MANICHAEAN
02-20-2014, 09:22 AM
Ivan Turgenev "On The Lips."
When last week I was reading Ivan Turgenev's "On The Eve" , I could not help but be struck by one, ( albeit minor aspect) of his style i.e. The repetitive manner in which he felt almost obliged to give a comprehensive and somewhat formal presentation of each new characters' attributes, especially those relating to their lips e.g.
Andrei Bersyenev; " There was a restrained smile on his full lips."
Pavel Shubin; "......and prominent well-shaped lips."
Zoya Mueller; "....and tiny red lips."
Dmitri Insarov; "his thin, hard, over-precise lips."
Uvar Stahov; " thick colourless lips."
Annushka; "Her coarse lips."
Yegor Kurnatovski; " On his lips there is an official sort of smile."
So, how do you as writers approach a physical description of your characters, and is there a penchant for any particular body part? Very much to the fore from the literature I have read have been; eyes,height, hair, noses, hands and ankles. In fact the range of adjectives applied to them have been quite comprehensive.
But what about the more obscure body parts demanding of inclusion and attention? What about; ear lobes, nostrils, eye-brows, tonsils, clavicles, elbows, thumbs, belly-buttons, big toes and not forgetting the naughty bits?
I will be endeavouring to start the ball rolling soon with a short story entitled " Bond and the Honey Trap" but all contributions are welcome.
Finally, let me mention the writer that executes an indirect aside that conveys so much more. Take for example the following from Anthony Trollopes "Barchester Towers."
" She would as soon have thought of appearing before her brother without her stockings as without her stays - and Miss Thorne's stays were no trifle."
When last week I was reading Ivan Turgenev's "On The Eve" , I could not help but be struck by one, ( albeit minor aspect) of his style i.e. The repetitive manner in which he felt almost obliged to give a comprehensive and somewhat formal presentation of each new characters' attributes, especially those relating to their lips e.g.
Andrei Bersyenev; " There was a restrained smile on his full lips."
Pavel Shubin; "......and prominent well-shaped lips."
Zoya Mueller; "....and tiny red lips."
Dmitri Insarov; "his thin, hard, over-precise lips."
Uvar Stahov; " thick colourless lips."
Annushka; "Her coarse lips."
Yegor Kurnatovski; " On his lips there is an official sort of smile."
So, how do you as writers approach a physical description of your characters, and is there a penchant for any particular body part? Very much to the fore from the literature I have read have been; eyes,height, hair, noses, hands and ankles. In fact the range of adjectives applied to them have been quite comprehensive.
But what about the more obscure body parts demanding of inclusion and attention? What about; ear lobes, nostrils, eye-brows, tonsils, clavicles, elbows, thumbs, belly-buttons, big toes and not forgetting the naughty bits?
I will be endeavouring to start the ball rolling soon with a short story entitled " Bond and the Honey Trap" but all contributions are welcome.
Finally, let me mention the writer that executes an indirect aside that conveys so much more. Take for example the following from Anthony Trollopes "Barchester Towers."
" She would as soon have thought of appearing before her brother without her stockings as without her stays - and Miss Thorne's stays were no trifle."