Comments for Turtle Reader » The War of the Worlds http://www.turtlereader.com Slow and steady, page by page... Wed, 03 Dec 2008 03:24:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 69 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-69-of-88/#comment-238 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 14:10:20 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-69-of-88/#comment-238 <dl><dt><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/navvies" rel="nofollow">navvies</></dt><dd>A laborer, especially one employed in construction or excavation projects (Chiefly British)</dd></dl>
navvies
A laborer, especially one employed in construction or excavation projects (Chiefly British)
]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 63 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-63-of-88/#comment-237 ScottS-M Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:51:14 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-63-of-88/#comment-237 <blockquote>He was as lacking in restraint as a silly woman.</blockquote> Women's lib apparently still had a ways to go in 1898.

He was as lacking in restraint as a silly woman.

Women’s lib apparently still had a ways to go in 1898.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 62 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-62-of-88/#comment-236 TurtleReader Sun, 08 Jul 2007 13:47:26 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-62-of-88/#comment-236 <blockquote>our Lilienthal soaring-machines</blockquote> This refers to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Lilienthal" rel="nofollow">Otto Lilienthal</a>, <q>the first person to make repeated successful gliding flights</q> and later inspiration for the Wright brothers.

our Lilienthal soaring-machines

This refers to Otto Lilienthal, the first person to make repeated successful gliding flights and later inspiration for the Wright brothers.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 45 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-45-of-88/#comment-234 TurtleReader Fri, 06 Jul 2007 18:41:37 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-45-of-88/#comment-234 <dl><dt><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/stile" rel="nofollow">stile</a></dt><dd>A set or series of steps for crossing a fence or wall.</dd></dl>
stile
A set or series of steps for crossing a fence or wall.
]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 44 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-44-of-88/#comment-233 ScottS-M Thu, 05 Jul 2007 13:46:14 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-44-of-88/#comment-233 <blockquote>By ten o’clock the police organisation, and by midday even the railway organisations, were losing coherency, losing shape and efficiency, guttering, softening, running at last in that swift liquefaction of the social body.</blockquote> I thought that was a really well written metaphor.

By ten o’clock the police organisation, and by midday even the railway organisations, were losing coherency, losing shape and efficiency, guttering, softening, running at last in that swift liquefaction of the social body.

I thought that was a really well written metaphor.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 42 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/#comment-296 ScottS-M Tue, 03 Jul 2007 21:59:52 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/#comment-296 <blockquote>Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned</blockquote> I guess science fiction writes can't fall back on the new element justification now days but in the 1890's they were still <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discovery_of_the_chemical_elements" rel="nofollow">finding new elements</a> with interesting properties pretty rapidly.

Save that an unknown element giving a group of four lines in the blue of the spectrum is concerned

I guess science fiction writes can’t fall back on the new element justification now days but in the 1890’s they were still finding new elements with interesting properties pretty rapidly.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 42 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/#comment-227 TurtleReader Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:29:35 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-42-of-88/#comment-227 <dl><dt><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/kopje" rel="nofollow">kopje</a></dt><dd>a small hill rising up from the African veld</dd></dl>
kopje
a small hill rising up from the African veld
]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 41 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-41-of-88/#comment-226 TurtleReader Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:10:53 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-41-of-88/#comment-226 <blockquote>Would the Londoners have the heart and courage to make a greater Moscow of their mighty province of houses?</blockquote> I think this a reference to the <a herf="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_of_Moscow_%281812%29" rel="nofollow">Fire of Moscow</a> when Napoleon invaded and the civilian population fled in 1812.

Would the Londoners have the heart and courage to make a greater Moscow of their mighty province of houses?

I think this a reference to the Fire of Moscow when Napoleon invaded and the civilian population fled in 1812.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 39 of 84 by ScottS-M http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-39-of-88/#comment-225 ScottS-M Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:47:34 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-39-of-88/#comment-225 <blockquote>His landlady came to the door, loosely wrapped in dressing gown and shawl; her husband followed ejaculating.</blockquote> Well the first-read meaning of that sentence has certainly changed over the years.

His landlady came to the door, loosely wrapped in dressing gown and shawl; her husband followed ejaculating.

Well the first-read meaning of that sentence has certainly changed over the years.

]]> Comment on The War of the Worlds - Day 38 of 84 by TurtleReader http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-38-of-88/#comment-223 TurtleReader Mon, 02 Jul 2007 20:13:22 +0000 http://www.turtlereader.com/authors/h-g-wells/the-war-of-the-worlds/the-war-of-the-worlds-day-38-of-88/#comment-223 <dl><dt><a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tocsin" rel="nofollow">tocsin</a></dt> <dd> An alarm sounded on a bell</dd></dl>
tocsin
An alarm sounded on a bell
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