Books studied in English

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Re: Books studied in English

Post by englishangel »

I think the Barbara Cartland books were courtesy of Amanda McIlwain. I got through 2 a day after A Levels and I don't think I have read one since. I have read a few Mills & Boon, usually on nights as a midwife as they were favourite reading of pregnant women and new Mums. The only time I have read all those 'celebrity' magazine as well.
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Re: Books studied in English

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englishangel wrote:I think the Barbara Cartland books were courtesy of Amanda McIlwain. I got through 2 a day after A Levels and I don't think I have read one since. I have read a few Mills & Boon, usually on nights as a midwife as they were favourite reading of pregnant women and new Mums. The only time I have read all those 'celebrity' magazine as well.
Funny, my only experience of those magazines was in hospital too. I was in as a patient for a couple of weeks some years ago, and having read all the books I brought in with me, plus all the more upmarket stuff on the magazine trolley, I was eventually reduced to buying Hello! to stave off the excruciating boredom. I think perhaps the boredom was preferable.
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Re: Books studied in English

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'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' was one of our set texts for Olevel, always loved this long poem.
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Re: Books studied in English

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fra828 wrote:'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' was one of our set texts for Olevel, always loved this long poem.
I could never understand this title given the definition:

Rime: A white or milky and opaque granular deposit of ice formed by the rapid freezing of super-cooled water drops as they impinge upon an exposed object. It is denser and harder than hoarfrost, but lighter, softer, and less transparent than glaze. Seems close to impossible and therefore illogical to me.

After the Rape of the Lock (how do you rape a lock without a key?) I have avoided poetry like the plague and after The Trumpet Major I have avoided fiction even more; GCE has a lot to answer for.
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Re: Books studied in English

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I just re-read Rime o t a m online, and had forgotten how really long it is!! Infact there are just a few verses that I remember such as 'Water water everywhere...' and 'sleep it is a gentle thing...' yes it is a strange title and even stranger, yet hauntingly beautiful (in my opinion!) poem!
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Re: Books studied in English

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sejintenej wrote:
fra828 wrote:'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' was one of our set texts for Olevel, always loved this long poem.
I could never understand this title given the definition:

Rime: A white or milky and opaque granular deposit of ice formed by the rapid freezing of super-cooled water drops as they impinge upon an exposed object. It is denser and harder than hoarfrost, but lighter, softer, and less transparent than glaze. Seems close to impossible and therefore illogical to me.

After the Rape of the Lock (how do you rape a lock without a key?) I have avoided poetry like the plague and after The Trumpet Major I have avoided fiction even more; GCE has a lot to answer for.
The original title was "The Rime of the Ancyent Marinere" so it seems clear that the only alternate misspelling that has survived is Rime for Rhyme.

What always puzzled me was the hymn line that described a hill "without a city wall". I couldn't think of any hill that *had* a city wall, so why was this even mentioned? Took many years for the penny to drop.
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Re: Books studied in English

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I wasn't confused as my home town of Rye, which comes from the old English 'rie' meaning a hill is built on a hill and does have a wall. So it took me even longer to work it out.
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Re: Books studied in English

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I believe"Without" used to mean OUTSIDE, didn't it?
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Re: Books studied in English

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englishangel wrote:I wasn't confused as my home town of Rye, which comes from the old English 'rie' meaning a hill is built on a hill and does have a wall. So it took me even longer to work it out.
Yorkshire (dialect) is sensible only if you consider its background. For example York has a street called Kirkgate. Of course Kirk is Scots English for a church whilst the current Norwegian for church would be Kirke. Gate - nothing to do with opening devices - is simply the Norwegian for street. My SIL has a Yorkshire - English dictionary; omitting those mis-spelt English words, every "Yorkshire" word I checked had the same spelling and meaning in my (rather old) Norwegian - English dictionary (though some were a bit obscure). That doesn't mean they kept the pronunciation - many (?all) dialects pronounce every letter so kirke sounds a bit like "kurker"
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Re: Books studied in English

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sejintenej wrote:Yorkshire (dialect) is sensible only if you consider its background. For example York has a street called Kirkgate. Of course Kirk is Scots English for a church whilst the current Norwegian for church would be Kirke. Gate - nothing to do with opening devices - is simply the Norwegian for street. My SIL has a Yorkshire - English dictionary; omitting those mis-spelt English words, every "Yorkshire" word I checked had the same spelling and meaning in my (rather old) Norwegian - English dictionary (though some were a bit obscure). That doesn't mean they kept the pronunciation - many (?all) dialects pronounce every letter so kirke sounds a bit like "kurker"
A Yorkshire-English dictionary! :shock: Am moving to Yorkshire at the end of the month, to commence granny duties in October, so am excited that there is such a publication...

However (re Books Studied in English) I am mortified to confess that I've attempted to read Wuthering Heights several times and - shamefully - have given up each time!

I feel Miss Morrison's reproachful gaze from somewhere in Eternity. :(
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Books studied in English

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Angela Woodford wrote: A Yorkshire-English dictionary! :shock: Am moving to Yorkshire at the end of the month, to commence granny duties in October, so am excited that there is such a publication...
(
Does it deal with Yorkshire as a whole, or does one need to specify whether one is trying to converse with a North, West or South native?
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Re: Books studied in English

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Now there's a thought! David?
"Baldrick, you wouldn't recognise a cunning plan if it painted itself purple, and danced naked on top of a harpsichord singing "Cunning plans are here again.""
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Re: Books studied in English

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Angela Pratt 56-63 wrote:I believe"Without" used to mean OUTSIDE, didn't it?

Yes. "There is a green hill far away, without a city wall"
John Rutley. Prep B & Coleridge B. 1958-1963.
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