Quote:
Originally Posted by Katsunami
I sometimes wonder: are the older books more difficult to read because the language is just older, or because they are actually more difficult, using more obscure words and/or more complicated sentence constructions?
The only thing I have difficulties with are references; older works tend to refer a lot to even older classics, or to lo locations, places and events that were common knowledge back then, but aren't now. So I read slower because I have to stop and go look something up.
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IMHO, the structure of sentences and the complexity and use of somewhat obsolete words makes the thing more difficult while reading old books. For an example, I quote below a dialogue from the book cited in my post above,
The Nine Unknown (1923) by
Talbot Mundy :
Quote:
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"And there you are!" remarked Chullunder Ghose, as the two went out, illustrating the "thereness" of the "areness" by catching a fly on the wing with his thumb and forefinger and releasing it through the open window, presumably unharmed. "Matters of mystery still lack elucidation, but 'the wine's on ice!' How Anglo-Saxon! Wonderful! United States now holding greater part of world's supply of gold, and India holding total invisible ditto, same are as plus and minus—so we go to lunch! I dishonestly propose to issue bills of exchange against undiscovered empyrean equity, but shall be voted down undoubtedly—verb. sap. as saying is—brow-beaten, sat upon—yet only wise man of the aggregation. Sell stock, that is my advice! Issue gilt-edge scrip at premium, and pocket consequences! Sell in U. S. A. undoubtedly, residing subsequently in Brazil. But there you are! Combination of Christian priest, Sikh, fanatical Moslem, freethinker, agnostic, Methodist minister's son and cynicalist, is too overwhelming for shrewdness to prevail. Myself, am cynicalist, same being syndicalist with opportunist tendencies. I go to tiffin. Appetite—a good digestion—a siesta. Sahibs—humbly wishing you the same—salaam!"
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You will wonder how many times would I have to read and re-read the sentences like above to grasp the in-depth meaning of them. And those books are full of these descriptions everywhere
. Apparently, we can't expect to finish these books in a reasonable time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Katsunami
If it'd be possible to give a new book to someone in 1850, would he also have difficulties?
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Ah.. he would have fainted away reading words like f*** and f****ng on nearly every page of the modern novels!
