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Does anyone else find it annoying when book-lovers. and critics...

21 replies

UnquietDad · 14/08/2007 11:43

... refer to a book by the definite article and the name of the author?

e.g.

"The Amis"

"The Barnes"

etc.

"Oh, I loved the Amis but I found the McEwan more challenging."

It gets on my nerves.

OP posts:
tiredemma · 14/08/2007 11:44

PMSL-
the kind of trash I read- nobody ever to them like that.

tiredemma · 14/08/2007 11:44

nobody ever refers to them like that.

should say.

Desiderata · 14/08/2007 11:45

Me too. Stop it, whoever you are!

Kathyis6incheshigh · 14/08/2007 11:46

No, I would be far more irritated by the fact that they were still giving airtime to Amis when there is so much better stuff out there, than by how they choose to refer to them.

fleacircus · 14/08/2007 11:50

Yes. And I find it annoying when film critics refer to characters using the actor's name as a possessive - as in 'Deborah Kerr's mother superior' or 'Daniel Auteil's art dealer'.

UnquietDad · 14/08/2007 11:54

Barry Norman's film reviews - he'd always talk about the characters doing things, but as the actor. e.g.
"When Cruise finds out that Basinger is cheating on him with Pacino"...

(Not a real example, but you know the kind of thing.)

OP posts:
Kathyis6incheshigh · 14/08/2007 11:59

Oh now that is annoying. Yes.

JeremyVile · 14/08/2007 12:03

Could these be the same people who dont simply go on holiday but 'will be doing Costa Rica' or will be 'gite-ing in Bordeaux'

fleacircus · 14/08/2007 12:08

Oh yes - that 'doing' countries thing is hideous, isn't it? Horrible pretentious way to create the impression that they're doing something more sophisticated than going on holiday like the rest of us oiks.

JeremyVile · 14/08/2007 12:08

Makes my teeth itch.......

PhoenixSongbird · 14/08/2007 20:27

My Dad always says 'Branson' or 'Clarkson' rather than the full name. Not everyone gets this treatment, so why only certain people. He also does it with some of his friends, eg referring to one of his oldest friends by his surname, but not to his face. I've always found this very weird and annoying, I think it has something to do with jealousy, myself.

PhoenixSongbird · 14/08/2007 20:28

Oh, and a resounding 'yes' to the OP. Wanky to the extreme!

WendyWeber · 14/08/2007 20:29

Not "the Binchy" or "the Cartland" though, LOL.

bigmouthstrikesagain · 14/08/2007 20:38

Bet the authors like it though (perhaps almost subliminally) as it is a step closer to becoming an adjective - you know - that is so 'Dickensian' or 'Kafka-esque' etc.

Though 'Amis-ian' could be confusing - which one?

RoxyNotFoxy · 14/08/2007 21:05

What about when they refer to books by shortened titles, such as in, "I thought McEwan was more convincing in Enduring than in Comnfort, didn't you?" Or "I don't think Dickens really moved on after Nickleby and Tale. Frankly, I thought Mutual was a bit of a failure".

TotalChaos · 14/08/2007 22:39

I wonder if they are doing it to hide laziness/lapse of memory.

RoxyNotFoxy · 15/08/2007 08:22

No, I think the do it to show everyone how familiar they are with the world of literature. First name terms, so to speak.

bigmouth, I think "Martian" is the right adjective for one of Mart's books.

UnquietDad · 15/08/2007 11:10

It is also very, very wanky to refer to Shakespeare's play with all the fairies as "the 'Dream'".

"Oh, yes, we saw the 'Dream' at the Garrick. It was exquisite."

Oh, feck off, you ponce. Shakespeare wrote for ordinary people, do you realise?

OP posts:
UnquietDad · 15/08/2007 11:11

Yes, I shall have to ask DW how she is getting on with "the Kinsella", or if she has moved on to "the Holden"...

OP posts:
Snaf · 15/08/2007 11:17

In much the same way, I enjoyed the Beckham enormously but found the Price disappointing, on many levels. I am hugely excited by the prospect of the new, revised edition of the Halliwell.

Don't you think?

Kathyis6incheshigh · 15/08/2007 11:17

LOLOL Snaf

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