‘Old writing styles’ referring to the language, tone, and formality of literature written around mid-20th century and prior, as opposed to the ‘new writing styles’ of literature written today.
Personally, I have a harder time diving into older literature/books as the tone often feels more tedious and the language often too outdated, but do sometimes love seeing how authors of previous eras chose to describe different things. So I would love to hear other readers opinions/perceptions of older writing?
Here’s an example of ‘old’ writing vs ‘new’ writing if you need further context:
“Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party.” – *Pride & Prejudice*, 1813
“He’s sure he saw his face in the news before then, but that was the first time he really saw him. June had just turned fifteen and used part of her birthday money to buy an issue of a blindingly colorful teen magazine. Her love of trashy tabloids started early. In the center of the magazine were miniature posters you could rip out and stick up in your locker.” – *Red, White, & Royal Blue*, 2019
by scent_of_death
9 Comments
Using the novel that is literally and on purpose written in an accent that even contemporaries found hard to read and then putting it next to completely commercial romance that is only aiming to be a quick read isn’t exactly making your point very well.
Let’s compare a 1997 novel:
> What Machine is it that bears us along so relentlessly? We go rattling thro’ another Day,- another Year,- as thro’ an empty Town without a Name, in the Midnight…we have but Memories of some Pause at the Pleasure-Spas of our younger Day, the Maidens, the Cards, the Claret,- we seek to extend our stay, but now a silent Functionary in dark Livery indicates it is time to re-board the Coach, and resume the Journey. Long before the Destination, moreover, shall this Machine come abruptly to a Stop…gather’d dense with Fear, shall we open the Door to confer with the Driver, to discover that there is no Driver…no Horses,…only the Machine, fading as we stand, and a Prairie of desperate Immensity…
to 1813:
> An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.
I think this should make it clear that **what** you’re reading is going to make as big of a difference as the period. After the mid-1700s or so English is pretty similar to what we use today, and much of the challenge then is stylistic rather than it being some Olde Englishe or whatever.
Gatsby for instance is extremely easy to read while anything by Joyce or Woolf from the exact same era is often considered very difficult.
I literally started trying to read crime and punishment a couple hours ago and I’m pretty sure that it was written in a language from another planet and then translated into English using Google translate or something else imperfect.
(yes, I know it wasn’t originally written in English.)
Its more diffucult for me to read old style, but I also think that writers from the old days were better in every way in matters of writting books.
I blame our fast pace society we live in, where everything needs to be fast, easy and leave out any trace of epithets in the materials presented to us for consumption.
Difficult. I find it difficult and not a help. I remember reading one book where it was like one page, one paragraph, one run-on sentence.
The more a book is in language, cadence, and style that I’m familiar with, the better I can understand it.
I love it, and its why I like to read older books, and contemporary books don’t sit well with me when the writing is too similar to stuff I would read on reddit or social media. The older style of writing just feels more skillful and professional, more artful.
It’s like listening to classical music vs modern pop music. Classical music might be harder to listen to, and not as catchy and “fun”, but it is worth listening to and challenging yourself in my opinion. And over time with practice you do learn to understand it well.
I think the Huck Finn quote makes a lot more sense if you imagine the person speaking with a drawl. It makes even more sense if you read it out loud with one.
It depends. In high school I loved Shakespeare because it made me think. These days I would hate it.
Charles Dickens is written in an older style but not so old you can’t figure out what he’s saying, and I don’t mind it at all.
I found the first easier to understand and I’m not sure what that says. Probably nothing.
It’s a rhythm that sometimes takes me a while to get into, but once I’m there, I enjoy it.