Midnight Voices - Print Page


    
      
        Midnight Voices
        (https://www.peteatkin.com/cgi-bin/mv/YaBB.cgi)
      

        Pete Atkin >> Words >> The Book of My Enemy
        
(Message started by: Tiny_Montgomery on Today at 17:55)

Title: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Tiny_Montgomery on Today at 17:55

Happened to be in a bookshop this week in Princes Street, Edinburgh, when I came upon a pile of cut-price copies of The Book of My Enemy which had been, er, remaindered...

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Secret Drinker on 13.08.04 at 08:05

on 08/12/04 at 17:55:17, Tiny_Montgomery wrote :

Happened to be in a bookshop this week in Princes Street, Edinburgh, when I came upon a pile of cut-price copies of The Book of My Enemy which had been, er, remaindered...

Sounds like a classic case of poetic justice to me ;-)

I'll order a classic case of those books, too.

Cheers

Paul

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Phil C on 16.08.04 at 11:53

Surely it's only poetic justice if at this prospect we could be said to be pleased? :(

Phil C
(Most emphatically not chilling champagne and breaking out crystal goblets)

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Secret Drinker on 17.08.04 at 07:49

on 08/16/04 at 11:53:08, Phil C wrote :

Surely it's only poetic justice if at this prospect we could be said to be pleased? :(

Phil C
(Most emphatically not chilling champagne and breaking out crystal goblets)

I didn't mean to give the impression I was pleased at the prospect. On the contrary, I (like you) am thoroughly displeased.

But I don't agree that pleasure is an essential component of poetic justice. I believe you can recognise "ideal administration of reward and punishment" (my dictionary's definition of the term) even while being on the receiving end of it (can't you?)

Cheers

Paul
(2nd attempt at posting reply thanks to my ISP :( )

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Phil C on 17.08.04 at 13:35

All very true, although the phrase is rarely used in contexts other than an adversary receiving his comeuppance whatever the technical definition. I would suppose that the reasons for this in the English language would be cultural or a matter of habit more than anything else.
I really must remember that irony carries ill through plain text!

Regards,
P C

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Secret Drinker on 17.08.04 at 14:01

on 08/17/04 at 13:35:49, Phil C wrote :

Not sure I agree totally. I've had one or two setbacks that I recognised as poetic justice even though I was the one being "punished". On those occasions I didn't enjoy being the recipient of my own comeuppance, but I could still see the justice in it!

On this occasion, although it's a shame that some of Clive's books ended up themselves being remaindered, there's a certain humour in the situation which I feel fairly sure he would appreciate. And anyway you have to admit he did ask for it! ;-)

Cheers

Paul

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Pete Atkin on 17.08.04 at 16:16

Quote:

although it's a shame that some of Clive's books ended up themselves being remaindered, there's a certain humour in the situation which I feel fairly sure he would appreciate

Reference to the poem itself clearly indicates that the circumstance and the reasons for it have been foreseen by the poet.

Pete

Title: Re: The Book of My Enemy
Post by Phil C on 07.09.04 at 00:24

A very good point, one which I had entirely overlooked...
Honestly, doing English at UWA doesn't necessarily translate to being bright now does it? :)

Phil C