Get Your Factoids Straight
I've got the new Dan Brown (audiobook edition) for our flight this weekend to meet the grandchild. Can't wait for either! Child_lit has been discussing how books perceived as page turners (like The Hunger Games) don't get the respect they should, but I figure there's page-turners and then there's page-browsers--James Patterson, I'm looking at you.
What I think I like most about Dan Brown is the opportunity he gives me to go around correcting everyone's use of the term factoid to mean a small, arcane, interesting fact. But Brown uses factoids in precisely the way coiner Norman Mailer intended: small, interesting, but completely made-up bullshit designed to look as if it were true.
What I think I like most about Dan Brown is the opportunity he gives me to go around correcting everyone's use of the term factoid to mean a small, arcane, interesting fact. But Brown uses factoids in precisely the way coiner Norman Mailer intended: small, interesting, but completely made-up bullshit designed to look as if it were true.
Labels: Books for grown-ups, Pedantry, sequels
posted by Roger Sutton at 11:40 AM
8 Comments:
nothing to do with Dan Brown (maybe a little to do with factoids)
Would it be possible to limit the number of times a contributor can post per day? or the length of his/her entry? this blog seems to have been taken over by LONGWINDED AND FREQUENT contributor who perhaps should set up shop on their own
Considering how often Anonymous pipes up around here, I'll certainly take it under advisement.
Dear Anon:
Perhaps it would be best to recall Virgil's admonition to Dante: "Speak not of them, but look, and pass them by."
Yours truly,
Mrs. Manners.
whar a tactful - and graceful and well-deserved - reproach from Melinda!
:) All hail Dante!!
Perhaps, an alternative, is to disable the Anonymous feature thus forcing posters to face the music and take responsibility for their posts like grown-ups.
Just a thought. The cool thing about eyes is one has the option of shutting them when offended by something.
It hasn't occurred to you that the call to end anonymous commenting is really just an attempt to shut down conversations that the caller doesn't approve of?
ANONYMOUS
Some of us are being facetious, anonymous. Certainly, Roger knows me well enough, by now, to just hit the delete button if I get too cranky. And yet he doesn't. The man has guts.
btw - Just got my audio of the new Dan Brown book courtesy of the DH who is also addicted. Perhaps my next post will be on task :-D
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