Best Sentence Ever?

Discussion in 'Evolution of Language' started by Dwight Ward, Jul 24, 2020.

  1. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,664
    #1
  2. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,054
    Likes Received:
    24,628
    I’m not sure if it’s criticism or the recognition of two different styles of writing.
     
    #2
  3. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,664
    I suppose..But Twain didn't much recognize anyone's style but his own.
     
    #3
    Bobby Cole likes this.
  4. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,054
    Likes Received:
    24,628
    Yeah, kinda...maybe. Sam Clements spent a lot of time setting type, editing, rolling ink and publishing so maybe he had some insight as to the amount of work it takes to print someone’s 200 word sentence.
    Dunno. I just envision myself trying to retype that sentence and OMG I’m doubly sure that I would automatically be tempted to place periods where there are commas and paragraphs where a sentence ends and a new thought starts and get sued.

    I mean, about 4 years ago and on this very forum, I was asked to shorten my sentences and reduce the number of $4.50 words and I do not consider anyone here even close to being illiterate.
    Note: I wrote $4.50 because folks here get the senior’s discount from the normal $10.00 price.
     
    #4
  5. Thomas Stearn

    Thomas Stearn Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Apr 21, 2018
    Messages:
    2,690
    Likes Received:
    2,530
    @Bobby Cole
    I wonder why the mere length of a sentence would make it good style or is there more to it? In other languages long sentences aren't considered good style.
     
    #5
    Yvonne Smith and Bobby Cole like this.
  6. Bobby Cole

    Bobby Cole Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    13,054
    Likes Received:
    24,628
    It might be a sort of “poetic license” or something along the line of breaking the rules. Call it something akin to a social protest toward status quo writing or whatever but say what we will, it does draw extra attention to the authors.

    On the positive side, if anything else the long sentence is thought provoking but on the negative side, it is very hard to read in that there aren’t enough rest periods in order to consider what has been previously written.
     
    #6
    Lois Winters and Thomas Stearn like this.
  7. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2015
    Messages:
    6,508
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Uh, so what exactly was he trying to say?:confused: I got lost between 'watches in pockets' and 'locomotive intoxication'.
     
    #7
  8. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2018
    Messages:
    20,311
    Likes Received:
    42,316
    Oh dang. I thought this thread was going to be about OUR "best sentence ever." I was thinking "Supper's ready" or "You won the lottery" are contenders. :D:D
     
    #8
  9. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    May 29, 2020
    Messages:
    22,684
    Likes Received:
    32,179
    "Bad dog!"

    You don't know if you're admonishing a pet or reviewing a restaurant.
     
    #9
    Beth Gallagher likes this.
  10. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2015
    Messages:
    6,508
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    [​IMG]
     
    #10
    Beth Gallagher and John Brunner like this.
  11. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Messages:
    55,669
    Likes Received:
    23,301
    I once tried to read a Henry James book to broaden my literary knowledge. Gotta keep up appearances, you know? The first page had two sentences. The first sentence had (if I remember correctly) thirty two segments. It took up over half the page. I put it down. If there is one thing I can't stand, it's run on sentences. I'll just have to remain in my happy literary ignorance.
     
    #11
  12. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,664
    "OUR "best sentence ever."
    LOL. Gosh, Beth, even I'm not that self centered.
     
    #12
    Beth Gallagher likes this.
  13. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,664
    I could never read Henry James myself. I think it's not 'long' sentences - it's BAD long sentences.
     
    #13
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2020
  14. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,664
    .

    Reread.the thing. It hangs together in an excellent way. Periods are not the only way to divide streams of meaning - commas do that too. Admittedly, it's dauntingly long, but the incomprehensibility ( for most ) comes from the references to things we never studied but Holmes did. That's not his fault but ours for not having a broader education. I remember that my father, coming from a very small, poor Virginia town and graduating in 1919, was well-versed in Latin from only a high school education.What did I get? Useless French which I forgot immediately.
     
    #14
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2020
  15. Dwight Ward

    Dwight Ward Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2020
    Messages:
    3,714
    Likes Received:
    4,664
    The 'watches in pockets' reference was about things happening without effort as the watch wound itself. like the 'locomotive intoxication' that put him into a restful state without effort in the absence of outside distraction like his chatty friend. - "some dear detestable friend, cordial, intelligent, social, radiant," Notice the 'detestable'.prefacing .the otherwise positive description. That expressed Holme's very mixed emotions about his friend. Today we' don't quite understand such sarcastic irony..
     
    #15
    Von Jones and Beth Gallagher like this.

Share This Page