Sunday, February 03, 2008

Fifteenth Sunday Salon 20.28

Before I started Mr. Pip I was lucky to come across Anne S's post on her stay in the Solomon Islands. It's a lovely post full of pictures of the time she went to stay there with her uncle. Her visit was even at around the same time as the book - 1990 - and there is a girl she describes there, who is, for me, Matilda. I recommend this if you want to get a feel for the setting of Mr. Pip.

I shall finish this book fairly soon, I think. I am enjoying it very much. The last chapter I read was surreal and I loved it. One of the villagers instructed the children on what is blue. Blue, she said, crashes onto a reef and releases white. It 'belongs to the sky and can't be nicked...' 'Blue is the gap in the air of all things...' Wonderful.

It's strange but what I read today chimed with the posts of many other Salonists: viz TableTalk on descriptions of reading, and Crafty People who recently acquired Mr. Pip too, but hers had a very irritating non-sticker which spoilt the cover. I love these connections - it makes me really feel part of a community.

I shall finish here, I think.

Style Tip
Restrictive clauses are not parenthetic and should not be set off by commas. A sentence with a restrictive clause cannot be divided into two sentences.
The book sitting on my desk refers to a book by Charles Dickens (restrictive).
(cf. The book, which is sitting on my desk, refers to a book by Charles Dickens. (nonrestrictive)). Think that's right.

New Word.
mythopoeia (from Bloomsbury site) = the making of myth.
According to Bloomsbury it is 'the deliberate and knowing creation of myth'.
Which may be a polite (or mystifying) way of calling someone a liar, I suppose.
Link

4 Comments:

Blogger Kay Cooke said...

Fantastic post of Anne's wasn't it? Glad you enjoyed Mr Pip. I am reading a book on Japan ... I wonder why? heh heh. (S&E were married there last night - they simply signed papers! A 'proper' wedding to follow over here next year. Baby - a girl - is due in June - oh it's all very heady!)

Mon Feb 04, 04:07:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonderful news, CB..twice! Congratulations to all. You're going to have some more gorgeous wedding photos, I think...

Mon Feb 04, 10:06:00 am  
Blogger Anne S said...

Hey thankyou Clare for the plug on my post and CB thanks as well for the kind words. Congrats on the wedding to all concerned.

Mon Feb 04, 10:18:00 am  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My pleasure, Anne! It's a great post.

Mon Feb 04, 02:49:00 pm  

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