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Subjunctive imperfect, yeah. Legolas Send a noteboard - 13/12/2010 10:51:34 PM
What are the obscure tenses? Subjunctive imperfect? Plus-que-parfait subjunctives? Subjunctive futures? What? I'm curious to know.

A lot of passé simple, but that is in every French book except the very modern ones, it's just in schools that they keep telling you not to use it anymore. And a lot of subjunctive imperfect, which would be tricky to most readers, including native speakers, but I suppose not so much to you since you've already read a bunch of older writers who use it too anyway.

I randomly opened the (last) book and came across this sentence which is a good example: "Il ne sortit de son abattement que pour hurler. Hurler qu'on lui sellât céans son destrier, hurler qu'on rassemblât l'ost".

The funny part there is that words that would be difficult for a young or not well-read French reader, such as "ost", are easy for an English speaker who can easily recognize more common English words in them ("host", in this case, as in, an army). It's kind of like in Tolkien, where he'll often use old-English obscure words that make a Dutch reader go "huh, old-English is basically just Dutch". Though "céans" would be difficult for everyone alike. And then the two subjunctive imperfects.
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Maurice Druon - The Accursed Kings - 13/12/2010 08:19:21 PM 7668 Views
Thank you for giving this review - I had forgotten the name of the author and series. - 13/12/2010 09:29:59 PM 1563 Views
You're welcome (and thanks for the correction, edited). - 13/12/2010 10:23:55 PM 1596 Views
I know it's not "literary". (EDITED) - 13/12/2010 10:42:33 PM 1492 Views
Subjunctive imperfect, yeah. - 13/12/2010 10:51:34 PM 1566 Views
And with regard to your edit, I don't have a problem with passé simples myself. - 13/12/2010 10:53:59 PM 1917 Views
But how can one read any French literature at all without encountering the passé simple? - 15/12/2010 03:39:37 AM 1720 Views
The point is it is a "literary" tense - 15/12/2010 10:19:59 AM 1701 Views
Why would I read a lower style of book (I won't use the term "literature" to describe them) ? - 16/12/2010 06:11:36 AM 1501 Views
I don't want to start a fight here, but your attitude is seriously starting to grate. - 16/12/2010 06:54:30 PM 1772 Views
I don't care. Start a fight. - 16/12/2010 08:24:22 PM 1675 Views
Well, or we can have a civil debate on French culture, I suppose... also fun. - 16/12/2010 09:09:20 PM 1661 Views
Well, I'm up for that, too. - 17/12/2010 05:48:39 AM 1647 Views
Good. - 17/12/2010 09:01:37 PM 2004 Views
Ah - I support the subjunctive!!! - 18/12/2010 05:10:38 AM 1863 Views
TANGENT - 18/12/2010 09:56:31 AM 1754 Views
This whole conversation is just a pile of tangents, anyway. *NM* - 18/12/2010 01:30:09 PM 794 Views
I enjoy the tangent. - 21/12/2010 12:43:23 AM 1421 Views
But you don't think its disappearance corresponds to a decline in American culture? - 18/12/2010 01:29:43 PM 1650 Views
I read Der Zauberberg in English already. - 21/12/2010 12:48:16 AM 1487 Views
About the passé simple, what Camilla said. As for medieval vocabulary... - 15/12/2010 07:17:44 PM 1664 Views
"Ne...point" is used in Stendhal all the time. - 16/12/2010 06:08:40 AM 1547 Views
That looks like a really fascinating series. - 13/12/2010 10:56:52 PM 1617 Views
Step up your French lessons!!! - 13/12/2010 11:50:21 PM 1804 Views
That is a great reason to learn French. - 14/12/2010 07:29:54 PM 1528 Views
Re: That is a great reason to learn French. - 14/12/2010 08:13:59 PM 1542 Views
Fancier English often turns out to be French, of course. *NM* - 17/12/2010 06:41:19 PM 874 Views
Ooooh - 14/12/2010 07:41:03 PM 1457 Views
I'm really not quite sure how you managed that. - 14/12/2010 08:09:55 PM 1608 Views
Re: I'm really not quite sure how you managed that. - 14/12/2010 08:13:48 PM 1513 Views
I meant Bertière, yeah. Dumas works too, though. - 14/12/2010 08:18:30 PM 1582 Views

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