Thanks, Andrew.
My Dunedin friend Alan Roddick has also responded, adding an item I want to
share with all about how to live (Sydney Smith).
Thus:
What an interesting word! I had initially anted to insert an apostrophe,
but then saw that it must have been made on the model of 'its' (even if
nowadays that so often cops an apostrophe whether it wants one or not).
I hesitate to rise to my feet and announce, "Gentlemen, hats off!' (as
in the Camus novel)*: it's an awkward blend of plain prose and
headline-writing. But of course, more conventional alternatives lack
something of its punch: 'The effect of this moving novel builds
slowly...' is a bit clunky, but how about: 'This is a moving novel. Its
effect builds...'?
But, thank you!
Pat has been reading the Rev. Sydney Smith lately, initially to track
down the possible origin of Auden's 'Take short views', but then for the
pleasure of Smith's life and writing (and conversation). I borrowed for
her from the University Library (the bowels of Leith Street Storage) a
two-volume Life and Recollections, by his daughter, a Mrs Austen ('"No
kin," as Time would say'), and found this delightful letter - that, as
it happens also hints at the key phrase.
Foston, Feb. 16th, 1820
Dear Lady Georgiana,
. Nobody has suffered more from low spirits than I have done - so I feel
for you. 1st. Live as well as you dare. 2nd. Go into the shower-bath
with a small quantity of water at a temperature low enough to give you a
slight sensation of cold, 750 or 800. 3rd. Amusing books. 4th. Short
views of human life - not further than dinner or tea. 5th. Be as busy as
you can. 6th. See as much as you can of those friends who respect and
like you. 7th. And of those acquaintances who amuse you. 8th. Make no
secret of low spirits to your friends, but talk of them freely - they
are always worse for dignified concealment. 9th. Attend to the effects
tea and coffee produce upon you. 10th. Compare your lot with that of
other people. 11th. Don't expect too much from human life - a sorry
business at the best. 12th. Avoid poetry, dramatic representations
(except comedy), music, serious novels, melancholy sentimental people,
and everything likely to excite feeling or emotion not ending in active
benevolence. 13th. Do good, and endeavour to please everybody of every
degree. 14th. Be as much as you can in the open air without fatigue.
15th. Make the room where you commonly sit, gay and pleasant. 16th.
Struggle by little and little against idleness. 17th. Don't be too
severe upon yourself, or underrate yourself, but do yourself justice.
18th. Keep good blazing fires. 19th. Be firm and constant in the
exercise of rational religion. 20th. Believe me, dear Lady Georgiana,
Very truly yours,
SYDNEY
SMITH
Rev. Sydney Smith to Lady Georgiana Morpeth [letter 356].
*Hats off, a genius! - Doesn't that go back to an event in French music, 19th
century?
Quoting andrew burke <[log in to unmask]>:
> Max - It smacks of recorded language - dictated into a recording device and
> transcribed by a diligent but unimaginative scribe. There is a difference
> between how we speak and how we write, as you no doubt know. Interesting
> that she should let it through to print, though. I would' have rewritten the
> whole sentence.
>
> Andrew
>
> 2009/12/9 Max Richards <[log in to unmask]>
>
> > I read in a bookshop newsletter about
> >
> > 'a moving novel thats effect builds slowly and then continues' etc
> >
> > Is this 'thats' a new word?
> >
> > The writer I guess wanted to avoid the word 'whose' and couldn't come up
> > with the
> > old 'effect of which'.
> >
> > (the words are attributed to Sophie Cunningham, editor of Meanin Quarterly,
> > and a
> > published novelist)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > This email was sent from Netspace Webmail: http://www.netspace.net.au
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Andrew
>
> 'Beyond City Limits', pub. ICLL @ ECU, available at topnotch indie bookshops
> - list at http://hispirits.blogspot.com/
>
------------------------------------------------------------
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