Author Topic: "there are five things only that can be written about"  (Read 2663 times)

Offline the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh

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"there are five things only that can be written about"
« on: August 17, 2010, 03:01:06 AM »
"the fastness of friendship; the treachery of one's nearest; the destruction of good by good. Passion which over-rides reason.  VIOLENT AND PROUD DEATH !"
    -- Myles na gCopaleen

Myself, I have a certain fondness for passion which does not over-ride reason, but otherwise I'm pretty much in line with this; the destruction of good by good, in particular, as it's a sight more affecting, tragic and moving than the destruction of good by evil where the reader just cheers and boos the appropriate sides.

Anyone else got thoughts on this one ?
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Offline KCK_Sparks

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Re: "there are five things only that can be written about"
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2010, 11:37:33 PM »
Well, the list is pretty good and I would like to no more about the author of the quote; seems very insightful. I would add:

-the listlessness of life without a meaning. (Death of a Salesman, Revolutionary Road)


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Offline the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh

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Re: "there are five things only that can be written about"
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2010, 01:34:57 AM »
Well, the list is pretty good and I would like to no more about the author of the quote; seems very insightful.

Myles nagCopaleen was the pen name of Irish novelist Flann O'Brien when writing a column in the Irish Times from 1940 to I think 1961.  It was fiendishly erudite, and often just fiendish. there are several collections, the best of the first five years in The Best of Myles, I have not the other titles to hand.
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"What do you mean, Lawful Silly isn't a valid alignment?"

kittensgame, Sandcastle Builder, Homestuck, Welcome to Night Vale, Civ III, lots of print genre SF, and old-school SATT gaming if I had the time.  Also Pandemic Legacy is the best game ever.

Offline Der Sturmbrecher

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Re: "there are five things only that can be written about"
« Reply #3 on: August 26, 2010, 02:27:01 AM »
Shattering of a world-view/coming of age/enlightenment (Once and Future King T. H. White, Harry Potter series, others)
Destruction of man by his creations/consequences of action (Frankenstein) - not necessarily just a variant of destruction of good by good.