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Most people couldn’t even read Beowulf if you gave it to them. Wæs se grimma gæst Grendel haten, mære mearcstapa, se þe moras heold, fen ond fæsten; fifelcyn

Most people couldn’t even read Beowulf if you gave it to them. Wæs se grimma gæst Grendel haten, mære mearcstapa, se þe moras heold, fen ond fæsten; fifelcynnes eard wonsæli wer weardode hwile, siþðan him scyppend forscrifen hæfde in Caines cynne. Many people struggle to read their own language sadly, or comprehend stories with any amount of depth. Old English is probably asking too much of them. I’m not convinced that this is new though, we’re just far more connected to the LCD than ever before. Edit: Translation of excerpt: Grendel this monster grim was called, march-riever mighty, in moorland living, in fen and fastness; fief of the giants the hapless wight a while had kept since the Creator his exile doomed. On kin of Cain was the killing avenged...

boomboomsubban 9y ago
There are translations also on The Gutenberg Project.
- IntronExon 9y ago
  Yes, I remembered that and included the translation, but I’d say that my overall point stands. How many people would find the translation overly accessible unless they were already of a literary bent, or just well educated?
  - boomboomsubban 9y ago
    It's an epic about a king traveling and killing a dragon, it doesn't take a ton of education to enjoy. And beyond that, there are many books on there that are accessible for anyone who can read. Your overall point seems fine, but it agrees with the person you replied to that cheap and easy to get isn't what's driving this.
    - watwut 9y ago
      > It's an epic about a king traveling and killing a dragon, it doesn't take a ton of education to enjoy. That is an extremely simplistic look at literature - you just reduced it to one sentence description of plot alone. That is not how it works and that is not how it ever worked. What makes it hard is the way it is written, presence of either dragon or killing does not make something easier to read. He is right in that most people would not enjoy it. > And beyond that, there are many books on there that are accessible for anyone who can read. And many many more that are decisively not accessible. You assume that people will dig for hours through guttenberg to find something fun and accessible, but they wont and probably cant.
      - boomboomsubban 9y ago
        >That is an extremely simplistic look at literature - you just reduced it to one sentence description of plot alone. That is not how it works and that is not how it ever worked. There's more in the text than just the plot, but the story alone can be enjoyable without knowing everything else. I'll agree the old translation of an ancient poem is probably still going to be a chore, a better example is something like Dracula. >And many many more that are decisively not accessible. You assume that people will dig for hours through guttenberg to find something fun and accessible, but they wont and probably cant. No, I assume that people will find something fun and accessible by the same means they do elsewhere, either through talking to other people or looking at what's popular.
        IntronExon 9y ago
        You’re giving me the strong impression of someone who is very bright, and has spent most of their time around other very bright people in the context of an excellent education. You should be proud of that, while recognizing how many more people live profoundly different lives. Consider the popularity of entertainment you’d find offensively boring, and remember that far more people enjoy that, than Beowulf. In short, what you’re saying isn’t wrong or unreasonable, but I think it’s fair to say that it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what “average” looks like.
        boomboomsubban 9y ago
        Popular entertainment isn't a new phenomenon, there are plenty of books on Project Gutenberg that anyone could find enjoyable without needing some deep understanding of literature. And remember what's being discussed here. You can't blame "brainjunk" on people unwilling to pay for content, as they are also ignoring the free content on Project Gutenberg.
        watwut 9y ago
        Popular entertainment of 19 century is often not fun for someone living in 21 century. The reasons why it was fun to people went away with changing society.

boomboomsubban 9y ago

There are translations also on The Gutenberg Project.

IntronExon 9y ago
Yes, I remembered that and included the translation, but I’d say that my overall point stands. How many people would find the translation overly accessible unless they were already of a literary bent, or just well educated?
- boomboomsubban 9y ago
  It's an epic about a king traveling and killing a dragon, it doesn't take a ton of education to enjoy. And beyond that, there are many books on there that are accessible for anyone who can read. Your overall point seems fine, but it agrees with the person you replied to that cheap and easy to get isn't what's driving this.
  - watwut 9y ago
    > It's an epic about a king traveling and killing a dragon, it doesn't take a ton of education to enjoy. That is an extremely simplistic look at literature - you just reduced it to one sentence description of plot alone. That is not how it works and that is not how it ever worked. What makes it hard is the way it is written, presence of either dragon or killing does not make something easier to read. He is right in that most people would not enjoy it. > And beyond that, there are many books on there that are accessible for anyone who can read. And many many more that are decisively not accessible. You assume that people will dig for hours through guttenberg to find something fun and accessible, but they wont and probably cant.
    - boomboomsubban 9y ago
      >That is an extremely simplistic look at literature - you just reduced it to one sentence description of plot alone. That is not how it works and that is not how it ever worked. There's more in the text than just the plot, but the story alone can be enjoyable without knowing everything else. I'll agree the old translation of an ancient poem is probably still going to be a chore, a better example is something like Dracula. >And many many more that are decisively not accessible. You assume that people will dig for hours through guttenberg to find something fun and accessible, but they wont and probably cant. No, I assume that people will find something fun and accessible by the same means they do elsewhere, either through talking to other people or looking at what's popular.
      - IntronExon 9y ago
        You’re giving me the strong impression of someone who is very bright, and has spent most of their time around other very bright people in the context of an excellent education. You should be proud of that, while recognizing how many more people live profoundly different lives. Consider the popularity of entertainment you’d find offensively boring, and remember that far more people enjoy that, than Beowulf. In short, what you’re saying isn’t wrong or unreasonable, but I think it’s fair to say that it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what “average” looks like.
        boomboomsubban 9y ago
        Popular entertainment isn't a new phenomenon, there are plenty of books on Project Gutenberg that anyone could find enjoyable without needing some deep understanding of literature. And remember what's being discussed here. You can't blame "brainjunk" on people unwilling to pay for content, as they are also ignoring the free content on Project Gutenberg.
        watwut 9y ago
        Popular entertainment of 19 century is often not fun for someone living in 21 century. The reasons why it was fun to people went away with changing society.