|
Post by helrunar on Jul 12, 2016 15:53:41 GMT
I guess I'm one of the few (perhaps ONLY) readers here who doesn't find the use of dialect spellings a bother. It was widespread in various strands of genre fiction in the 19th century. The notorious Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris, and the superb T. F. Powys' use of Dorset dialect in his novels and tales, both come to mind--latter, of course, is 1920s-1930s.
I finally re-read "Madam Crowl's Ghost" in an "e-book" last year, after craving it for years. I thought the story stood up really well. I will admit I have odd tastes. It's really not an affectation; I was a child in the 1960s and even then, I was an odd duck.
cheers, H.
|
|
|
Post by helrunar on Jul 12, 2016 15:57:52 GMT
OK, reading the earlier entries on this thread, both Squire Dem and His Lordship Probert agree with me that "Madam Crowl's Ghost" is a terrific read.
Either we all have excellent taste, or we're all mad as a hatter. I leave it up to you, dear reader, to decide.
Le Fanu had an immense influence on the development of supernatural horror fiction in the 20th century. A lot of the influence persists now, I think, through the medium of films and television work, because reading his particular kind of prose now does require more of an effort, I think, due to cultural shifts.
H.
|
|
|
Post by Craig Herbertson on Jul 13, 2016 8:23:48 GMT
I guess I'm one of the few (perhaps ONLY) readers here who doesn't find the use of dialect spellings a bother. It was widespread in various strands of genre fiction in the 19th century. The notorious Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris, and the superb T. F. Powys' use of Dorset dialect in his novels and tales, both come to mind--latter, of course, is 1920s-1930s. I finally re-read "Madam Crowl's Ghost" in an "e-book" last year, after craving it for years. I thought the story stood up really well. I will admit I have odd tastes. It's really not an affectation; I was a child in the 1960s and even then, I was an odd duck. cheers, H. I'm partially with you. If used I think they have to be used very sparely. They are bad when they are wrong. Burroughs, for example putting the 'cor blimey' talk into his English sailors is laughable. But they are worst when they are used by middle class and toff writers to describe the working class.
|
|
|
Post by Dr Strange on Jul 13, 2016 14:35:28 GMT
I wonder if heavy use of dialect in older literature (like Dickens and Le Fanu) is partly because, back then, people were more likely to read out loud to others? On Le Fanu, it is a while since I've read them, but I have to say I found the Madam Crowl's collection a bit disappointing after In A Glass Darkly.
|
|
|
Post by pulphack on Jul 14, 2016 4:52:27 GMT
That's an interesting point, and probably true: I know Dickens' part-works, and the penny dreadfuls, were bought by people clubbing together and the one who could read would read it out to the others - ES Turner and the British Library taught me that, and they did have contemporary sources that I can't recall now. Too easy to forget now, as I did, but the attempt to represent different dialects phonetically then makes perfect sense - otherwise it would surely be easier to bung in a line about where the speaker comes from and let the imagination do the rest. Typing that, it also occurred to me that back in the day there would be less likelihood of a Londoner knowing what a Cornish accent was and vice versa, let alone an overseas voice speaking English (particularly vice versa, as I would assume the port towns and cities had an interesting mix of accents and dialects). So it was a necessary device, up to maybe the 1930's, when newsreels and radio would have changed that (although the BBC wasn't fond of regional accents, and you find someone other than George Formby who wasn't middle class in British films and you win a prize!).
Although I don't like reading dialect per se, I should add the proviso that it could be a good plot device to use it if the misunderstanding of someone's accent and pronunciation, or use of a dialect word or phrase, leads to significant events in a narrative.
|
|
|
Post by ripper on Sept 10, 2016 9:27:30 GMT
Reading Madame Crowl's Ghost again recently, it is one of my favourite of Le Fanu's short stories. I like in particular the descriptions of the old woman and Le Fanu, I think, makes her frightening in appearance and movement--those heels clacking on the floor as she advances upon our young heroine, plus the revelation of Madame Crowl's evil deed is unsettling.
|
|