Thursday, May 18, 2006

Advice about The Surprise

Now, I'm asked if people should read The Surprise before the performance, as I just have.

I don't quite know what to say.

To be true to the title, and if you want it to really be a surprise, then I really recommend that you don't read it ahead of time, as I just did.

In one way, I spoiled it for myself, having read it yesterday. However, it was so good, that I'm reading it again today, this time with a highlighter.

And now I can't wait to see it performed, because I think it will be very powerful. But in a little way, I wish I hadn't read it, so that the surprise could really shock me when it comes.

So there. I don't know if I've given anyone any advice or not. You decide.

8 comments:

  1. Did you get a copy of it online, or as a real hard copy?

    Because those of us who can't be there might like to read it anyway, it being so obscure, and if it's online...

    *hint*

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  2. Furor,
    I got it the old fashioned way: someone e-mailed it to me.

    They told me it was in the Collected Works volume 11 which I happen to not own.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't suppose you, in your philanthropy, would be willing to forward it to me, would you? Martin Ward's site doesn't have the text for some reason, though he does have the play Magic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really would like to know why the texts of the AMBER project are not freely available online. Martin Ward's collection is easily searchable and is a nice start. But so much more GKC text seems to be available electronically if only you are privy to it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think more and more Chesterton is gettin on line and searchable. It's only a matter of time before everything will be available and searchable.
    However: if you look at the Collected Works, you know there's a lot of stuff. So, for reading purposes, it is still easier to buy the books.
    It's only when you are doing research or a writing project that AMBER is so helpful. And anyone, if they are involved in a project, can access AMBER by clicking on the Challenge the Quotemeister button on the main Chesterton page. So everyone, in essence, is privy to it. It's just hard when it isn't yet on line, and that is only due to a lack fo funding thus far to make it happen. However, if that is a goal of yours, anon, or anyone else feels so moved to donate towards that (getting AMBER on line) please know that donations are gladly accepted at the chesterton.org web site.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Donations also can be sent directly to me, Chestertonian, to help me achieve more constant Chesterton-style nirvana, i.e., keeping me well supplied with cigars, stilton, sweet biscuits, and red wine.

    And bacon & eggs and beer for supper, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  7. stilton, sweet biscuits, and red wine ... bacon & eggs and beer ...

    And to help you achieve a Chesterton-style girth!

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  8. "It may be that the thin monks were holy, but I am sure it was the fat monks who were humble."

    --G.K. Chesterton

    :-)

    ReplyDelete

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