I made my my twelve year old read that in
a desperate effort to introduce some culture into his life.


I can be a real bastard sometimes. (In my defence and to his credit he actually made a real effort with it, although he did give up on Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle about three pages in as it was totally incomprehensible)
( number5 has been fighting tramps and losing., Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:14, 1 reply)

The French get Voltaire and Dumas and we get Dafoe and Austen.
Life just isn't fair.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:22, closed)

But whereas they have Jean de Florette (Pagnol is it?)
we have The Man who made Husbands Jealous by Jilly Cooper, so who's laughing now eh?
( number5 has been fighting tramps and losing., Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:31, closed)

I'm still laughing because in my head I pronounced Dumas as dumb-ass.
Teeheehee.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 17:14, closed)

This comment should win this week.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:33, closed)

Dumas was a master of stringing a story out.
He wrote most of his books in serial form for newspapers, so since he got paid by the chapter, all his books are about three times longer than necessary. Thats not to say they aren't good though.

Your points about use just having Defoe and Jane Austin aren't strictly true either. We also get Robert Lewis Stevenson, James Fenimore Cooper and Sir Walter Scott. All wrote excellent swashbuckling yarns.
(Woodlouse say it with flowers. Send her a Triffid, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:50, closed)

James Fenimore Cooper was American.

( Wet-chinned bag shanker Cannot parse Wogan, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 16:58, closed)

I didn't make a point about just having defoe and austin.
That would have been a moronic point to make.

We've also got Roger Hargreaves.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 5 Jan 2012, 17:10, closed)

You're just fishing for a quip implying he wrote a "Mr. Shambolic" book, about a big lumbering mutton chopped northaner with a chip on his shoulder and tourettes.

Then you can reply "that's Dr. Shambolic sir!"
( jagwap, Fri 6 Jan 2012, 14:02, closed)