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TatteredCarcosa t1_j8pwoov wrote

Reply to comment by Extension-Ad-2760 in TIL that the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night" was the opening line to an actual novel published in 1830, but runs on for another 51 words: "It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which..." by dylancatlow

I mean, it's just all over the place. It has a fucking parenthetical for no reason.

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koiven t1_j8q1trc wrote

Well it has a parenthetical because its an aside and that's what parentheticals are for. Really it just reads like a typical 19th century sentence.

Writing was more ponderous back then

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TatteredCarcosa t1_j8qfuf8 wrote

There's a reason this particular sentence has been remembered for its poor structure. I have read plenty of 19th century and earlier literature, being ponderous and long doesn't mean poorly structured or scattered.

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