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How developed is the Gnommish language?
In the Artemis Fowl series, the fairies speak a language named Gnommish. We know that the Book is written in this language, in spirals. And we also see some Gnommish words, such as D'Arvit.
Has Eoin Colfer developed this language in any way, other…
Mithical
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Meaning of this line in "On seeing the Elgin Marbles"
And each imagined pinnacle and steep
Of godlike hardship tells me I must die
The "pinnacle and steep" represent the pillars of the Parthenon if I'm not mistaken. But the next line doesn't make sense to me. How can the pillars be of godlike…
Airdish
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11
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Did Robert Jordan name himself after Hemingway's character?
The fantasy author James Oliver Rigney Jr. chose the nom de plume Robert Jordan for many of his works of literature, including the magnificent Wheel of Time series.
I recently read up on Ernest Hemingway's novel For Whom the Bell Tolls and…
Rand al'Thor
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11
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What was the unspeakable act that V.S. Naipaul committed while at Oxford University?
On 28 Sep. 1952, V.S. Naipaul wrote the following to his father:
The very fact that I can write about future plans ought to hearten you. You see, I have really been suffering from an abnormal mental condition. I was depressive. I have seen the…
Lijishe
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11
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How long had Bertha Mason been in the attic at the point of the events in Jane Eyre
I am trying to work out how long Bertha Mason had been locked up by the time we reach Thornfield in the story. This is part of an argument I am working for work and I haven't been able to find a definite amount of time. Adding to this variations in…
Scott.Bell
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11
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YA novel that I read in 1987 at school - two young British guys captured by terrorists and escape from a pit
In 1987 I began high school. There was one YA novel that the school librarian put on a special part of the shelf because it was "too frightening". If this was reverse psychology it worked because I borrowed it. I cannot recall the title. I didn't…
Snack_Food_Termite
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When and where was 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu first adopted outside of China?
While of ancient origin and being still relevant today, much is speculation about the military classic 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. Even the existence of the author is disputed. He allegedly served the state of Wu which ceased to exist 473 B.C.,…
Bookeater
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What's the evidence for "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" being secretly set in Edinburgh?
Stevenson's famous novel Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is set in London, but some critics have claimed that it would seem to fit better in Stevenson's native Edinburgh, almost as if he wrote a story set in Edinburgh and then just changed the names to London…
Rand al'Thor
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Who is the speaker in "O Captain! My Captain!"
In "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman, the speaker acts as if he has a close connection to Abraham Lincoln, saying:
My father does not feel my arm
This suggests that they are in such a relationship that Abraham Lincoln would have felt his…
Benjamin
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How accurate are Rick Riordan's portrayals of ancient myths?
The story of Cadmus and Harmonia as presented in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, is unique in claiming that Harmonia became mortal:
Cadmus wasn’t sure he should be stealing the dragon’s dental work, especially if he was already on Ares’s…
user8
10
votes
1 answer
How could Frankenstein get the parts for his second creature?
When the creature is first created we get a strong impression that it is built up from body parts, quoting from chapter 4:
I collected bones from charnel-houses and disturbed, with profane fingers, the tremendous secrets of the human frame. [...]…
pipe
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10
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How can I find out who translated a book on Project Gutenberg?
There's a translation error in Project Gutenberg's English-language version of The Count of Monte Cristo. I'd like to know whose translation was being used which contained this mistake. But in the Project Gutenberg text I can't find the name of the…
Rand al'Thor
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10
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What was the public's initial reaction to Virginia Woolf's Orlando?
Orlando is about an immortal man who changes into a woman. Originally Woolf wanted to write about a bisexual character but the laws of the time wouldn't allow it, so this was her way of compromising apparently.
How did readers originally react to…
TheWolfEmperor
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10
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What did Charles Dickens say about genius and pain?
While reading Somerset Maugham's Cakes and Ale, I came across this quote (emphasis mine):
...Charles Dickens in an after-dinner speech had stated that genius was an infinite capacity for taking pains.
[Emphasis mine]
Did he actually make this…
user59
10
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2 answers
Who wrote the Boxcar Children books after Gertrude Chandler Warner's death?
Gertrude Chandler Warner's story The Boxcar Children became the first in a series of books that she continued writing until her death in 1979. She wrote a total of nineteen books in the series.
But there are more Boxcar Children books dated years…
kristan
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