Yesterday, I've started to read Szerlock Holmes. What a beautiful language! All phrases, epithets, different literature's figure words are so thoughtful. Yes, it is long, it takes time to read, but people had to use their brain to enlarge their vocabulary, to learn how to use even their native language.
What do you think about our modern way of communication? Do you think it changes to good or to bad? In what way?
"This reminds me of books like
Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
and
Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"
Where the whole story is told by long detailed letters between characters."
This is called an "epistolary novel."
Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded," by Samuel Richardson, published in 1740, is often considered to be "the first English novel." It is an epistolary novel.
I haven't really paid much attention, but certainly the form still exists. Up the Down Staircase, by Bel Kauffman, a bestseller in 1964, is wonderful--very funny and quite touching. It is the story of a high-school teacher, told in the form of a series of informal written notes between two teachers at the school. It's written in colloquial, informal English, in short sentences, but it is definitely an epistolary novel.
Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
and
Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"
Where the whole story is told by long detailed letters between characters.
And today it would look something like:
"Lolz this count guy is weird...."
"OMG! what do you think he wants?"
"BRB he's right behind me"
(Jonathan is offline)
"Are you ok? Text me!"
I believe the reason is that it took so much time to send and receive messages, so people would put a lot of effort to explain what they are seeing (no pictures) how they are feeling, what they are doing etc.
Today you can easily send a message and expect an immediate response.
