The wonderful collaborative medieval blog In The Middle has recently had the Chaucer blogger contribute. This had been promised and was eagerly anticipated. But what a surprise to find that it was written in the blogger's own voice. It was full of colloquial and informal American speak such as dang and like and stuff, and it all sounded so much less knowing that the Chaucer voice he uses. Some of those who left comments seemed to betray a little of this disappointment, with one even comparing the voice to that of Holden Caulfield. And now Stephanie Trigg has posted on the whole question of voice and identity and anonymity etc, and wonders about the disappointment at the confessional aspect to the Chaucer blogger's post. All very interesting stuff.
PS: apologies for the lungo silenzio. Will post soon with the usual psychotic book rants.
PS: apologies for the lungo silenzio. Will post soon with the usual psychotic book rants.
3 comments:
But did it occur to you that this "Holden Caulfield"-type voice is just another scrim layered on top of the other scrim ["Chaucer"]? Cheers, Eileen
Well, yes. It could be just another layer of voice and performance, but it isn't nearly so satisfying, frankly. What is so amazing about the Chaucer-voice is how mesmerizingly agile it is, and I just wasn't struck by agility in the post. I used to really really want to meet this guy (and I do think it is a chap), and wanted to torture JJ Cohen in that posh hotel in NY - remember? - to make him tell me. But now I just want my Chaucer back and I'll be good, I promise, and I won't ruin it for anyone.
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