia & Brain Cloud
Cabeza del Diablo
Aurora Moreorless
Be careful Who you plagiarize
Coming Attractions
All Thorns, All the Time
Hitchin' a Ride
"...the flower fades..."
Finding meaning in random events
Random Thursday: The Thanksgiving Edition
A Matter of Perception
Reason #21 to wear shoes in West Texas
The Neighborhood:
West Texas Blogs:
[Midland unless otherwise indicated]
Other Texas Blogs:
The Business:
The Church:
The World:
Wow ...Hemingway to Hawthorne IS is certainly among the largest stylistic jumps one could make within the bounds of American lit!
I agree with your description of reading Hawthorne's prose, and it is wonderful to be able to tackle it willingly ... I'm afraid "Gables" has joined that long list of works 'ya hadda read in high school.'
Looking forward to your next tome!
Posted by: Jeff at November 19, 2008 12:32 PM