The nearest voices took up the cry, and hundreds echoed it. Some called for ladders, some for sledge-hammers; some ran with torches to and fro as if to seek them, and still came back and roared again; some spent their breath in impotent curses and execrations; some pressed forward with the ecstasy of madmen, and thus impeded the progress of those below; some among the boldest attempted to climb up by the water-spout and crevices in the wall; and all waved to and fro, in the darkness beneath, like a field of corn moved by an angry wind: and joined from time to time in one loud furious roar.
"Perge modo et qua te ducit via dirige gressum," said Venus to Aeneas.
Friday, July 23, 2010
like a field of corn moved by an angry wind
Your daily divine Dickens mega-sentence, from Chapter 50 of Oliver Twist. It becomes clear to me that had Dickens painted rather than wrote, we'd have had a second Pieter Bruegel.
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3 comments:
Do you like Bleak House? That's my go-to Dickens when I want to lose myself in words and characters.
Ooops! I just noticed that on a previous post another commenter recommended against Bleak House, so maybe you won't like it. It certainly DOES have bleak moments, but what I like about it is how Dickens shows that some people are able to overcome, and some aren't. Also: spontaneous combustion!!! What was he thinking?!? Where did THAT come from?!? Fascinating author.
Now I'll have to get Bleak House just to see where I'll stand! Husband is urging Tale of Two Cities but it's not my #1 choice for next.
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