Writer's Block: Power of expression

[mumsisdaughter]

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Douglas Adams had it right:

"Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible."

Comments

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Define 'normal'.

[mumsisdaughter]

No such thing. That was his point. Have you read his 4-book trilogy?

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

Maman is into it, I saw the mini-series thing from years ago, and the new film. I also started on Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, but overall I don't read humour much, even super famous humour like Adams.

[mumsisdaughter]

If you're ever tempted to read humour/wit go straight to Terry Pratchett, PG Wodehouse, Oscar Wilde and Stephen Fry, just to name a few.

[mellifluous-ink.livejournal.com]

I've read all of them, actually. Wodehouse kept me alive in 2007, quite literally--and Oscar Wilde is what made me decide to become a socialist. His Importance of Being Earnest is my mum's favourite play. I don't much like Pratchett except for Good Omens. Mark Gatiss is also quite funny, I quite enjoyed his trilogy of Lucifer Box novels. As for Stephen, well, if you've been reading my LJ since April you'll know how much I think of Stephen Fry.

Anyway, like I said, I don't much read humour. I read fantasy or fairy tales, and fanfic of course.

[absinthe90.livejournal.com]

I really hope not, because we definitely couldn't deal.;)

[mumsisdaughter]

Ha-ha. Who wants to be 'normal' anyway?

[xiao-tsubasa.livejournal.com]

He said that?

[mumsisdaughter]

In 'So Long and Thanks for all the Fish' Arthur Dent goes to find God's last message to Creation.
"It is written in thirty-foot-high letters of fire on top of the Quentulus Quazgar Mountains in the land of Sevorbeupstry on the planet Preliumtarn, third out from the sun Zarss in Galactic Sector QQ7 Active J Gamma. It is guarded by the Lajestic Vantrashell of Lob."

It says 'We apologise for the inconvenience'.

Those of us who grew up at the same time as Douglas Adams got the joke. It was not unusual for TV broadcasts (only 2 channels in UK in the early days) to break down. While they were trying all the plugs and valves at the studio, there was a standard message displayed:

We apologise for the inconvenience. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Douglas Adams was not a religious man and considered that if there was a Creator then he/she/it hadn't finished the job properly, hence the message.

IMDB Biography has this as one of his comments: I find the whole business of religion profoundly interesting. But it does mystify me that otherwise intelligent people take it seriously.

[mumsisdaughter]

Ta :)