I just re-read clockwork orange and re-discovered Nadsat, the cockney/russian mix that Anthony Burgess made up for his teenage hooligans of the future- of course, this wasn't the first or last book to have a child narrate a story in a fictionalized future version of english - other notable books I have read include
Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
Feersum Endjin by Iain () Banks
Ellvissy (and other Ambient series books) by Jack Womack
I can think of others, but not necessarily as potent as these ones - what's interesting
is how similar the effect is - I wonder if any fans have created other stories using the same character or language variant? A boy and his dog in the style of Banks' or
Peter Pan in Hoban's?
yes its true, all of it - the internet doesn't really exist, so it must be.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
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- jon crowcroft
- misery me, there is a floccipaucinihilipilification (*) of chronsynclastic infundibuli in these parts and I must therefore refer you to frank zappa instead, and go home
2 comments:
Interesting topic...
I get your point about the similar effect - I guess it is supposed to disorientate the reader to create a sense of unease (not many of us like being plunged in to a language we can't quite grasp), whilst at the same time being a disturbingly familiar link with the factual present.
That said, the kids that live near me have a very dark variant of northern slang anyway...
darkest, possibly, is Random Acts of Senseless Violence...one of my faves - should be read while listening to thrash metal on 33rpm vinyl at 78
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