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<blockquote data-quote="chachi" data-source="post: 2478896" data-attributes="member: 29483">I feel that most genre fiction at its worst suffers from this kind of purple prose.&nbsp; It just so happens that you read a lot of fantasy.&nbsp; Romance novels are infamous for needlessly flowery descriptions and innuendos.&nbsp; Westerns have the same problems.&nbsp; Nobody says high-falutin' or varmint or injun anymore.&nbsp; It's archaic, but it is also a convenient way to connotate time and space without spending time working out background.&nbsp; &nbsp;When a character speaks so wretchedly, I believe that the purpose is exactly what you are describing, to sound awkward.&nbsp; It saves the author from repeatedly telling you how different that these characters are from your everyday existence.&nbsp; It's the exact same reason that epic classical movies from Cleopatra to Gladiator end up speaking with British accents.&nbsp; It's ridiculous, but it is meant to convey a sense of formalilty, egalitarianism and old values, exactly what Britain means to Hollywood.&nbsp;Tolkien did the same thing.&nbsp; Elves are much more formal that humans and hobbits.&nbsp; Gandalf speaks like he just fell out of Victorian England.&nbsp; Undoubtedly, some of it is tradition among writers also.&nbsp; Some people just take it way over the top, and it ends up distracting and keeps you away from the story.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="chachi, post: 2478896, member: 29483"] I feel that most genre fiction at its worst suffers from this kind of purple prose. It just so happens that you read a lot of fantasy. Romance novels are infamous for needlessly flowery descriptions and innuendos. Westerns have the same problems. Nobody says high-falutin' or varmint or injun anymore. It's archaic, but it is also a convenient way to connotate time and space without spending time working out background. When a character speaks so wretchedly, I believe that the purpose is exactly what you are describing, to sound awkward. It saves the author from repeatedly telling you how different that these characters are from your everyday existence. It's the exact same reason that epic classical movies from Cleopatra to Gladiator end up speaking with British accents. It's ridiculous, but it is meant to convey a sense of formalilty, egalitarianism and old values, exactly what Britain means to Hollywood. Tolkien did the same thing. Elves are much more formal that humans and hobbits. Gandalf speaks like he just fell out of Victorian England. Undoubtedly, some of it is tradition among writers also. Some people just take it way over the top, and it ends up distracting and keeps you away from the story. [/QUOTE]

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