2007/12/11 Dublin
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Realism

Evidence

Sunday night I had a few pints of Guinness with Roddy Doyle. He mentioned how difficult it has gotten to write a realistic dialogue set in contemporary Dublin, because of the influx of Eastern-European immigrants.
The language, he said, is changing because of the immigrants.
I found this for various reasons an interesting remark.
Every author does a certain amount of research for a new book – consciously or unconsciously – and it’s telling what exactly he is looking for while doing his research.
Writers live off the living and the dead. Sometimes the writer does the killing him self, sometimes he just waited for it to happen. Anyhow he is collecting evidence to build the illusion of realism.


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30 comments Last_comment
A realistic dialogue set in contemporary Dublin usually consists of two lines.
"Would you like another?"
"This one's on me."
said Margot Morgan 11/12/2007 11:22 • x
@Margot
;)))!!
said Neria Biala 11/12/2007 12:29 • x
Margot
When was the last time you have been to Dublin?
said Arnon Grunberg 11/12/2007 13:10 • x
Arnon
I believe there are some Algerians who share your discontent with the UN.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7137997.stm
said batta 11/12/2007 13:16 • x
".... she commented while smirking to herself. " Read again batta. 47 people died. Whether the deceased are UN-officials, young boys who feel it's their turn to become a martyr, or bypassers, it's awful.
said noa fenenga 11/12/2007 13:23 • x
Arnon
About ten years ago.
It was a bit traumatic cause I broke up with my Irish boyfriend.
He married a girl from his local village and now lives in Ballina.
said Margot Morgan 11/12/2007 13:37 • x
Aliefka
I'm eternally grateful for receiving a lesson in ethics from one of your hysteric personalities. Please, do us all a favor and invest your time in producing another mediocre novel.
said batta 11/12/2007 14:24 • x
Batta
The UN was bombed out of Baghdad, remember?
I believe this has more to do with "the west" than with the UN, the UN was just an easy target.
Nevertheless the difference between discontent and a car bomb is quite substantial, don’t you think?
said Arnon Grunberg 11/12/2007 14:38 • x
Margot
Dublin has changed. (Maybe you have changed as well.) And I agree Irish-English can be difficult to understand, but compared to Scottish-English it is easy.
said Arnon Grunberg 11/12/2007 14:40 • x
Noa
People are allowed to smirk when other people die. Many people smirk I guess when a US soldier gets killed in Iraq or when an Israeli soldier gets killed in Gaza.
As long as it is just smirking it should go unpunished.
The right to be indifferent and the right to smirk are connected.
said Arnon Grunberg 11/12/2007 14:44 • x
Arnon
So is this an invitation? I'll be in Cork this spring.
said Margot Morgan 11/12/2007 15:07 • x
Arnon
Of course it these acts are directed towards 'the west', but isn't is telling that can aparrently be equated to 'the west' in these world views?

And for the record: I did not smirk. I simply wanted to indroduce this news and made a link to a previous dicussion. Don't pull me into you indifferent camp.
said batta 11/12/2007 17:22 • x
anti war demonstration
They shouted: 'We want peas! We want peas!'
They got Brussels sprouts.
said Vera M. 11/12/2007 21:32 • x
@Margot,
Regarding the best book of the year, i'm reading it now in a three years' delay: "The Plot Against America" by Philip Roth. SCARY. It makes me feel i need my dad, even now in my old age, to comfort me and tell me there's nothing to be scared of.
said Neria Biala 11/12/2007 22:30 • x
Dublin
I never thought of you, Arnon, as the scavenger type of writer who feeds on the living and the dead !
But after the turmoil caused by the media frenzy around the `filiipica` aimed at AFTH, I´m convinced.
I must admit. I read your first books and became a fan overnight.
But then there was a lull in my reading and the first book I picked up was ´Tirza´.

Just great, but can anyone tell me why AFTH won? And why did AFTH behave himself like a winner BEFORE the announcement. (Cerfie, did you leak some information?)
Anyway, I hope AFTH will start writing his novel about Seveke soon.
Thing will be splendid again.

