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Anyone know where this quote is from?

20 replies

MaudGone · 14/05/2024 22:07

"Her certainty was always troubling. That edge of fanaticism showing through like the metal ribs of a poorly made umbrella"

OP posts:
Riverlee · 15/05/2024 01:41

No, but good quote.

Footle · 18/05/2024 16:15

@MaudGone have you tried putting the whole quote into your search engine? It's been known to work.

interestingfailure · 18/05/2024 17:05

Searching for it only returned this thread as a result. So it's a Googlewhack, my first one ever! No luck finding the source though...

Borborygmus · 18/05/2024 17:52

ChatGPT says:

The quote "Her certainty was always troubling. That edge of fanaticism showing through like the metal ribs of a poorly made umbrella" is from Margaret Atwood's novel "The Blind Assassin." The book was first published in 2000 and is known for its intricate narrative structure and complex themes, blending elements of fiction within fiction. This particular quote reflects Atwood's distinctive style and thematic focus on the nuances of human certainty and fanaticism.

interestingfailure · 18/05/2024 18:23

Borborygmus · 18/05/2024 17:52

ChatGPT says:

The quote "Her certainty was always troubling. That edge of fanaticism showing through like the metal ribs of a poorly made umbrella" is from Margaret Atwood's novel "The Blind Assassin." The book was first published in 2000 and is known for its intricate narrative structure and complex themes, blending elements of fiction within fiction. This particular quote reflects Atwood's distinctive style and thematic focus on the nuances of human certainty and fanaticism.

Ah @Borborygmus , I would never have thought of using chatGPT! Genius.

MaudGone · 18/05/2024 18:37

I'm afraid it's definitely not the Atwood - I haven't read it, and you can search it online:

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4WcFyY8ZEgkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=blind+assassin+atwood&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7z66q2peGAxXo_rsIHdMDBn0Q6AF6BAgJEAI#v=onepage&q=umbrella&f=false

The Blind Assassin

Winner of the Man Booker PrizeBy the author of The Handmaid's Tale and Alias GraceLaura Chase's older sister Iris, married at eighteen to a politically prominent industrialist but now poor and eighty-two, is living in Port Ticonderoga, a town dominated...

https://books.google.co.uk/books?dq=blind+assassin+atwood&hl=en&id=4WcFyY8ZEgkC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&printsec=frontcover&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7z66q2peGAxXo_rsIHdMDBn0Q6AF6BAgJEAI#v=onepage&q=umbrella&f=false

OP posts:
Borborygmus · 18/05/2024 19:18

interestingfailure · 18/05/2024 18:23

Ah @Borborygmus , I would never have thought of using chatGPT! Genius.

It sounds like ChatGPT might not be a genius after all!

LiesDoNotBecomeUs · 18/05/2024 19:28

I now really want to know this.

LizTruss · 18/05/2024 19:50

Good though it is, it wasn't me.

My best one is probably...

"I think you'll find that's my Cheese Straw, I'm PM, you know. You'll find the Salt and Vinegar crips in that bowl over there"

And then I point nonchalantly to the middle distance and turn away. (I like doing that 😛)

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 18/05/2024 19:59

ChatGPT tells me it’s When The World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar!

Borborygmus · 18/05/2024 21:18

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 18/05/2024 19:59

ChatGPT tells me it’s When The World Goes Quiet by Gian Sardar!

Hmmm, I just tried 3 successive times and got:

The quote "Her certainty was always troubling. That edge of fanaticism showing through like the metal ribs of a poorly made umbrella" is from the book "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov. Specifically, it is from the story "Reason," which is one of the interconnected short stories in the collection. In "Reason," the character Powell makes this observation about Susan Calvin, highlighting her strong convictions and the potentially unsettling nature of her absolute certainty.

The quote "Her certainty was always troubling. That edge of fanaticism showing through like the metal ribs of a poorly made umbrella" is from the book "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle" by Haruki Murakami. This novel, originally published in 1994-1995, is a complex, multi-layered narrative that intertwines the mundane with the surreal. The quote reflects Murakami's characteristic style, blending introspective observations with vivid, often unexpected imagery.

The quote "Her certainty was always troubling. That edge of fanaticism showing through like the metal ribs of a poorly made umbrella" appears to be from the novel Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. This book is a science fiction tale that explores themes of evolution, artificial intelligence, and humanity's future among the stars. The specific quote captures the unsettling nature of a character's unwavering beliefs and the potential for fanaticism to emerge.

It's obviously not very good at this sort of thing!

InheritedClock · 19/05/2024 09:49

Borborygmus · 18/05/2024 19:18

It sounds like ChatGPT might not be a genius after all!

ChatGPT frequently invents characters and plots, as proven by several student essays this year, where random new characters and alien subplots appeared in essays about novels I know like the back of my hand.

Tinyhattinycat · 19/05/2024 19:19

Any other clues...how long ago do you think it was

Gremlinsateit · 22/05/2024 11:05

Is it a quote you’ve remembered, or something you’ve seen quoted? Any context?

OmuraWhale · 22/05/2024 11:07

That is what ChatGPT does! It makes stuff up! Sorry OP, I can't help with the quote though.

Cheeesus · 22/05/2024 11:09

Where did you get it from, OP? Just wondering if there are any clues.

MaudGone · 22/05/2024 18:08

I copied it down into a notebook a couple of months ago, but I didn't note the source. It's not from the book I was reading at the time, as I searched it on Googlebooks. So could be from anywhere!

OP posts:
MaudGone · 22/05/2024 18:09

The fact it doesn't show up on google suggests it might from a TV programme or podcast, but it sounds more like a novel.

OP posts:
cherryassam · 22/05/2024 18:15

Can you remember when you wrote it down? Might help find the TV programme / podcast if so

Anondra · 22/05/2024 18:20

Kwasi Kwateng on The Rest is Politics podcast talking about Liz Truss.
Is my made up guess. Any takers?

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