Monday, July 07, 2008

Pride and Prejudice

I've been doing some summer reading. Right now I have Jane Austin's Pride and Prejudice on my nightstand. I had never read any of her books in school and wanted to catch up on some classics.

I've been enjoying reading it, but Austin's language is so formal and flowery that sometimes I have to read and re-read a paragraph just to understand what the character is really saying.

Often I try and translate passages into modern language.
"Oh, my dear Eliza! pray make haste and come into the dining room, for there is such a sight to be seen! I will not tell you what it is. Make haste, and come down this moment."

Becomes this:
"Eliza! Get the hell down here. You've got to see this to believe this. Hurry the hell up!"
See how much better it flows?

1 comment:

  1. This is hilarious. I think you should republish this book, but with your change in vernacular. They do it with the Bible all the time!...Sure would've made my English classes much more interesting!

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