Outside of a Dog: Resnick, Laura: Disappearing Nightly

Aaron Bergman

Aaron Bergman wrote on January 24, 2006 at 1:42 AM:

So, I pick up this book, and in the very first sentence there's a comma splice.

Gah!

No point, really. I just needed to get that off my chest. On to the second sentence.

David Tate

David Tate wrote on January 24, 2006 at 7:56 AM:

Ouch. I hate it when that happens.

In truth, even given the Death of Editing, it's surprising how many books have some serious (unintentional) error of grammar, usage, or style in the opening paragraph. You would think that someone would be more concerned with first impressions...

Kate

Kate wrote on January 24, 2006 at 8:08 AM:

Aw, come on--first person narration, it's allowed. Aaron, Jo Walton's books must've driven you nuts . . .

David Tate

David Tate wrote on January 24, 2006 at 10:20 AM:

#define pedant_mode 1

First person narration forgives any usage or style that might reasonably be attributed to the character of the narrator as s/he tells the story. Comma splices, though, are not part of the telling -- they're just incorrect transcription of what the narrator said. Unless the story specifically proposes that it is a record set down by an unreliable scribe (e.g. the opening chapter of _Baudolino_, or Don Marquis), the choice of punctuation is the author's, not the narrator's, and should be standard.

#define pedant_mode 0

Aaron Bergman

Aaron Bergman wrote on January 24, 2006 at 10:22 PM:

I gotta agree with David. Change that comma to a semi-colon and life is so much happier. But the book is amusing so far, nonetheless.

Kate

Kate wrote on January 25, 2006 at 7:03 AM:

I know people who talk in comma splices. Seriously.

Aaron, glad the book is amusing you so far.

David Tate

David Tate wrote on January 25, 2006 at 11:29 AM:

I know people who talk in comma splices. Seriously.

You lost me there. What does a comma sound like? (Insert Victor Borge impersonation here.)

Are you saying there's an audible difference between "My cat likes fish; I give him some every day." and (*)"My cat likes fish, I give him some every day."?

I can maybe agree that the former might potentially be audibly different from "My cat likes fish. I give him some every day.", but I'd say that the comma in the second one is just an incorrect[1] way of writing down the same utterance that the first one records.

David

[1] Extreme descriptivists may substitute the phrase "nonstandard and widely deprecated" for "incorrect", without loss of borrowing privileges.

Kate

Kate wrote on January 26, 2006 at 4:33 PM:

David, all I can say is that after an hour of talking with Jo Walton, I am speaking, thinking, and writing in comma splices for several days after. *shrug* Believe me or not as you like.

Kate

Kate wrote on January 26, 2006 at 10:39 PM:

Also? "I'm not a heroine, I just play heroines." is really not that objectionable a comma splice.

(Only got around to loooking that up now.)

Aaron Bergman

Aaron Bergman wrote on January 26, 2006 at 11:42 PM:

Not to belabor this (it's certainly not a big deal), but if that's not a comma splice, then what is? That sentence is pretty much what the semi-colon exists for.

steve

steve wrote on February 12, 2006 at 10:19 PM:

are you david tate from canby,oregon?

David Tate

David Tate wrote on February 13, 2006 at 9:08 AM:

are you david tate from canby,oregon?

Alas, that it were so. I'm a much more eastern/midwestern subspecies. Much harder to find good cheap pinot gris out here.