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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 months, 2 weeks ago
Well done Terrie. A truly ghastly tale.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 months, 2 weeks ago
The Estate Agent’s Appointment
I arrived at the house in pouring rain. The light was fading on a day that was already dark with cloud. I didn’t want to go in. I wanted to get in my car, drive home, shower, and settle down with a Scotch and whatever delicious microwave meal was next in the fridge. I had no choice. This old house wasn’t going to…[Read more]
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Sandra replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 5 months, 3 weeks ago
This the result of apending 5 days writing with a gathering of Self-Edit participants.
Games people play
Monday morning’s plumping of the pillows of our marital bed effortful, thanks to both sleep and sex absent as snow in August throughout the weekend. Similarly, energy enough to dissipate the sourness of my reaction when I noticed the wor…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 5 months, 3 weeks ago
HURRY, HURRY, HURRY! The September Song short story challenge goes private at 10:00. If you’ve joined you must make your choices by then. If you haven’t joined, today is your last chance.
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Athelstone posted an update 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Barter Books in Alnwick is a terrible place for an impoverished reader to be…
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Athelstone replied to the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Incidentally, Sandra’s comment is still there but she replied to the update on the activity page rather than directly to the thread
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Athelstone replied to the topic A scheme to show books written without AI in the forum Coffee Shop 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I think you’re right.
Of course, AI writing is effectively a sampling of other authors’ work, albeit with some sophisticated algorithms that hide the truth away. An author may say that they are using AI to produce something original, but AI simply won’t work with just small samples such as from one author. It needs a “large language model” as…[Read more]
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Daedalus replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
September Song 5 months, 4 weeks agoI finally managed to read Ulysses earlier this year after numerous failed attempts over several decades (Middlemarch likewise). So I’m going to make the most of it!
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Good to know that other Denizens have issues reading classic works. I remember the professor of philosophy at university remarking that there were a few books that every educated person should read. One of them was “The Magic Mountain” by Thomas Mann. Took me 40 years and 2 translations to become educated 😁
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Congratulations on finishing Ulysses. I’ve never even tried.
The thought of reading The Magic Mountain crosses my consciousness from time to time. But Ath, did the philosophy professor explain why it should be read?-
Not directly – or any of the other books on his list. I only remember a few. I suppose it was on his list because it gives an insight into how people think about life and death and some other major philosophical issues. My difficulty stems from myself, I think. I sometimes find it hard to read something that I’ve been told I ought to read. On…[Read more]
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I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t heard of it, but a lot of non English language literature is not on my radar. As far as Ulysses is concerned, I can see why it is important, and I enjoyed parts of it very much, but it was a tough read because with the style constantly changing, I couldn’t settle into it the way I generally can sooner or later. Middl…[Read more]
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Haha, Rosamund Vincy really is the worst! Even worse than the executives indeeed. But so memorable! I found the political bits in Middlemarch hard to get through personally, but yes the introspection can be pretty lengthy too.
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I read Middlemarch very quickly when I was 19 and still had the habit of reading 2 or 3 books every week. MM took me a whole week. I have no recollection of how I felt about it afterwards, because, in my usual way I was onto the next book. Parts of it have sort of emerged into my mind, and, if I’m honest my writing over the years. The book that…[Read more]
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I enjoyed Middlemarch when I read it some years ago. I like politics in novels – didn’t mind those parts. As for Rosamund Vincy: poor Lydgate. The mistakes we make.
The classic that’s had most impact recently is Wuthering Heights. I had to reread it for a book group or else wouldn’t have bothered. Teenage memories of a depressing story of a grim…[Read more]
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Merle Oberon wasn’t the finest Catherine either. But Larry, dear Larry, was hopelessly miscast.
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She did look as though she’d never been on a moor in her life.
Here’s Larry, wondering if he’s done the right thing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuthering_Heights_(1939_film)#/media/File:Laurence_Olivier_-_1939.jpg
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Daedalus replied to the topic Choices in the forum
September Song 5 months, 4 weeks agoSnow
Ulysses
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Sandra replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
September Song 6 months agoI pulled half a dozen titles from my shelves, in the hope they’d inspire me with characters and plot. In the end the one I chose hung around longest; re-reading it reminded me why it felt so memorable.
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Athelstone posted an update 6 months ago
OK, I just pushed through a batch of updates on the Den. I had already tested them on the Den’s testing site and they seemed to be fine. If anybody finds something not working please let me know. Thanks.
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RichardB replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
September Song 6 months agoI dunno about are reading: I haven’t read Catch-22 for years. But it is a book that sticks in the mind.
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Athelstone replied to the topic Chit Chat in the forum
September Song 6 months agoMy sneaky way of finding what people are reading. And yes, an extraordinary range.
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Janette replied to the topic Choices in the forum
September Song 6 months agoI might live to regret this, but I am changing my choices (it was a flip of a coin in the first place).
My choices now are:
Sunshine.
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey
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Janette replied to the topic Monthly competition October 2025 in the forum Monthly Competition 6 months ago
As the Veil Grows Thin
Hey, Vee, I’m still at your side my dear. My old bones are aching in this hospital chair but, aye, I’m still watching over you.
They say you might hear me but – I don’t know. See, I can’t get used to how still you are. Never would’ve been afore, hey? Specially when we first met, when we danced like demons and made lo…[Read more]
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Athelstone posted an update 6 months ago
Welcome to a new member Silver. Some may remember her as Catasshe back in the Wordcloud days
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As in CAS Short Story Competition? Obviously I’m going to welcome you, Silver.
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That’s me Richard, nice to meet you! How’s the writing going?
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Hello my old SE buddy! Lovely to see you here.
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Hello Kate! How are you doing? The writing is flourishing I see!
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Having fun writing and publishing. The marketing… less so. But a necessity!
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Actually we have met virtually before. If you haven’t made the connection, my story came second in that competition, and we had a brief exchange of e-mails afterwards. Nice to see you here.
After two novels were greeted with deafening apathy by the trade, I decided that at my time of life I had better things to do than putting myself through the…[Read more]-
Hi Richard, oh yes, I wasn’t clear in my message but I did remember you from our email exchange – clicked it was you by reading the posts in the Podium section on here where you were posting about the competition. Still remember your story well – a fantastic one. I’m sorry to hear you’ve given up ‘serious’ writing. I empathize as I had a similar…[Read more]
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Welcome back, CAS. Great another Cloudie has found their way here.
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Thank you Janette! Yes, if only all the Cloudies would come! Great this is still going though.
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Hi CAS/Silver, good to hear from you again!
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Hi Libby! Nice to see you on here. I hope you’re well
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I’m fine, thanks. Trundling on 🙂
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Athelstone replied to the topic Choices in the forum
September Song 6 months agoBecause I know what the consequences of each choice are, mine have been made for me, very kindly, by Jules.
Sunshine
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
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Yikes! That book title is ‘kind’?
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Absolutely. The Sri Lankan civil war, which the west often overlooked as uninteresting, was a terrible but facinating period. I don’t think Jules knew that I was particularly drawn to its history, but if not it’s a lucky accident. The book is a fantasy applying themes from mythology to create a story from the time. It was the Booker prize winner in 2022.
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I’m relieved to hear it, and look forward to your entry. Mine is coming on nicely, but I’m nervous as to what strictures the 25th will bring
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I’ve tried to make the consequences easy to negotiate.
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I chose my title for its inspiration and flexibility; it’s a bonus I’ve already written 286 words.
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