|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
a.s.
Valinor
Feb 9 2008, 5:31am
Post #1 of 10
(186 views)
Shortcut
|
|
You think Tolkien's handwriting is bad?
|
Can't Post
|
|
I thought some of you might be interested in this article which has pictures of some of the most difficult-to-decipher handwriting facing biographers, publishers, and others trying to read what some of our famous writers wrote!
And we thought JRRT was hard to read...
I can barely read a word of any of these (and I've spent decades deciphering physician's written notes and orders).
a.s.
"an seileachan"
"And we must all bring Provisions."
"Bring what ?"
"Things to eat."
"Oh!" said Pooh happily. "I thought you said Provisions.
I'll go and tell them." And he stumped off.
|
|
|
Finding Frodo
Tol Eressea
Feb 9 2008, 6:55am
Post #2 of 10
(98 views)
Shortcut
|
|
It reminds me a bit of translating baby-talk
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Not that I'm comparing the words of Robert Frost to baby talk! When the article talked about the importance on context and familiarity with an author's usual word choices, it made me think of times when one of my kids as toddlers said something or asked for something and my mom or even my husband was clueless. I could understand them though, because I knew the things they were likely to say and how they would say it. They could still confuse me sometimes, such as when my oldest daughter was about 18 months old and used the same sound to ask for music and grapes. She called both of them "sic".
Where's Frodo?
|
|
|
Peredhil lover
Valinor
Feb 9 2008, 7:05am
Post #3 of 10
(96 views)
Shortcut
|
Frost wasn't so bad, I could read most of it. But the others? *whimpers* The one from Theodore Parker reminds me more of Greek than of Latin script. Poor editors and publishers!
I do not suffer from LotR obsession - I enjoy every minute of it.
|
|
|
Starling
Half-elven
Feb 9 2008, 8:55am
Post #4 of 10
(110 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Makes writing by my 6 year olds look pretty good
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
What was with the Henry James letter? It seemed to have been written both horizontally and vertically.
Some of these look quite beautiful if you're not actually trying to read them.
|
|
|
grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 9 2008, 11:17am
Post #5 of 10
(112 views)
Shortcut
|
I should be a doctor, because I have the bad penmanship down... I just need the degree ;)
This is great!
I've found that deciphering bad penmanship is like learning a language, once you get the idiosyncrasies down and identify the common markings/phrases, you can usually get along quite nicely.
 
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming!
"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."
TORn's Observations Lists
|
|
|
hatster
Rohan
Feb 9 2008, 1:30pm
Post #6 of 10
(96 views)
Shortcut
|
|
.eeek... that one in faux greek! Maybe it was the year
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I spent poring over James Joyce manuscripts but Frost is really easy to read. In fact, I do think Tolkien is tougher than that. Some of those others though... I always hated running into cross written letters. They are enough to make your eyes bleed sometimes.
I have lost the dwarves and I have lost the wizard, and I don't know where I am; and I don't want to know, if only I can get away.
|
|
|
dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Feb 9 2008, 3:26pm
Post #7 of 10
(108 views)
Shortcut
|
That was a nice example of that "19th-century practice of cross-writing", done in order to squeeze as much on a piece of precious paper as possible. (It also saved on postage.) This was also done in earlier times using ancient manuscripts; I can't recall offhand what text it was - I think it was something of a mathematical nature - that was discovered, once someone realized that the text was "beneath" a centuries-later cross-writing.
We're really spoiled by paper being so inexpensive! Tolkien used every scrap he could find, which is why many of his works are on the backs of examination papers, and full of erasures and writing-over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
|
|
|
Lossefalme
Gondor
Feb 9 2008, 5:13pm
Post #8 of 10
(88 views)
Shortcut
|
Makes my eyes twitch just looking at it!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Join us every Thursday in the Movie Discussion Forum for GOLD Nuggets, an exploration of the Geeky Observation Lists maintained by our very own grammaboodawg.
|
|
|
N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Feb 11 2008, 7:42pm
Post #10 of 10
(89 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Why could university presses once but no longer afford a "roomful of proofreaders"?
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
Are their books not selling as well as they used to? Did the proofreaders use to starve for being so poorly paid?
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We're discussing The Lord of the Rings in the Reading Room, Oct. 15, 2007 - Mar. 22, 2009!
Join us Feb. 4-10 for "The Council of Elrond".
|
|
|
|
|
