Picky picky picky... Stave

[TheFallen]

Haven't got my copy of AATE in front of me as I type this but...

As I've said elsewhere in another thread, I'm re-reading the entire Last Chrons contiguously, to be fairer in any judgement of AATE by re-viewing it as part of the context within which it was created. I'm now 2/3rds of the way through AATE (Liand's head just exploded) and my original opinions are slightly altering, but for the moment I'll keep my powder dry and my thoughts to myself till I've reached the end for this second time.

I am also making a conscious effort *not* to speed-read - which may have been something I did when I eagerly dived into AATE when I first got hold of it. So as a result I'm paying as much attention as I can muster to SRD's writing.

Uberpicky I know, but there's a single passage within AATE where Stave is speaking with Linden and he uses the familiar contraction "I'm" instead of "I am". That hit me between the eyes with a leaden clang - I was quite literally jolted and had to double-check in case my eyes were deceiving me. I'll add chapter and verse as to exact location when I find it.

Now, for all that Stave has gained more humanity than any other Master, there is no way that this can have been intentional by SRD - totally out of character for the Haruchai, who invariably speak with a semi-arcane and "foreign" formality. So I'm next to sure it's an uncorrected error.

Mind you, from a very sideways viewpoint, I suspect it's a tribute to SRD's authorship or at the very least his characterisation of Stave that a single word can jolt in such a fashion...

[rdhopeca]

Haven't got my copy of AATE in front of me as I type this but...

As I've said elsewhere in another thread, I'm re-reading the entire Last Chrons contiguously, to be fairer in any judgement of AATE by re-viewing it as part of the context within which it was created. I'm now 2/3rds of the way through AATE (Liand's head just exploded) and my original opinions are slightly altering, but for the moment I'll keep my powder dry and my thoughts to myself till I've reached the end for this second time.

I am also making a conscious effort *not* to speed-read - which may have been something I did when I eagerly dived into AATE when I first got hold of it. So as a result I'm paying as much attention as I can muster to SRD's writing.

Uberpicky I know, but there's a single passage within AATE where Stave is speaking with Linden and he uses the familiar contraction "I'm" instead of "I am". That hit me between the eyes with a leaden clang - I was quite literally jolted and had to double-check in case my eyes were deceiving me. I'll add chapter and verse as to exact location when I find it.

Now, for all that Stave has gained more humanity than any other Master, there is no way that this can have been intentional by SRD - totally out of character for the Haruchai, who invariably speak with a semi-arcane and "foreign" formality. So I'm next to sure it's an uncorrected error.

Mind you, from a very sideways viewpoint, I suspect it's a tribute to SRD's authorship or at the very least his characterisation of Stave that a single word can jolt in such a fashion...

I believe (can't be sure) that we've (those of us here) mostly agreed that it's a typo or some other error that the proofreaders missed.

[TheFallen]

I believe (can't be sure) that we've (those of us here) mostly agreed that it's a typo or some other error that the proofreaders missed.

Always nice to be agreed with! I rather suspected that three little characters amongst God alone knows how many millions in AATE in total wouldn't have escaped the eagle eyes of KW members.

[lurch]

Sorry..I find myself elsewise on the matter of "I'm.." I do not concede a mistake, not even a typo. Why not?..Well..I'm warming up for the dissection that I've signed up for, choosing chapter 1..which begins with a riff on Time..So, yea, even Stave and the Haruchai formality gets the feel of Time by truncating his very speech..shortening it up a bit..less time to say the same thing. Its my observation that the author " plays" with Time in AATE. I'm sure with some concentrated effort,,there are more examples of Time being used by the character to shorten things up and to draw things out. Actually,, your observation is outstanding,,really detailed picky pickyness. Excellent!..I'm just going with it rather than against it. It fits within the whole of Against All Things Ending..what is Against All Things Ending..??..Time. and as per SRD..Life is Time..How precious is the time saved..savoured,,between saying I am and i'm..?..priceless!
Great Catch..imho.!

[Orlion]

Stave is being affected by Linden more then any previous Haruchai character has been affected by anyone. I think this is because he's discarded part of his "must keep Haruchai core pure" personality we've come to know and love. This effect is shown through a change in speech pattern. I say this because I was around some guy from Tennesse for a couple weeks and my speech picked up a little twang as a result. So, it can happen in real life, is all

Now, if Linden never uses contractions, then my theory is worth crap

[Cambo]

If Stave starts saying "All right" and "Oh (insert target of pathos)" during TLD I'll throw the book at someone.

[TheFallen]

Sorry..I find myself elsewise on the matter of "I'm.." I do not concede a mistake, not even a typo. Why not?..Well..I'm warming up for the dissection that I've signed up for, choosing chapter 1..which begins with a riff on Time..So, yea, even Stave and the Haruchai formality gets the feel of Time by truncating his very speech..shortening it up a bit..less time to say the same thing. Its my observation that the author " plays" with Time in AATE. I'm sure with some concentrated effort,,there are more examples of Time being used by the character to shorten things up and to draw things out. Actually,, your observation is outstanding,,really detailed picky pickyness. Excellent!..I'm just going with it rather than against it. It fits within the whole of Against All Things Ending..what is Against All Things Ending..??..Time. and as per SRD..Life is Time..How precious is the time saved..savoured,,between saying I am and i'm..?..priceless!
Great Catch..imho.!

Hmmm. I'd find your epiphany a little easier to support, if Stave did this more than once (which I'm pretty sure he doesn't, since the one time he did, it smacked me between the eyes). However, it's a very fair point you make re SRD playing with time throughout the Last Chrons - and not just with caesure-based time travel, but also far more importantly with narrative pacing Having said that, if Stave was trying to save a millisecond by using "I'm" instead of "I am" because of the urgency of things, it does beg the question why the assembled spend so long sitting around on their collective butts, trying to decide what to do

Stave is being affected by Linden more then any previous Haruchai character has been affected by anyone. I think this is because he's discarded part of his "must keep Haruchai core pure" personality we've come to know and love. This effect is shown through a change in speech pattern. I say this because I was around some guy from Tennesse for a couple weeks and my speech picked up a little twang as a result. So, it can happen in real life, is all.

Yes absolutely Stave is affected by Linden, because of the humanity he's gained at the Horse Rite. This is best shown by his unique use of her first name on several occasions, when addressing her. All the other Haruchai use titles when speaking to characters (ur-Lord, Chosen, Manethrall etc), because they withhold themselves from relating to the personal or the individual. Stave's now different, but I don't think he's picking up Linden's speech patterns, though - that'd be a step too far, as Cambo has said.

So after consideration, I'm sticking with something missed by the proofreaders

[lurch]

Well Fallen , you mention that Stave calls Linden, Linden,,which shortens up protocol a bit..You also bring up the troupe sitting around trying to make up their minds..Again ,,the reader gets to experience the Time element here. " WE" wish for a giddy up but the author is holding back..As said elsewhere, how the reader " feels " Time in this book is at play. Another example is in the Castles Majestic. I know I am not the only one who expressed the want to hang around in there longer than the author had us there. The trot versus gallop of the Ranyhyn: too much time vs not enough.. The author is manipulating the reader in AATE as he did in FR. There is this.. .presentation of Illusion as Reality. The author is prompting the reader to perceive differently,,to think differently,,by putting at play our assumptions and pretense...the same he has done to Linden.

Now..consider..if its a typo,,then ..thats that. Its dead. Nothing beyond it. Somebody made a mistake and the proof readers, editors etc nope, not one caught it..Its dead....I perceive " I'm" to be alive.