Southerly by David Haywood

That is just lovely David

I'm with Gschwendtner, I hate entropy

That is just lovely David

I see that you must be a man after my own heart when it comes to the happy endings, Raymond...

I'm with Gschwendtner, I hate entropy

I can't prove it mathematically, but I'm sure that events like this generate negative entropy. I suspect there must be systems somewhere (possibly comprising Italians dropping ice-cubes into hot coffee) producing extra entropy so that dS(universe) > 0.

Shelf life (and death)
- Haywood's End...?

I'm guessing a near mint copy of
Howards End as well?

yrs
the shade of Leonard Bast

Oh that's wonderful, I think you may have made my day :-D

Big smile on my face right now. Although I question how it could be possible not to fall in love with somebody who phones you to ask about yeast.

how it could be possible not to fall in love with somebody who phones you to ask about yeast

obviously a fungi to be with...

I'm guessing a near mint copy of Howards End as well?

Not quite as mint as 'Jude the Obscure' -- but, you're right, read only twice, I think.

I'm with Gschwendtner, I hate entropy

Incidentally, Hadyn, there is a sporting connection with Gschwendtner. He plays ice-hockey and once represented New Zealand in an international test-match (if that's the term in ice-hockey) against Slovenia.

By the beginning of the second period, too many Slovenians had been injured to continue the game. So Gschwendtner volunteered to play for Slovenia -- and so the game was able to go on. Can't be many other sportsmen who have played at an international level for two different countries in the same match.

Of course, the inevitable happened, and the next day he turned up for work with his arm in a plaster cast.

Me: What happened?

Gschwendtner: Entropy.

My copy of Wuthering Heights is in near mint condition. All those dreary people, and ghosties, living dreary brutish lives.

We had a wonderful English teacher in 7th form, who advised us never to marry for love, and never to read Jude the Obscure. So I haven't. Read Jude the Obscure, that is.

My copy of Wuthering Heights is in near mint condition. All those dreary people, and ghosties, living dreary brutish lives.

Thanks for reminding me that I own a copy of Wuthering Heights, Deborah. I need some more bookshelf space.

I rather like my books dark and difficult. I'm a big fan of Tanith Lee. I don't, however, like my characters whiny and pathetic.

I also liked the Burton sisters story the way it was...

Gschwendtner

It always makes me sad to see the poor people who couldn't afford enough vowels for their names.

Maybe we could start a charity...

Incidentally, Hadyn, there is a sporting connection with Gschwendtner. He plays ice-hockey and once represented New Zealand in an international test-match (if that's the term in ice-hockey) against Slovenia.

I think Michael is pulling your leg there David. We've never played Slovenia in a test.

Well, I'm pretty sure it was Slovenia. Unless... ahem... it was Slovakia.

I think it was in 2000 (or possibly 2001) in Christchurch. I may have the wrong term in 'international test match' -- I suppose swapping sides is discouraged in a 'proper' international match -- but it was definitely a match against the Slovenians (or Slovakians).

I went to see one of the big games (but can't remember if it was one of the Slovenia/Slovakia ones). All I remember is that the Canterbury players all seemed to have Canadian accents, and one referred to Gschwendtner as 'Mike the Russian'. Presumably in jest.

Estonia?

It always makes me sad to see the poor people who couldn't afford enough vowels for their names.

Little known fact: pronouncing the name Gschwendtner is really easy.

schw = a french 'j' (as in "Je ne sais quoi")

wendt = 'vent' (as in VENTilation

ner = well, 'ner' (as in corner)

Put 'em all together in just TWO syllables:

jvent-ner

... except that you just do an understated lead-in to the whole thing with a subtle 'G' as in 'Gary'. But still with only TWO syllables.

My copy of Wuthering Heights is in near mint condition. All those dreary people, and ghosties, living dreary brutish lives.

One of my friends used to go on and on about how romantic Wuthering Heights is, and how it's the greatest love story of all time, and OH! Heathcliff!

I read it and was all "um, Heathcliff's a stalker".

But then I love Jane Eyre, so what do I know?

I can't prove it mathematically, but I'm sure that events like this generate negative entropy. I suspect there must be systems somewhere (possibly comprising Italians dropping ice-cubes into hot coffee) producing extra entropy so that dS(universe) > 0.

I think of novelists as literary versions of Maxwell's Demon, flipping the gate open and closed so that all the happy stories go into one bucket and the sad ones into another. The Second Law of Dynarratives is apparently broken ("when happy and sad people mix, they average out to a dull whine").

Of course, later researchers pointed out that this claim only works if you don't consider the demon to be part of the system. Once you realise that good novelists tend to have lives of misery and torment (whether through mental illness, substance abuse, or small children) then you realise that the Second Law remains unbroken and you wander off to the wine rack looking for a perky red to go with the new Ben Winters novel ...

Nat

I commend to peoples attention this webcomic
http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202

this webcomic

Now that's a find. Thank you very much.

Once you realise that good novelists tend to have lives of misery and torment (whether through mental illness, substance abuse, or small children) then you realise that the Second Law remains unbroken...

A strangely compelling observation, Nat. Curiously (over the last couple of days) I have had emails about the RBNZ Annual -- with speculations viz-a-viz my mental illness(es) and/or substance abuse. No one, until you, has suggested small children...

I like books, especially the spines. You can buy book spines by the yard and they make rooms look so much bigger when you use them as wallpaper. The downside of all this is there must be a whole truckload of spineless books out there, there are few things more annoying than having to take a book off the shelf just to see who wrote it, what it is supposed to be about and whether or not it is worth the effort of colouring it in.

@Steve. I love you.

All this sweetness and light is for boors;
Give me darkness, death and the moors.
Concluding on happy
Is frequently crappy -
A trick of hacks, hucksters and hoors.