I start feeling so good. Time to read Roald Dahl to my daughter
said Ybe de Rooij 11/12/2007 23:20 • x
Neria
Thanks, I'll have a look!
said Margot Morgan 12/12/2007 09:34 • x
@batta
Batta, this means you've read my novel? Then I thank you for investing your time (and perhaps money). By the way, I had not wanted to refer to my writings on this site, I find that very inappropriate.
said noa fenenga 12/12/2007 10:07 • x
@Margot.
You're welcome :)
said Neria Biala 12/12/2007 10:10 • x
@Aliefka,
Why is it inappropriate to reffer to your writings on this site? It is obvious that you're not using Arnon's hospitality for commercial reasons. People will not buy your books because you exchange thoughts in this forum but because your writings speak to them. i also think that it makes the communication more clear, sincere and interesting if you speak on your behalf and through a borrowed figure (i may be wrong).
If you still prefer to keep this part of you out of reach i am willling to respect it and to keep addressing you as Noa.
said Neria Biala 12/12/2007 10:32 • x
Noa
No, that comment was based entirely on that one page on your site. One could argue it is not representative for the novel, but I expect you placed it there because you thought it is representative. Hence; an empirically well-founded judgement.
said batta 12/12/2007 11:18 • x
correction: not through (pardon).

@Batta, empathy is not hysteria. i don't see the relation between Aliefka's quality of writing, to your opinion, and her ability to express sorrow in a different context. It leaves a very bad taste in the mouth to witness that, and it makes me again wonder if there are more hidden rules by which one is allowed to place comments here (say, not to be a women, not to write excessively, to stay as much "impersonal" etc.)
said Neria Biala 12/12/2007 11:38 • x
Ybe
To a certain degree every novelist behaves from time to time like a scavenger.
Enjoy Roald Dahl, by all means a scavenger himself.
said Arnon Grunberg 12/12/2007 17:46 • x
Neria
Aliefka should feel free to use my hospitality for commercial reasons. I don’t see what should be wrong by definition with “commercial reasons.”
If you feel that you have nothing to sell or nothing to give (by the way thank you for checking the Hebrew translation of the baldness), that does not mean that we should prevent other commentators from earning a living.
said Arnon Grunberg 12/12/2007 17:52 • x
Batta
A smirk is not a sign of indifference, it is more a sign of Schadenfreude, if we think that people’s thought should go unpunished, we should try to protect people’s smirks as well.
said Arnon Grunberg 12/12/2007 17:56 • x
Margot
Cork should be very pleasant.
said Arnon Grunberg 12/12/2007 17:56 • x
@Arnon, i was trying to guess what might be a misuse of this platform in relation of mentioning one's profession. Following your logic everyone can advertise himself here while only you (i guess) is paying for the maintenance of this domain. Don't play smartass.
said Neria Biala 12/12/2007 18:18 • x
@Arnon, Aliefka is capable of speaking for herself but from the outside your reaction is very patronising. i don't think Aliefka needs your help, and if she did, i'm pretty sure she was able to ask for it directly. If anyone, it was Batta who crossed a red line here, using irrelevant arguments when trying to hush Aliefka. What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?

Let's leave the subject, i think it's clear.
said Neria Biala 12/12/2007 19:02 • x
Neria
I always hoped that if a commentator would misuse this site other commentators were going to correct this specific commentator.
In your case I would argue that more than two comments a day can be described as misuse.
said Arnon Grunberg 12/12/2007 19:10 • x
Alright everyone, let's end this once and for all - please click and order:
http://www.nl.bol.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/nl/-/EUR/BOL_DisplayProductInformation-Start?BOL_OWNER_ID=1001004002851575&Section=BOOK
said noa fenenga 12/12/2007 21:28 • x
@Aliefka
!
said Neria Biala 13/12/2007 08:48 • x
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