Rules for participating:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This week, my teaser is from Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Again. Have I mentioned it's 891 pages long?
This, gentlemen, is the genuine detail of my tragic story; consider, therefore, and judge whether or not, I have sufficient cause to heave more sighs than I have vented, utter more complaints than you have heard, and shed more tears than have flowed from mine eyes; and when you shall have deliberated upon the quality of my misfortune, you will perceive how vain all consolation must be; as the disease admits of no remedy. I only ask whether you can, and ought to grant, namely, that you would inform me where I can pass my life, without being harassed by the terror and fear of being found by those who are in search of me.-p. 240
You know, at first the rambling sentences weren't a problem. I like extended sentences. But hundreds of pages later, under a constant torrent of awkward semi-colons and strange comma placement, not to mention the formal language, they begin to grate. Also, now I have the urge to talk and write in the same style. LOL.
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What are you reading? Or if you're not reading anything currently, what was the last book you finished?
-----The Golden Eagle
24 comments:
I really enjoyed Don Quixote when I read it. One of my favorite quotes comes from there, though the quote may differ with different translations.
I can see how that style of writing would influence your own and would take time to read. Lol. Enjoy!
Oh, I love Quixote. You need to see this cartoon from XKCD. Here's the mobile version, just make sure you click where it says "Alt-Text" to see one of the best captions ever.
I've read Don Quixote at school and thoroughly loved it. Think it's time for a reread :)
I haven't read that book in years. I loved it!
Lovely Golden Eagle!!!! For years I suffered from Quixotic sentences!!! But mine would be truly BAD without any creative art behind them as exemplified here! LOL!!!
Take care
x
That happens to me when I'm reading certain books too. My writing style starts to sound like it, and I have to make a conscious effort to find my own voice again!
I'm a fan of the long, awkward sentence structure. It's how I think, with plenty of dashes and other punctuation that I'm not sure I am using properly. Thanks for reminding me of a great book!
Here's mine: http://duckduckcow.blogspot.com/2012/07/teaser-tuesday-zombie-raccoons-killer.html
(TOTALLY different genre…)
Oh goodness, Don Quixote is a long and boring read. Good luck with that. I hope it doesn't make you want to stab your eyes out. But Cervantes is celebrated in Spain!
I always talk and write strangely after I read a book with that sort of style. :) It can get very frustrating after awhile - though once it did lead to the most eloquent essay I've ever written! :) (It was probably horrid, in retrospect!)
I love that book!
"Were you afraid?" He kept eating, trying to make the conversation easier.
"That sounds cynical," he said.
From "The Next Door Boys" by Jolene B. Perry
I'm rereading JUST KIDS by Patti Smith.
I had no idea Don Quixote was so long! And I agree. A few long sentences here and there are fine but a whole book of them? Might be tiresome.
Haven't read that one in a while, the sentences would get on my nerves now I'm sure.
I'm not sure I ever actually finished that one...
I'm reading Clarissa Drapers The Sholes Key right now (great story!)...
The information from the code save the lives of hundreds of people. She prayed she got it right.
It was time to take a break. It was time to enjoy an interlude. From Louisiana Inklings: A literary sampler
Did the musical, never read the book.
As to what I'm reading now, a new-ish series from Simon Green (Ghost Finders) that is just not very good at all. Finished Orson Scott Card's latest book, set in the Ender universe, and THAT was enjoyable.
OH...New Terry Pratchett book is coming in the Fall. FYI.
I love your take on those long, rambling sentences . . .I think I use all my ellipses and dashes to stand for all my long, rambling moments. Oh, wait. I just had one anyway.
What have I read lately? Wow. I'm currently, slowly reading my oldest daughter's most recent book purchase: The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict. Before that I think I read five books in a week so I'm recovering from that: Long, Long Sleep, Fablehaven, Beyonders: Seeds of Rebllion, HIVE: Rogue, and Maximum Ride: School's Out Forever.
Oh, and I'm slogging through a biography on BonHoeffer.
Wow, I can't believe that was two sentences, just WOW. I'm so glad people don't write that way anymore. It would drive me insane. I'm reading Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight:
His bites scored at the red's armored skin and crest to no effect. Before he knew it, he was on his back, the red's gaping jaws finding his throat.
LOL! Gotta love the classical influences. XD I really liked the first line! Never considered reading this, but now I just might.
Great teaser!
Fun! This book is on my wishlist. I tend to do that, too - I try not to write for a few days after reading Dickens, for instance, because I keep emulating the long sentences.
S.P.: One of the reasons I don't like translations. You can never directly quote something. :P
Tanya: Thanks!
Joshua: Great caption--XKCD is awesome.
Sylvia: In for a long rereading, then. ;)
Emily: It's quite interesting, if rambling.
Old Kitty: LOL. I love that--Quixotic sentences in Don Quixote.
Christine: I usually have to go back and reread something I've written before to get it back.
Jessica: You're very welcome!
Michael: I don't think I'm quite at that point yet, but I'll try to resist eye-stabbing at the end. :P
I can see why--English and American writers are certainly honored in their respective countries.
Bethany: I love it when it rubs off in a good way. :)
Donna: Interesting teaser. I wonder why the character thinks it's a cynical response.
Jennifer: Never heard of the book before. Is it good?
Mshatch: Yup . . . LOL.
Pat: It's not the worst book with long sentences that I've tried slogging through, at least.
Jemi: Hooray for Clarissa! :)
That's a suspenseful teaser.
Stuart: Sorry to hear the book isn't very good. There must be a lot of books in the Ender universe by now--I keep coming across references to them!
That is AWESOME NEWS.
Tyrean: Thanks. :)
I love the Mysterious Benedict Society books; they're fascinating. Stewart is one of my favorite writers.
Heather: LOL. I am, too.
Interesting teaser! Bites? Is the character a dragon, too?
Dazzling Mage: They're definitely influential. :P
Thank you!
Deniz: I need to read something by Dickens. I keep meaning to get around to it . . .
Those are long sentences.
I remember the second manuscript I wrote years back. They were full of long sentences because at the time I read a book full of them. It didn't work out.
I'm finishing up Patty Blount's SEND.
Charles: Again, my apologies for not finding your comment sooner! I need to start checking my Spam folder more often; for some reason, Blogger thinks that's where your comments go. -__-
Medeia: Tell me about it. :P
I like relatively long sentences--relative to the current trend, which is to say maybe a third or fourth as short as the ones in Don Quixote.
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